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Classes At 'Socialsklz:)' Help Kids Brush Up On Good Manners Ahead Of Holiday Gatherings

NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- With Christmas just days away, it's time to give your kids a quick lesson on holiday manners, before they open any presents.

During classes at socialsklz:) children learn how to mind their manners, especially during the holidays. As CBS2's Cindy Hsu reported, they learn how to greet people with a strong handshake and a positive attitude.

It's important for kids to understand the dos and don'ts for the dinner table.

If you're talking with your mouth full there's a pretty good chance that something is going to fly out at someone.

Elbows should be kept off the table, and there are no phones or other mobile devices allowed.

"Your phone shouldn't be on the table because you should be able to socialize and talk to the people around you and make them feel welcome," 11-year-old Kayla explained.

Teach your kids to be gracious when they receive a gift.

"If they come and give you a present you should say thank you very much or say it's happy to see you, and I haven't seen you in a long time," 7-year-old Anya said.

"If you get something you don't like you should still say thank you because they might have made it and it took a really long time," 8-year-old JB added.

And don't forget thank you notes. Faye de Muyshondt said some form of written gratitude should be sent for each gift, whether it's handwritten or emailed.

"Before every event that you attend or every occasion that you enjoy with your children, make it a proactive teaching moment, and the more practice a child gets, the more likely they're going to master it," she said.

Even when it comes to those awkward moments.

"Every time she goes to her grandma's house the grandmother comes to give her a big kiss on the lips," Faye said.

"If you don't feel comfortable with somebody kissing you on the lips you can just turn your head so they don't actually kiss you on the lips, they kiss you on the cheek," Hayden said.

Lessons you can use for a lifetime.

Remember kids are always watching their parents, so they'll pick up good and bad manners, depending on how adults in their lives are conducting themselves.

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