Pinkies Up or Down? The BCAE Holds a Tea Party to Teach Kids the Finer Things

Parents are always looking for new ways to give their children an edge in life, and being familiar with social graces can take them a long way.

The ’s Child Enrichment program, Bean City Kids, strives to offer activities that not only entertain but also promote useful and lasting learning experiences—the revered facility apparently isn’t just for adults anymore. And the upcoming Mind Your Manners Tea Party, to be held on the afternoon of June 4, is a perfect example of how important lessons can be learned on a spare Saturday afternoon about topics that will give your child a little something extra. In this case, it’s Etiquette.

Though a formal tea party might at first seem silly, knowing how to handle oneself in social settings, understanding the give-and-take of conversation and appearing generally well-mannered are just the sorts of skills that can set your child apart from the noisy herd. And where better to learn these important life lessons than at the oldest nonprofit adult education program in New England.

“Children need focused lessons in manners, social graces, civility and respect,” asserted Susan Callender, a former event planner and celebrated caterer who is now also the CEO of Oh My Gauche, an etiquette training and consulting firm. “Far more private schools and suburban towns are incorporating these programs in their day time or after school enrichment programs than urban communities.” Callender is intrinsically involved in the planning of ‘Mind Your Manners.’

The party will run at the BCAE from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and will feature a tea sandwich cooking demonstration and an afternoon lesson in manners and tea culture. In addition to Callender, the Boston Park Plaza’s Tea Sommelier Cynthia Gold will also be on hand, as well as Upstairs on the Square Pastry Chef, Maria Santos. Lavish table settings and floral art centerpieces are to be supplied by Riccardi Wholesale Flowers.

While enjoying a proper light luncheon with the appropriate mix of savories and sweets from Upstairs on the Square, children, accompanied by their parents, will learn suitable behavior for today’s modern lifestyle, such as 'magic' words, introductions and handshaking, and poise and posture through a fun and contemporary etiquette class. As Gold explores some of the world’s favorite teas from white, green, oolong, black and everything in between, students will also have a chance to win their very own tea set, courtesy of Ziptivity.com.

“There's never a reason not to learn good manners—especially if you can enjoy yourself at the same time,” said BCAE Executive Director Susan Brown. “Basically, we wanted to provide the entire community with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—a chance to learn about tea, fine dining, and social skills from experts in those fields.”

Brown is particularly enthused about ‘Mind Your Manners’ because it’s both unusual and at the same time is in keeping with the Bean City Kids mission.

“When the BCAE created Bean City Kids last fall, our goal was to differentiate it from other local child-enrichment programs by offering kids' classes that were as exceptional as the adult classes for which we're already so well known,” she said. “That meant developing new programs from the ground up and creating innovative classes that simply can't be found elsewhere. It also meant attracting world-class authorities who'd be willing to share their expertise not just with adults, but with children—something that other kids' programs simply aren't able to do.”

“The Mind Your Manners Tea Party is just one example of how we’re providing exactly the sort of unique enrichment opportunities we had in mind,” Brown concluded.

The Mind Your Manners Tea Party on Saturday, June 4^th, 2011, runs from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and costs $10 per person (not per parent/child pair). Registration is necessary. Please visit www.bcae.org or call the BCAE Student Services at 617-267-4430 to register. Cost includes luncheon fare and a raspberry lemonade substitute for children who may not want to drink tea.  The Boston Center for Adult Education is located at 122 Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116.