When the Bodes gather with their grandchildren to eat a meal, a photo gallery of ancestors keeps watch from the wall. Their descendants’ table manners, at times, may not have been stellar. To improve ...

Mealtime in my house was chaotic. Introducing new rules to follow each week helped my kids with table manners.

While touring real estate open houses, a number of the dining rooms are set as if awaiting guests. Now I have a number of friends who have started this practice as décor. Although they are not having ...

This morning I witnessed one of my children (not saying who, but she’s the only daughter I have) wipe her hands free of cream cheese by dragging them up and down the cloth placemat. She may have even ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When we have a large family dinner, between 10 and 21 people, there is one child whose parents allow her to be on her tablet, with volume on high. She comes into the house, whizzes ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was always taught that one’s bread plate is placed to the left. Whenever I am with a large group at a table at a wedding (or another function), at least one person always takes ...