Etiquette, afternoon tea, and cotillion may seem like long-lost ideas from a bygone era. Are they even still a thing? When looking for activities and classes, today's parents are searching for STEM, soccer and anything that might help earn a scholarship, right? Well, for the past six months, my oldest son has been attending the Chesapeake Cotillion classes through Sydney Dunn Etiquette, and I'm pleased to share my honest review of our experience.
Manners matter
Chesapeake Cotillion is about more than learning to dance and how to set a table properly. When your child learns proper etiquette, it is like opening the door to becoming a lady or a gentleman— a productive, thoughtful citizen-in-training. In a world where most people are barely learning how to "adult," carrying oneself well is a noticeable trait.
As Sydney remarked in the final cotillion class, etiquette is about kindness. In other words, be kind and put others first, and you can't go wrong. Plus, it could be the first step in a chain reaction of kindness that helps to change the world slowly.
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Small sacrifices, big rewards
Yes Cotillion classes cost time and tuition. There is good news for both: early bird registration (ending March 31st!) and Cotillion classes are just once a month for six months. Even juggling our five kids' schedules, including soccer and basketball practices, it was still easy to fit that one class a month into our routine.
That being said, it does take some time, dedication, and convincing your tween or teen to buy into the idea of an etiquette class. But at the end, there are tremendous benefits. These are things that kids don't always learn in a classroom: how to talk to anyone, how to give a firm handshake, how to read social cues, and in Sydney's words, "how to build a noble online presence." That last part got me thinking that most adults would benefit from an etiquette class!
Lessons that last a lifetime
If you want your middle schooler to be ahead of the game when it comes to interview skills and formal social settings, then Chesapeake Cotillion is for you. If you want to help your child ease out of awkwardness and into confidence, then Cotillion is for you too. If you want them to be way more prepared for any social situation than you were as a teen, then Cotillion is definitely for you! As a painfully shy teen, it would have been nice for me to have a class that taught lessons like "how to talk to anyone!"
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Our experience with Chesapeake Cotillion was wonderful. The last class included a parent-child dance, and it was so sweet. My mind jumped ahead to the mother-son dance at my son's wedding one day—crazy, I know. But looking at the near future, I could see how the skills taught during Cotillion classes would help my son make a better impression and better choices.
I wholeheartedly encourage interested parents to get onto the Chesapeake Cotillion invite list or even register today for that early bird discount. It will be well worth the investment!
