trying to raise southern daughters (parents, wife, girls, children)

[rebellady]

I am trying to teach my 3 daughters how to be southern women from the old days can any one help

[Trainwreck20]

Like the real women from the old days? Or like the ones you see on TV?

[momof2dfw]

Cotillion classes are a must my dear. They will learn the proper way to sit, wear white gloves and the proper shoes w/ their dresses starting out very early. They will also learn the proper way to set a table, cut their food, eat, place their butter knife, etc. Even learn how to dance with a boy. The boys are taught how to offer their hand to the girls for a dance, ask if they would like some punch and to serve it to them. The skill of the proper curtsy is also taught.

Other than that you can start at home by serving them sweet iced tea everyday, cucumber or tomato tea sandwiches are a must.

And then do not forget the VERY most important rule of ALL good Southern women. Always be in charge. There is a very fine art of knowing how to make the man in your life feel that he is the one in control when in fact it is the wife.

[FL_TN_Nana]

Originally Posted by rebellady

I am trying to teach my 3 daughters how to be southern women from the old days can any one help

Why would you do that? But assuming you really only want to teach your daughters good manners and etiquette, start by doing exactly what you want them to do. They will learn far more by example. Then there are Emily Post books you can buy that would address many situations.

[jhlcomp]

Is this how you were raised? If so, you can impart that knowledge and training onto your daughters as my mother did with me.

Do you live in the south? There are etiquette classes, etc. And, depending on where you live in the US, I wish you well given todays lack of social graces, influence by the media, peer pressure, etc.

[ellie]

Please don't raise them to be unable to look after themselves!

I'm all for good manners and social graces, but there's nothing that ticks me off worse than learned helplessness - oh dear, I can't do that, I might break a nail...

Teach them to value themselves, not to look to someone else to tell them what they are worth.

Teach them not to be superficial, there's more to a person than their hair, clothing, and possessions.

There are so many things that are good about southern women, and there's so much that's bad. I've lived in the south for most of my life and have seen the full range of women, from blue blood to hooker-on-the-street. They are all Southern women. You've gotta come up with a better definition than that.

[msjbrent]

Originally Posted by rebellady

I am trying to teach my 3 daughters how to be southern women from the old days can any one help

That's vague and broad. There must be more suitable websites.

[Cosmic]

Originally Posted by momof2dfw

Cotillion classes are a must my dear. They will learn the proper way to sit, wear white gloves and the proper shoes w/ their dresses starting out very early. They will also learn the proper way to set a table, cut their food, eat, place their butter knife, etc. Even learn how to dance with a boy. The boys are taught how to offer their hand to the girls for a dance, ask if they would like some punch and to serve it to them. The skill of the proper curtsy is also taught.

Other than that you can start at home by serving them sweet iced tea everyday, cucumber or tomato tea sandwiches are a must.

And then do not forget the VERY most important rule of ALL good Southern women. Always be in charge. There is a very fine art of knowing how to make the man in your life feel that he is the one in control when in fact it is the wife.

That sort of sounds like what the Amish do with their horses. Never saw such well behaved and polite horses.

Plus none of them tattoos and all that metal stuff sticking out of them either. Peeps should learn proper public behavior and rituals where ever they are. Hope it all works out well.

Maybe can send some of them Florida drivers to those schools.

[KewGee]

If your daughters marry the right type of men, the men must be in charge as that is Biblically correct. They should be the Christian leaders of the house, and raise their children so. They should love their wives and honor them putting only God before them, and the same should be returned to the husbands.

Please don't teach your girls to be sneaky and conniving with the men in their lives. It's just so deceitful. Somehow I have the feeling you wouldn't think of such a thing.

I do not think that classes are needed. You will be the best teacher they can possibly have. Etiquette and good manners don't take rocket science, only parents that portray good examples.

[mrsengle]

Cotillion classes are a must my dear.

I second that. My mother took cotillion classes. It didn't make her helpless or a woman of the night, either.

Also check out the book, How to Be a Southern Belle (Or Why Princess Margaret Will Never Be a Kappa Kappa Gamma) by Marilyn Schwartz. It's more of a funny read, but there are definitely some good 'Southernisms' in there.