One of the Best Parenting Tools- Brooke Romney's "52 Modern Manners for Teens"

My friend Romy found this little parenting jewel and since then every one of us that has seen it hops on Amazon and orders it on the spot.

It is described as a “52 week calendar of creative and crucial tips for teens that will help both parents and teenagers navigate our modern world with confidence.” Each page covers a different modern manner and then discusses it, and the ideas surrounding it, in further detail on the backside. I purchased one the second I saw Romy’s and have found the conversations it has started really useful and love the variety of topics covered. I know with absolute certainty that we would not be discussing some of these critical skills as deeply, or at all with how busy life seems to have gotten. It definitely makes me feel more confident that I have all my ducks in a row and am covering all of the parenting topics I want to be, and know I need to be.

Romy and I use ours a little differently and both approaches work great. I pull ours out at Sunday night dinner each week so we can review one skill per week and then leave it displayed in the office for the rest of the week. Romy pulls them out over family dinners as well, but only when it feels like a good time. You know how sometimes you are too frazzled from after school activities or someone has had a rough day? Might not be the best time to cover how to respect other people’s homes, or the importance of being punctual. She doesn’t want to force it to ensure it can be a thoughtful and good conversation starter. Sometimes her family will read through more than one in a sitting, and she also often leaves it up on display for a few days or sometimes a few weeks, especially if it’s something they feel is important for the kids to see and subconsciously take in even more. They also revisit them throughout the time they are up, mostly if they’re pertinent to something her nine or ten year old are working on. If she notices either kid doing something that’s related to the manners they’ve been discussing she will point it out. “Hey, I noticed you playing with Jane’s little sister. Treating your friends’ siblings with kindness makes me proud.” She pointed out that it can also be a good way to discuss things that the kids aren’t yet experiencing. For example, neither of Romy’s kids have cellphones yet, but they are both learning phone etiquette through these easy, earlier discussions prompted by the book.

I will say that my main suggestion would be to get on this sooner rather than later. My almost 15 year old is turning a deaf ear to most things we are saying these days (could have something to do with the ever present AirPod stuck in his head 24/7) and I think he would have been a little more open and interested in the ideas a year or two earlier. I may hear some groans when I pull it out each week, but I have no doubt the kids are learning as we go through each topic. The flip-book format is pretty cool and it is stylish enough it can easily be on display (which comes in handy if you need to keep “The Way You Smell Matters” on exhibit for a month or so as a subtle reminder). :)

Get your own 52 Modern Manners for Today's Teens copy here or check out:

and the one I just popped into my own Amazon cart... Volume 2!!!

The more I get to know Brooke Romney the more I love her perspective and everything she writes- I'm a giant fan!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.