MANNER #4 - Know when and when not to introduce

THE MANNER
1. When you take a friend to someone's house, always introduce them to the people you see there.
2. If you meet someone on the street and they stop long enough to chat, always introduce them to the people that are with you.
3. Any friend you bring home with you should be introduced to your family members.
4. You do not need to introduce people who meet very briefly such as people coming out of a store, or church or office if you and a friend are going in.
NEVER let a friend wait around while you chat on and on to someone they do not know.

MOMS TAKE
Finally, we are on our last rule about introduction.  I am dying at the dinner table. Tonight Lukas announce that when he burped it meant he was full! I said, no, when you put your fork and knife on your plate that let's the other people at the table know that you are finished. 

THE EXECUTION
I didn't really go over this one with the kids yet.  I will use it when we run into someone briefly and when we meet someone we know on the street.  So this one will be done in a practical life scenario. But I did use it myself when I brought a friend over to another friends house last week.  I did pretty well.  I even mentioned something about each person so that they have something to instantly talk about.  Two points for Mom?  I really should have had my boys introduce their girl friends who we brought with us.  Darn! Missed out on the perfect situation! I should have read this rule last week.

MANNER #1 - Introductions, Take Your Time

THE MANNER
When you are introducing people take your time.  Pause to think about whom you are introducing.   Never rush through an introduction.

MOMS TAKE
This is a good one for me.  I always feel a need to rush.  I get totally tongue tied and sometimes the pressure is too much that I even forget some of my best friends names. That is quite awkward to say the least.   I too will work on this.  I will relax, take a breath and think about whom I am introducing to whom before I open my mouth.  I am going to have the kids do it after school today.  I figure it is best to make them feel comfortable and at ease with the first lesson so we will probably just do it ourselves. 

THE EXECUTION
So I was successful in introducing the concept to the boys.  Lukas got so excited about earning points that he said, "let's play it now."  He got up from the table (without saying excuse me - lesson #125) and started running around (walk, do not run in the house - lesson #87) looking for the "game." I explained to him that this was a game that we play in life everyday and when we follow the rules, we score points.  I then began with manner #1, take your time with introductions. What I instantly realized was that they had no idea what an introduction was.  I needed to step back explain to them that if you know 2 people but they do not know each other that it is your job to make them feel comfortable.  You do this by telling each of them the other persons name.  This helps both people feel at ease because you took the time to help them learn the other persons name and (we'll get to this part later) a little something they might have in common to talk to each other about.  We wound up practicing on ourselves, which my sons thought was hilarious.  It took us several times for them to do it without laughing, "Mommy this is Henry, Henry, Mommy. "   I then added look in the persons eyes who you are talking to and even went as far as teaching them about hand shaking! I definitely went too fast and surpassed my readings in the book.  We were just having so much fun!  Tomorrow I will review the rules on these manners and write them out for everyone to fully understand what is expected of you when you are doing an introduction.  But for now,  I peeked the kids interest.  So, Mom scored 1 point today too!