Marie-Chantal On Her New Book And Teaching Manners In The Time Of Corona

Can you tell us a little bit about what inspired you to write “Manners Begin At Breakfast” and how you approached the project in terms of what you wanted to achieve and the things you knew you wanted to include?



I started a blog a few years back on all things to do with parenting and manners. I quickly noticed that the posts on etiquette and manners were the favorite articles. Whether it was on how to dress at a wedding to how to sit properly at the table, they were the most read.



Being a big fan of healthy family values and tradition, I realized there was a place for a cute little book to help navigate kids social do’s and don’ts. Even more so in this frenetic digital age raising children, etiquette on this topic needs more than ever to be addressed. That's how the book came to be.

“Manners” can mean different things to different people. Can you define what it means to you in the context of this book and raising a family of five? And in the moment we are in now?



I’m a big believer in treating people the way you want to be treated and that also applies to how I treat my parents. I’m hopeful that by them seeing how I treat my parents they’ll in turn do the same. Manners isn’t just about holding a knife and fork properly, it's how we treat one another. Manners matter but kindness matters more. As for the current moment, we are all in this together and I think as parents we all share the fear, the hopes and then how to behave considerately towards one another during these difficult times. It's so important to respect our families when we are confined to small spaces for long periods. Even more important is to listen to our governments on how they are handling the crisis and listen to how we should behave. We must all come together and do what is asked of us. Stay at home, stay safe, look after our elders, our loved ones and come together in the spirit of community.

As the title implies, mealtime is a daily opportunity to teach our children manners. I love your “Same time, same table” rule. Can you elaborate on why that is so important?



Children love their routines and eating together at set times offers children that structure and a sense of stability. Every evening dinner is served at about 6:00 p.m. then bath time, a story or finishing homework before my children go to bed. Some of them are bigger now and live their own lives but I loved sticking to their schedules.



I find that now more than ever we should put an emphasis on children and their routines - setting these structures early when they are young set a sense of stability and boundaries. Even more so during these challenging times, I believe in setting structures around our days spent at home as it will give them a sense of calm. Kids love routines so make it fun with fun breaks. Aristide my youngest gets special treats now more than ever to keep him enthusiastic. Tino is writing music, Olympia is learning Greek, I am painting and teaching the kids and cousins how to cook. Achileas the actor is face timing his acting coach as he is about to film a movie, etc. We all need to keep on going in a positive way. Keep in touch with loved ones more than ever and remember the ones who live alone. This is more important than ever to reach out and be caring.

You also have a chapter on technology, which is increasingly prevalent at the moment, with Zoom calls becoming the default classroom. What is your best tip for helping your children develop a healthy relationship with technology and keeping them safe online?



As a parent, one of our most important roles is to teach children how to behave and this is best taught through good role models. Parents are fundamental in teaching core values to our children. It's important for parents to be present and active in their young children's use of technology. Teach them wisely and always encourage moderation.



In today’s instant, digital world, where social graces have made way for social media posts, teaching children good manners is more important than ever before – yet, as we rush around frantically with our endless commitments, this essential element of day-to-day human interaction is, it seems, rapidly becoming a lost art. Now with the stay at home policy because of COVID-19 we should be teaching our children to use their devices as a school tool and to communicate with family, friends and loved ones. Of course I allow my children to have their fun screen time but as long as it stays healthy and they limit it. For the youngest ones, it’s so important to take this time to teach them fun skills, to paint, draw, learn a musical instrument, cook and to stay creative.

You cover so much in your book, from playdates to parties and travel, being a good sport, and even navigating family ties. What is the common thread in terms of being gracious in a wide variety of situations—including the unprecedented one we find ourselves in now—and the most crucial thing for parents to remember when it comes to manners?




We all want our children to be treated well when they go out into the world and that will depend on how they treat other people; give them the toolbox they need to succeed. Teach them to be polite and kind to others from an early age and good manners and a happy disposition should become second nature.



This is a scary time that my family has never experienced. We have an enemy which we just cannot see which makes it so dangerous to the young as they cannot comprehend or understand how it spreads. I hope that we will all stay as safe as possible and hopefully the world will be a kinder and gentler place. As we take a pause and sit still maybe we will come out of this kinder to one another, to the environment, to one another. I’m hoping we can all learn from this, the young and the old. Like I always say to my children, Let’s turn a negative into a positive.