Former Etiquette Expert at Dallas Morning News Neighborsgo, Columnist for Parents Magazine and Principal, Mrs. McVeigh’s Manners, Offers Solutions and Advice to Young and Old On

Every Day Manners Situations

Everyday manners are something that challenge a lot of people today, young and old.  People want to do the right thing when it comes to etiquette and formal situations.  But it does not have to be difficult and challenging, with a little help and coaching.

In anticipation of the upcoming holiday season, Parenting/Lifestyle Expert Elise McVeigh has unveiled a series of new children’s books on manners. The five books are brand extensions of Mrs. McVeigh’s Manners, a Dallas-based organization that teaches young children and university-aged students proper manners in social settings and at home. McVeigh, who is the former Dallas Morning News Neighborsgo Etiquette Expert for 10 years, and a columnist for Parents Magazine, has taught thousands of children manners in her popular camps and classes in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

“For 13 years, I have been helping people of all ages do the right thing when it comes to various etiquette scenarios and situations,” McVeigh said. “I do this through speeches, seminars, classes for students, writing, media apearances, and now a line of books.  For 10 years, I wrote a weekly column for the Dallas Morning News, offering advice, everything from advice at the dinner table to social settings during the holidays and beyond.”

The books are as follows and are available through MrsMcVeighsManners.com, and Amazon.com.   For all books, children can enjoy them on their IPad, or any electronic device. (Will show up on “I-Books” on your Apple electronic device.) It is a story they will want to hear or read again and again. Get to know Professor Maynard and Mrs. McVeigh by seeing their manners’ demonstrations on the Mrs. McVeigh’s Manners website under “Webisodes” or by copying and pasting this link into your browser:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oOayoD4L9k

Description of books:

• McVeigh Meets Professor Maynard (Paperback $9.99 and E-books $7.99). How did Mrs. McVeigh and Professor Maynard (pronounced mannered) meet? Based on the Mrs. McVeigh’s Manners videos, children can read the humorous account of the wacky Professor Maynard meeting Mrs. McVeigh, and assisting her at her manner’s class. Children will learn how to meet and greet people; how to be a good host, and situations to remember his/her good manners.

• Professor Maynard Eats at School with Reagan (Paperback $9.99 and E-books $7.99) Professor Maynard has established himself as Mrs. McVeigh’s “Temporary” Assistant. He is there to help her teach her manner’s classes, until his science lab at the university is fixed. When he overhears Mrs. McVeigh tell Reagan that she will meet him at his school for lunch, Professor Maynard cannot resist but to go to lunch with them.  Children will learn to never invite yourself to something; be aware of your surroundings; never comment on other people’s food choices; keep rude comments to yourself; and clean up your trash and your lunch spot.

• Professor Maynard Learns Good Restaurant Manners (Paperback $9.99 and E-books $7.99) Professor Maynard has established himself as Mrs. McVeigh’s “Temporary” Assistant. Mrs. McVeigh runs into Professor Maynard and his wife, while taking her sons out to dinner. Mrs. McVeigh and her sons teach Professor Maynard what it means to have good restaurant manners.  Children will learn how to handle a wrong order; wait to eat after everyone is served; not to take other people’s food; how to handle a friend visiting your table; how to pay the check; and how much to tip.

• Professor Maynard Learns Good Table Manners (Paperback $9.99 and E-books $7.99) Professor Maynard has established himself as Mrs. McVeigh’s “Temporary” Assistant. He is there to help her teach her manner’s classes, until his science lab at the university is fixed. In class, Mrs. McVeigh has lost her voice, and Professor Maynard teaches the children how to have good table manners.  Based on the Mrs. McVeigh’s Manners videos, children can read the humorous account of the wacky Professor Maynard meeting Mrs. McVeigh, and assisting her at her manner’s class. Your child will learn basic table manners, and how to use and place his/her utensils, throughout a meal.

• Professor Maynard Learns how to Set the Table (Paperback $9.99 and E-books $7.99) Professor Maynard comes back to help Mrs. McVeigh with her manner’s class. While there, he learns how to teach the students how to set the table.  Based on the Mrs. McVeigh’s Manners videos, your children can read the humorous account of the wacky Professor Maynard learning how to set the table. Your child will learn where every place setting component goes, and situations to remember his/her good manners.

• Professor Maynard Learns how to Set the Table (Interactive book on iTunes $9.99) This colorful and interactive book will make your child laugh and smile when reading it (or listening to the story read to him/her by pressing on a picture of the narrator). Children can press on the characters and objects in the book, and hear them talk or makes sounds – it brings the whole book to life! Interactive features include: a short video of the real Mrs. McVeigh and Professor Maynard setting the table; audio narration of the book; details on what is placed on a dinner table; pressing characters to hear their comments; pressing on objects to hear the noise that they make; and an interactive quiz. To see a demonstration of the book, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pibhrISHGi4

Here are five things that you can do at home to teach your children good manners:

• Get relatives on board – Does Grandma and Grandpa tell the children that it is okay to jump on the couch when they spend the night at their house? Explain to them that if they do it at their house, they may think it is okay to do this at a friend’s house. Ask them to help you with a clear message and consistent behavior.

• Role-play –For example, before you walk up to the door of a friend’s house, pretend you are the friend’s parent. Practice your meeting and greeting, reminding your child to have a firm handshake, a clear and loud enough voice, and good eye contact. 

• Sound positive when talking about good manners – When I meet parents for the first time in social situations they always say, “You are the manners expert. I constantly threaten my children that they will go to your class if they do not have better manners.” Instead parents should tell their children that there are rewards for learning good manners, such as being invited to a lot of play-dates and parties.

• Family Dinners – We are all busy with children’s activities, and getting to sit down to dinner, as a family is a challenge. But even if it is just one parent and one child sitting down to eat, it is definitely worth sitting down at a set table. Ask your child to set the table every night, and politely remind him/her of how to use utensils correctly, and expect them to follow all the rules of good dining.

• Make it Fun– From games, to books, to videos; learning good manners can be fun! You know your child, and how he enjoys learning. Tools to learn good manners are just a computer click away. Check out children’s websites such MrsMcVeighsManners.com for some great ideas!

Elise McVeigh is a writer and Lifestyle/ Parenting expert based in the Dallas/Forth Worth area. She wrote a weekly manners’ column for 10 years in the Dallas Morning News, and has been a regular contributor to parenting magazines all around the country.
She has a new line of colorful and entertaining books that compliment her children’s manner’s curriculum and videos, based on the wacky Professor Maynard (pronounced mannered.) The five titles are available in paperback or E-books at MrsMcVeighsManners.com or on Amazon.com