Manners Talk, First Impressions Are Lasting Impressions

I received an unexpected and beautiful floral bouquet yesterday from a client with the Manners Talk Etiquette Program. Made my day! www.yourmannerstalk.com

22 Signs Your Children Are Way Too Spoiled Nobody wants to raise a brat, but making your kid a generous soul isn't always easy. Worried you have a spoiled child? Check out these surefire signs.

What leads a child to be more resilient than their peers: the presence of at least one stable caregiver, a sense of self-efficacy, learning to cope with stress.

This is the No. 1 way to raise a resilient kid, new study says — CNBC Specific literary techniques can help kids learn how to deal with difficulties in real life, according to a new study published in the Journal of Creativity.

It’s important to validate kids’ fears and offer a range of choices for how they can react to hate.

Advice | Parents can help children learn to stand up to hate. Here’s how. Adolescents are growing up in a polarized time and may need extra support to be strong enough to defend a peer who is targeted because of their identity.

The attached link has excellent and timely advice on how parents can help their children understand the importance of resilience -- recognizing they will not always win the top role in the school play, the highest academic award, or admittance to their top choice for college.

We must show our children starting early in life, how to deal with disappointments and recognize that it's not simply a rigged system that targets their child personally. Parents require a more significant and multilayer response as we guide and support our children through their lives.

Dear Therapist: I’m Worried the College-Admissions Process Is Rigged Against My Son He has grades and test scores that I think should qualify him for the Ivy League—but he’s also white and upper-middle-class.

My thoughts on the ramifications of the responses to this question.

First, we must continue the work of actively talking and encouraging teen girls to develop self-worth that is not predicated only on their outer appearance.

Internet comments can be callous and hateful. Sadly, and too often, the responses are given too much importance, with often detrimental results — but, it’s not the truth.

The truth lies in the totality of a human being’s personal achievements, academic success, developed personality that has the ability to remain focused on personal goals, empathic and kind, and possesses a sense of tenacity with the resilience to get back on the saddle when they’ve been thrown off

But they can’t get there on their own. It takes the loving and supportive care of surrounding members of a collective village — family, teachers, mentors, loyal and kind friends to get to a place in life where the mirror’s reflection is not the primary source of one’s confidence and self-esteem.

‘Am I Pretty?’ Videos Posed to the Internet, Raise Questions As a generation raised on YouTube and iPhones enters middle school, questions of self-esteem are increasingly being posed to anyone on the Internet, often via YouTube.

Manners Talk Etiquette Program offers private "one-on-one" sessions that focus on developing strong social skills for teenagers and young adults in the areas of Good Communication, Interviewing Skills, Grooming and Proper Attire, and Table Manners.

For more details and contact information go to the website at www.yourmannerstalk.com

Manners Classes Washington DC | Manners Talk™ Manners Talk™ provides etiquette training for children & teenagers. Services are available for organizations, as well as individual sessions.

Enjoy being a Mentor with Spark the Journey - Igniting Paths to Economic Mobility (originally, Capital Partners for Education but recently rebranded).

My goal is to “pay it forward” by inspiring a young person with encouragement & guidance as they carve a future path for themselves.

In the end, there is no greater gift than sharing one’s time with another human being that sparks positivity!

If interested, mentors are always needed to aid in the development of our teen population. The link for more information is at www.sparkthejourney.org

Puberty is a very different experience for girls and boys, but in both cases, fluctuating hormones, crushes, body hair, body changes, pimples, and mood swings are par for the course.

If you are the parent of a tween or teen girl, you are probably wondering, what’s the best way to discuss all the ins and outs of puberty with my daughter?

If your daughter is already experiencing changes and asking questions, it is best to answer them as honestly as possible at their level.

Here are our top ten books with Family Education about puberty for girls.

The Best Books About Puberty for Girls Puberty is a confusing time for both girls and their parents. Let these books help everyone in your family navigate through these changes.

Helpful advice.

Nine science-backed ways to help kids maintain hope, in the link below, especially during tough times.

Child psychologist: The No. 1 skill that sets mentally strong kids from 'those who give up easily' — CNBC Research shows that hopeful kids are more likely to thrive and less likely to be depressed or anxious, says educational psychologist Michele Borba. She shares nine ways parents can teach their kids to be hopeful and mentally strong.

I truly appreciated this beautiful testimonial from a young adult I recently had the pleasure of working with for several sessions. Thank you Aminata!

I wanted to take etiquette classes on the following topics, fashion, converation, personal growth, and so much more. Then, I found Miss Vicki with Manners Talk: she is excellent, knowledgeable in her craft and very personable.

I've only known her for a short time, but I feel like she's the Aunt I never had; living in D.C as a single woman, she is someone you can look up to.

At 27 years, I just needed to learn cetain things surrounding etiquette. Miss Vicki has opened my eyes to how I can be a better version of myself. My favorite part was how to set the table and how to use silverware properly.

I highly recommend her to anyone who wants to have private one-on-one sessions. I am so grateful I met her and took her classes.

I am thrilled to serve as a Mentor with Capital Partners for Education. The organization was founded 26 years ago.

The mission is to mentor low-income high school students and college students. They provide supportive adults, like me, outside the student's immediate family, to help them gain relevant skills and help experiences to graduate high school and get into college.

I am looking forward to making a positive impact in the life of my mentee. She is bright and full of ideas about what she would like to accomplish in life and has a strong sense of how she would like to boarden her horizons.

Paying it forward and being a source of inspiration is my ultimate goal.

Onward and upward, Aniya!

Tweens having messy rooms is not unheard of. In fact, it’s pretty common. There are certainly tweens who care greatly about their items and their organization, but for the most part, tweens and teens only care about what’s important to them.

For more advice on how to deal with this issue and too be sure there are no underlying issues of hoarding can be found in the Post article linked below.

Perspective | Tween daughter’s room is a mess. How do I help? Is she a hoarder? Is there something wrong? Help.