Etiquette Boss: Follow the leader

YOUR BEST INVESTMENT: Etiquette for Children

Giving and Receiving

Graduation is just around the corner for thousands of high school students who are excited yet filled with anxiety about leaving home for the first time. They are about to embark upon a period of greater interaction with other cultures, as international students enter our colleges and our students possibly travel abroad without their parents.

Your child can never be over-prepared. One etiquette tip that will help him/her come across as culturally sensitive and considerate, deals with the gesture of giving and receiving.

Teens should know that if someone presents a business card, money, a gift or any other item to them with both hands, they should extend both hands to receive it.

In many cultures, giving with both hands is a gesture of courtesy and respect. It is a sign that your child is not only academically educated, but socially educated as well, when he/she mirrors the body language of the giver.

We often respond from habit, extending one hand when etiquette demands two. The first time my nail technician gave me change using both of her hands, I was struck by the way it changed what is usually a thoughtless exchange into a reflective moment.

YOUR BEST APPEARANCE:

“Many people die at twenty five and aren’t buried until they are seventy five” — Benjamin Franklin

Rejuvenate your nose — Few people realize that the human nose keeps growing with age. It drops and widens, succumbing to gravity like any other part of the face.

A perky nose is a sign of youth. To lift the nose and thereby improve the appearance of your face, place your finger or thumb under the tip of your nose, but only after washing and moisturizing your face.

Slightly lift the nose while pulling down the upper lip gently so that it covers the upper teeth. Repeat 10 times initially, and as your nose becomes accustomed to this exercise, increase to 20 reps. This will exercise and tone the dilator muscles and return definition to this area.

Phillipa Morrish is the president of Etiquette Training International.