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Info Poetry Topic

The Cotillion

A Memento



Learn dancing, greetings, table sets
Talking skills null and void
Lacking
Words like hello, please, and thank you
Take a back seat to sass
Slick talk

Social education for kids
Grace, respect, etiquette
Manners
Timeless skills to carry you through
Being a lady, young
Man too

A cotillion is an event for the youth, ages 11-13. It teaches manners, how to conduct yourself in public situations. Social skills that help them build confidence and conversation skills. Also, how to properly set the table, ballroom dance too. Young girls and boys learn etiquette that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Valuable skills to learn.

I am not sure if cotillions still exist, but it needs to come back. Sadly, too many of the youth of today are disrespectful and lack essential social skills.

The Cotillion is written in response to the prompt. Thank you for reading🙏🏽💕

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31 replies on “The Cotillion”

Respect in the households is missing us as parents try to provide the life we never had as kids for our children but it hinders them from growing up independent it also gives the kids a sense of entitlement. Children of today need to learn how to struggle learn how to not have something they want or need to humble themselves it starts with the parents the respect or the disrespect choose what you want from your kids

Louis, these are definitely great points and I agree with you. It does start with us as parents. I just don’t know when things took such an ugly turn with the children of today, their language and behavior. I know it’s not all children but a percentage that is too high to ignore. Thank you for sharing. 🙏🏽🙂

My first teaching job was with emotionally disturbed children. They had mouths on them like you’d never believe. I used to tell them that it wasn’t that I cared so much about what they said in front of me, it was that I wanted them to be looked at nicely in public. I would tell the parents who coddled their kids, making them tantruming brats in a store, that they were only setting their kids up to have people look at them, roll their eyes and walk away. Kids need to be taught how to act correctly so that when they are adults, or young adults, they can function in society!

It amazes me sometimes the things I hear children say. these days. It’s like it is a normal thing. 😞 Coddling does not seem to be a good approach as you said, it is just setting children up later in life. However, I do appreciate the children who are respectful to their elders and have been taught good manners. Thank you so much for your comment and sharing your experience. 🙏😊

Wow, that is really sad. You are correct, that that belief is learned and comes from somewhere. Thank you for your insight and comments on the subject. I much appreciate it. 🙏🏽💯

I can think of a few public figures that could do with lessons in how to behave in public! I’ve not heard of a Cotillion before, Nika. Thank you – its interesting to read the background. It sounds like an event that is fading into the past, much like basic manners at times. 😞

😀 Yes, I can think of a few public figures who can use a class in manners too! Cotillions are not as popular as they used to be, back in the day. It was nice while it lasted though. Thank you so much for your comment! 😊🙏🏽

Thank you so much! 😊🙏🏽 I feel the lack of social skills and communication in the youth stems from the heavy use of cell phones, video games and the digital age. Some children do not have that in-person interaction as much as back in the day.

Violet, I could not agree with you more. I just notice how today the youth have smart mouths and little respect for their elders. I remember in my time at age 11-13, I would never think of talking back to an adult. Nowadays, the kids don’t think twice about it. Thank you, Violet! 😊🙏🏽

This type of thing exists in Thai schools still though sometimes it’s difficult to see the results! Manners and etiquette can be vey selective depending who is in the vicinity!

It’s funny that one etiquette lesson that I remember (though not where from) is that a gentleman walks downstairs in front of a lady, and upstairs behind, in case she might fall.

Shaun, I think schooling like this is very useful for young adults. Agreed, that it can be hard to see results at times. I never heard about the gentleman and the stairs. But I do know about when a man and woman are walking on the street, the lady stays on the inside away from the curb, and the man walks closest to the street. Thank you for sharing! 🙏🏽😊

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