9 Basic Rules of Etiquette We Learned In Charm School

Growing up back then was a lot different than it is today.

Phone Etiquette

Via/ Library of Congress

Phone manners were taught as an extremely important part of daily life. “Please” and “thank you” were paramount, as was being courteous at all times.

Table Manners

Via/ Library of Congress

We were shown how to avoid slurping our soup and that hands should rarely touch the food on our plates. But, the bread can be used to pick up the gravy. And elbows off the table!

Some of these rules of etiquette might seem like no-brainers, but they are fading in most places. Today, these guidelines for politeness are considered specialized knowledge by many people. When we were growing up they were common!