Table manners

Teach your child to close his mouth when chewing his food, and teach this to him at the outset because once your child gets into the habit of chewing food with his mouth open, it may be a hard habit to break. When a person chews food with his mouth open, it speaks volumes about his upbringing - or, more specifically, his lack thereof.

Teach your child to eat his food with a knife and a fork. Surprising though it may be, there are still grown-ups who are fairly inept at using a knife and fork. The reason for this is perfectly understandable. Indian food often doesn't require the use of any cutlery, and one can get by even without using a spoon. But, your child will not be eating only Indian food for the rest of his life. Chances are that he may very well be invited to a restaurant serving international cuisine, where he may be required to use a knife and a fork, and any unease will show through. To avoid him facing such a situation, serve food that he can eat with a knife and a fork, so he gets a little practice.

Before taking the last bit or last piece of something that has been served, always ask if someone else would like it. No one would really take the last bit from you, but it is considered polite to ask. At the most, someone may like a small bite from your portion.

Cell-phone etiquette

Put your cell phone on silent when you enter a movie. If you like, let the vibrator stay on, so if your cell phone rings, you can see who is calling. Accordingly, you can quickly let the person know you will call back, or you can leave the hall and take the call. Letting your cell phone ring in a cinema hall during a movie, is rude.

Similarly, don't speak loudly at a restaurant on your cell phone. People on the other tables are not interested in hearing your conversation.

Manners while travelling

When your children are travelling by public transport, teach them to give up their seat to elders, disabled people, pregnant women or women holding babies in their arms. Also, although men don't necessarily have to give up their seat to young women, doing so is simply a charming, gentlemanly thing to do and evokes positive feelings - which is always welcome in today's rushed world.

Dealing with service staff

People often tend to be rude and short with those serving them, with no apparent reason. Just because someone is being paid a salary to provide a service to you, does not mean they are your personal slaves. The next time you go to a restaurant, set an example to your children by being courteous to the waiter. If your children are a little short, correct them as soon as the person serving them has left. Shouting and yelling at someone serving you makes everyone uncomfortable. True, there are certain instances where you are justified, but try and put your point across courteously and politely, without personally insulting anyone.