6. Excuse You!
Two little words that come in handy in a variety of situations? A simple “Excuse me.” Getting up from the table is a situation that calls for this magic phrase. And Judy Davidds-Wright teaches her children that “every time they cross in front of someone, say ‘Excuse me.” This can be an important lesson. Jackie’s three kids “will sway into the path of a pedestrian or cut in front of someone without even thinking about it.” Staying aware of their surroundings and the people around them, and remembering to excuse themselves is an unbeatable combination. “Excuse me,” or a variation thereof, also works well as a substitute for the much less pleasing “What?”—a four-letter word that Davidds-Wright doesn’t allow in her household. “I’ve been teaching my girls from the moment they were able to talk to say ‘beg your pardon’ when they need someone to repeat what they said,” she explains. “We just got back from London and Paris last weekend and the children they met out there all said ‘pardon me’ or ‘beg your pardon’ which re-emphasized for my girls how important good manners are and that what I am teaching them is not something I just made up.”
