I just got back from a breakfast with a bunch of kids and parents, and within 5 minutes it became obvious why kids need etiquette training.

Here are 18 things I observed in less than 5 minutes of watching the kids at the restaurant:

- Making loud lip smacking noises while eating

- Coughing all over food

- Coughing at other kids and adults

- Using shirts as napkins

- Using an adult's pants as a napkin

- Using hands to eat scrambled eggs

- Using hands to eat a greasy sausage

- Stuffing one's mouth with an enormous bite of just about a half a pancake

- Spitting up food back onto a plate because the kid thought it was funny to do that

- Reaching onto another kid's plate and taking that kid's food

- Talking about disgusting bodily functions

- Getting food stuck all over their faces

- Slouching in the chair

- Kicking each other under the table

- Not saying please or thank you

- Reaching for syrup and other condiments instead of asking someone to pass them

- Getting up out of the chair and walking around

- Talking back to parents

That's just five minutes, and I probably missed some things! Now, we all know that kids are kids and should have some fun in life. But at the same time, kids need good behavior, whether at a restaurant table or anywhere else.

If you ever needed a case for the need for etiquette training, the example above makes it...and this is just about the basics. It takes time and training to have etiquette sink in, and you can help. In fact, parents and teachers are desperate for you to help!

Join us today and help teach kids the manners they need to be successful in a very competitive, very challenging world: