LilSugar

Do You Let Your Children Eat Off the Floor?

LilSugar — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:00:41 -0700

Every mother knows about the ten-second rule, but what about shaking your child's Cheerios on to the floor? Some parents forgo the plate or bowl because lil butter fingers have a tendency to drop the cereal on the carpet so they serve their kiddo's snacks straight on ground. Other moms and dads shun that practice, but don't flinch when a cracker or piece of fruit drops and their tot picks it up to munch on. What's your opinion?

Do You Use Mr. and Mrs. to Introduce Adults to Your Children?

babysugar — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:00:37 -0700

Growing up, "Yes ma'am" and "No sir" were staple phrases in my house. Sticklers for manners, my parents wouldn't indulge us until we used the magic words. Along with the "ma'am" and "sir," adults were always introduced as "Mr." and "Mrs." While some moms and pops claim the politeness makes them cringe as it connotes age, I like the etiquette. Occasionally someone would say, "Please, just call me Martha" in which case I strayed from the rule and followed her instruction.

As parents, my husband and I have defined our rules of addressing adults. The Southern gal in me is sticking with the "ma'am" and "sir," and we're still trying to figure out the rules on titles. For the most part, our daughter calls most adults by Mr. and Mrs., while close friends have garnered nicknames or "Auntie" status, skipping the rules altogether. Perhaps it is a West Coast trend or a sign of our generation, but many tots simply call older acquaintances by their given names and think the hierarchy is for the birds.

What practice do you preach?
Getty

Do You Think Women and Children Should Go First?

LilSugar — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 10:00:21 -0800

Among the stories that came out of the US Airways plane crash in the Hudson River yesterday was one about the orderly conduct in which the passengers escaped the floating fuselage. According to one survivor, women and children were the first to leave the wreckage.

Do you believe such courtesies are outdated, or should men stand back and allow women and children the chance at safety first?

Is It Your Pediatrician's Place to Monitor Manners?

LilSugar — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:00:15 -0800

Teaching a child manners is the parent's responsibility, but is it appropriate for a pediatrician to track that development? Though we rely on our kid's doctor for advice on physical ailments from sore throats to earaches, are we comfortable getting their feedback on our tot's etiquette?

Source

The Beckham Boys Are Brotherly and Well-Mannered

LilSugar — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:00:00 -0800

As the Beckham boys learn the ins and outs of being famous, they are also learning proper etiquette. Mama Victoria recently proudly spoke to The Times about her sons' good manners. She said:

"My mum and dad were real sticklers for good manners and so are me and David. People are always remarking on how well-behaved the boys are. They've all got their own headed notepaper for thank-you letters.”

Good manners are a lesson for life and if you teach them to your kids early on, they become automatic. Saying "please" and "thank you" and writing notes goes a long way.

We've all got our own parenting styles, but are you a stickler for manners?

Bauer-Griffin Online

Has Chivalry Died For Our Children?

LilSugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:37:17 -0700

Is "ladies first" and gentlemen opening doors a thing of the past? As parents try to raise their sons and daughters with equality in mind, do the traditional customs of pulling out a woman's chair or walking on the outside of the road become unimportant? I hope my son grows up to be the kind of guy who hands his date his jacket when she's cold. What's your opinion on the issue?
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Do You Teach Your Tots To Mind Their Manners?

LilSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:00:02 -0700

As the mother of four, one of my mom's mantras was, "Remember to say please and thank you!"

Whether she was dropping us off at a birthday party or we were out running errands, manners mattered.

Being polite was an automatic in our household so it didn't take any effort to relay that message to my own kids from the get go.

Teaching your tot etiquette - everything from what's appropriate in certain situations to which fork to use at a dinner party - is a gift that keeps giving.

Are manners important in your household?

OnSugar Blog: The Boss

OnSugar Blog — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:00:08 -0800

Lots of moms think out loud, and Tiffany Carboni does too. The Boss comes from the Mother Tongue & Other Sharp Objects blog at OnSugar.

My boss is a tyrant. She screams, flies off the handle, can’t effectively communicate her needs, and yet she expects me to work productively with a smile on my face each and every day. There are days I’m ready to have a serious conversation with her explaining why I’m going to quit and take a better, higher paying job with someone who will respect me.

But since she’s only 32-inches tall and is currently running around with a yogurt-baked bean slime streak in her hair while hitting the sofa with a squeaky hammer, I am reminded why I’m holding back.

Throughout my 10-plus years in the workforce, I have worked some very interesting jobs in which I have dealt with people of all temperaments. As a senior editor of two well-regarded magazines, I have met dignitaries and celebrities in the art and design world. As a film and television location manager and, before that, a production assistant, I dealt directly with movie producers and directors, famous actors and musicians.

In other words, I have dealt with my share of egotistical, self-righteous blow-hards who can sometimes be unbelievably ill-mannered. But, it wasn’t until I became a mother that I realized how good I had had it back then even with the most egregious of adult tempers.

No matter how bad any of those other jobs got or how out-of-control some of the demands I had to negotiate, I never came across anyone who thought it proper form to disagree by head-butting me. To finish reading this post, click here.

Want to see more? Start following OnSugar blog Mother Tongue & Other Sharp Objects or start your own OnSugar blog. We may just feature your content on LilSugar.

Did Weight Loss Influence Your Decision to Breastfeed?

LilSugar — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:15:00 -0800

Heidi Klum credits staying active for losing the baby weight. And there's no question that being a mother of four under age 6 keeps a woman - even a supermodel - on her toes! She noted that nursing is just a means of nourishing her children Leni, 5, Henry, 4, Johan, 3, and 4-month-old Lou. She told Us Weekly:

"I never looked at breastfeeding in terms of, 'This is something that helps me.' Breastfeeding helps my child. The after effect: yes, you lose your weight in a normal manner. I think people blow it out of proportion."

Make Your Family's Car a No Phone Zone

LilSugar — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:00:43 -0800

Hold on one second, the kids are fighting in the backseat. Modern technology keeps us connected...even in the car. Our attachment to cell phones and PDAs means that we are never out of touch and aren't always 100 percent focused while driving! Busy moms who rarely have a minute to call back a friend or shoot an email often use the time they spend in the car to cross some items off of their to-do lists. Using hands-free devices that are required by law in seven states, make many mamas believe they are acting in a safe, and legal, manner.

What most drivers don't realize is that it is not just the act of holding a phone that makes talking while driving dangerous, but the cognitive distraction that is experienced while holding the conversation. An estimated 28 percent of all accidents involve a driver who was talking or texting while on the road. According to FocusDriven, a new organization hoping to convince drivers to put their cell phones away while driving, when people are engaged in a mobile conversation, their brains are not wholly focused on the road, and unlike a conversation with a passenger in the car, there are no additional eyes watching traffic.

Oprah Winfrey recently challenged her viewers to create No Phone Zones in their cars. Would you be willing to make the commitment and safeguard your precious cargo?