BOSTON, April 7 (UPI) -- Growing numbers of U.S. parents are enrolling their youngsters in etiquette classes to reinforce behaviors they struggle to teach in the home, families report.
Parents say changing times have made manners harder to teach, blaming rushed meals, television, movies, and technology for the erosion of social skills, The Boston Globe said Monday.
"Parents are doing the best that they can at home. This is just to give the kids a little additional reinforcement," said Jen Schaeffner, a mother in Marblehead, Mass.
Etiquette classes reportedly have become a popular way for kids as young as 4 to learn table manners and conversational skills.
Critics argue the classes are unacceptable for young children, the newspaper said.
"It's something that should be integrated into their entire day and not transformed into a structured activity," said Susan Linn, a psychologist at the Judge Baker Children's Center in Boston.
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