Jennifer L. Scott - Connoisseur Kids: Etiquette, Manners, and Living Well for Parents and Their Little Ones

For our Connoisseur Kids:
Arabella, Georgina, William, and Thomas

Text copyright 2019 by Jennifer L. Scott.
Illustrations copyright 2019 by Clare Owen.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Names: Scott, Jennifer L. (Jennifer Lynn), author. | Owen, Clare, illustrator.
Title: Connoisseur kids / by Jennifer L. Scott ; illustrations by Clare Owen.
Other titles: Corrected title: Connoisseur kids : etiquette, manners, and living well for little ones
Description: San Francisco : Chronicle Books, [2019]
Identifiers: LCCN 2018034515 | ISBN 9781452173474 (hc), 9781452179193 (epub, mobi)
Subjects: LCSH: Etiquette for children and teenagers--Handbooks, manuals, etc. | Child rearing--Handbooks, manuals, etc. | LCGFT: Handbooks and manuals.
Classification: LCC BJ1857.C5 S347 2019 | DDC 395.1/22--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018034515

Design by Anne Kenady.
Typeset by Frank Brayton.

Chronicle Books LLC
680 Second Street
San Francisco, California 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com

L ife as a kid is so exciting. Kids are constantly learning new things and experiencing fresh adventures. Life can be daunting, too, as we are expected to fit into a world that has a lot of rules.

Kids will learn to answer the following questions, and more! What do you do when you meet someone for the first time? How do you act at the dinner table? What sorts of things do you need to do to stay clean and take care of your body? Is it even possible to keep your room tidy for more than one day? How do you express yourself when you are feeling angry? There are so many pressing questions, and when kids get these answers, they can put them into action and start to enjoy everyday adventures with confidence and joy.

This book is about becoming a Connoisseur Kid. What is a Connoisseur Kid? To answer that, lets first look at what a connoisseur is. A connoisseur is defined as an expert judge in matters of taste. It means that there is a certain field that you know so well that you are an expert in it! If you love art and have studied it well, you could be a connoisseur of fine art, for example. If you love to ride horses, have spent a lot of time around them, know how to care for them, and know what makes them unique, you could be a connoisseur of horses.

Connoisseur Kids become experts in the art of living. Being a kid is one of the most wonderful phases of life. Adults always look back at their childhood to reminisce about, or think back to, their fondest memories. Connoisseur Kids enjoy everything that goes along with being young and gain many new skills that will carry them into adulthood with ease.

The skills kids will learn regarding etiquette, manners, tidiness, hygiene (keeping your body clean), health, and thinking of others will fit beautifully into everyday life, helping to guide each day. Have fun jumping right in to explore these topics. This book is also full of unique crafts, recipes, games, and challenges that will keep you and yours busy and inspire you to share with others.

This book is meant to be read with both child and parent, together, or to be used as a script for parents to share this information with their kids. Spend quality time with family as you delve into each chapter and challenge. If your kids are old enough to read this book by themselves, allow them to do so, or have them read out loud to the family. If not, enjoy reading together. The activities in this book will challenge kids, hopefully make them laugh, and activate their enthusiasm for living well.

Embark on an exciting journey of newness and discovery as you uncover what it truly means to be a Connoisseur Kid... starting now.

Etiquette is polite behavior. Its how we act in front of people and also by ourselves. Etiquette is very important. Can you imagine a world without etiquette? Having no rules might sound fun at first, kind of like one big party! But think about it: a world with no rules and no manners would be a very unpleasant place to live. No one would say please or thank you. People would just grab something if they wanted it. Cutting in line would be totally normal. A world without etiquette would leave everyone very frustrated, indeed!

The word etiquette comes from France way back in the 1600s. Etiquette meant to keep off the grass at the royal court. It was a code of conduct that everyone was expected to follow. Well, just like they followed etiquette in the royal French courts hundreds of years ago, we will strive to follow it today. Etiquette doesnt have to be stuffy or intimidating; it can actually be fun to practice! And, dont worry, you wont be learning it alone: your entire family is going to practice with you! So, lets get started with the area where your manners will shine the most: when you communicate.

Parents, the goals in this chapter are to: 1. Learn how to best communicate; 2. Practice good communication skills on a daily basis; and 3. Enjoy communicating with others.

Communication is the exchange of information with other people. It is also a means of connection with others. We are going to start with communication because our days are framed by communicating with other people. As Connoisseur Kids, we want to live harmoniously with others and be effective communicators. This chapter will give you tips and techniques on how to make your communication skills shine!

W hen learning about proper communication, theres a major skill we need to master first: eye contact! Do you know what eye contact is? Its when you look someone in the eyes when youre talking to them. Its important to make eye contact not only when youre talking but also when youre listening.

When you make eye contact with the person youre talking to, you make that person feel really special. You each know that youre being heard because you are giving that person your full attention by looking at them.

Using eye contact might feel awkward at first. That means you might feel funny looking into the eyes of the person to whom youre talking. But if you practice enough, it will come naturally to you. Practice with your family. When your mom is talking to you, for example, look her in the eyes. When youre asking her a question, look her in the eyes. Do the same with your dad. Even your brothers, sisters, and cousins! You might not be used to it, but it can be fun to look at people in the eyes.

Whenever someone talks to you,