Beyond Good Manners: How to Raise a Sophisticated Child

Absolutely fabulous how-to for parents who want to go the extra distance. I read it as a checklist since my boy is raised --and fairly sophisticated. Wanted to see how much of that was my doing!!!Actually, I could have done a little better according to the early chapters here on courtesy, dining etiquette and making introductions. However, what I absolutely loved, loved, loved about this book were chapters 9, 11 and 14. That is the chapters on Culture & Arts, Wellness and the Sophisticated Traveler .The authors are absolutely spot-on with their ideas of broadening and developing and guiding a child's cultural interests. I was fortunate enough to live within striking distance of New York City when my son was young so he was exposed to Broadway shows, and museums and restaurants from an early age. But, as the book indicates you don't have to live in NYC. My son was also fortunate enough to have parents who took him on their travels, knowing there were trade-offs to be made in taking him out of school for a few days in exchange for exploring a different cultural environment. These are ideas that the authors favor too, and I think rightly so.If I had to do it over, one thing I would do differently would be to heed the authors' advice on how to introduce your child to music that was popular in one's own youth without incurring a look of disdain. Bravo to the Turner writing team for focussing on areas that can really help in raising a well-rounded, confident child.

Slip Beyond Good Manners: How to Raise a Sophisticated Child right in between your other books on positive discipline, the Montessori child, investing for teens, and SAT study guides. Having read a number of books on educating and raising children as well as being the father of a middle school daughter myself, I'm not uninitiated in this area. Yet, this book is not only for teaching children how to become more sophisticated in all areas of their life. I even learned a few things myself; for example, the importance of sending thank you letters after having attended a dinner party.Do not be put off by the term, sophisticated, as it is applied to the many times contentious childhood and teenage area of social manners for the authors encourage a gentle and respectful teaching methodology, much like in a Montessori education. As the title of the book implies, this book is not only about teaching social etiquette but is also about encouraging a love of learning, appreciating travel and the arts, and even managing one’s social media presence and taking care of one’s health. This book has such a wealth of ideas and examples that one would be hard-pressed to implement them all immediately. A list of the top ideas at the end of chapter for the reader to start off with would’ve been helpful.This is a unique book that is chock-full of practical ideas and that fills a void in the plethora of books about raising children.

This is a wonderful book: helpful, well-written, and fun! Too often, non-fiction requires a choice of two out of those three, but this book truly delivers on every front. If you're a parent, then read and learn! And if you're not... this is still a delightful read, full of gracefulness and wisdom for all of us (please see the quote at the end). There are remarkable life lessons (in the literal sense) to be learned here: on how to develop a taste for gastronomy, culture, socializing... and even learning itself. On all these topics, I was truly impressed by the authors' insight and wisdom. For example, it had never occurred to me that I could learn about a child's approach to hygiene by observing play time with a doll, or that children must explicitly learn how to behave respectfully towards wait staff in restaurants. The authors are also remarkably fair-minded, taking care never to place unrealistic or unjust expectations on children. Finally, they're wonderfully erudite, without ever coming across as pretentious or esoteric (get ready to walk alongside Coco Chanel, Tchaikovsky, and Mikhail Baryshnikov through the pages of this book).I'll end this review with a quote that demonstrates just how lovely this book is -- for anyone: "Confidence should not come from knowing you look good but rather from the absence of worrying about whether or not you look good."A lesson for all of us!

All parents know how hard bringing up a child can be. Unfortunately babies don’t come with an instruction manual. Perhaps it’s just as well, it’s not a one size fits all situation. Tara Woods Turner and J Blake Turner have done a masterful job of listing all the areas we parents need to pay attention to if we want our little darlings to grow up into upright citizens we can be proud of. Yes, a lot of the points raised are common sense, even common knowledge, but in the mad house hurly-burly of child raising we can easily become blinkered to the obvious. Other points raised fall into the sophisticated bracket, something to aspire to.The message I took from this book was if you instill good habits, good practices at an early age and if you take an active interest in your child you will reap the rewards once they reach maturity. This is a book we all can benefit from reading. I might add at the present price of $0.99 on Amazon the book is a steal.

Charming book that should be in every household. Woods Turner leaves no stone unturned when she prepares a simple plan to raise a cultivated and well mannered child. She encourages parents to treat them as human beings rather than babies by exposing them to experiences that will broaden their horizon. From table manners, to travel, to proper communication etiquette, she explains the importance of teaching children how to behave properly in any circumstance. She gives solid advice that works in our informal world, explaining how these things will enrich our children personalities, paving a smooth path to future endeavors. Too often we are rushed, our days flying. Children communicate electronically, have little to no personal exchange with people. Common courtesy is contagious. If more people use it, it will spread and perhaps good manners will once again be the norm.

Great book to refer to

I was expecting that this book would be a guide on good manners and etiquette, and it is that - and much more. In addition to the rules of behaviour that many of us learnt when young, the author explores many areas of life where guidance can help a child to become not only well-behaved and respectful, but also a rounded individual with respect and compassion for others and intellectual curiosity for the world and new experiences. It is an excellent guide for parents, and I feel that a lot of adults could also learn some useful tips and pointers in respect of their own behaviour.