How to Impress Adults

Whether you're headed to your first job interview, going to a fancy party or wanting to make a good impression on a teacher, knowing how to impress adults is an extremely important skill for kids and teenagers to have. Read on for some tips on manners and how you can knock a grownup's socks off.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Display good manners. There's no need to panic if you can't tell the difference between a shrimp fork and a pickle fork. Go for the "manners basics"--talk politely, chew with your mouth closed, sit up straight and say "please" and "thank you." If you're unsure what to do in a certain situation, watch the adults around you and do what they do.
2. Be nice. This may seem almost insultingly obvious, but nothing impresses an adult more than a smiling, polite kid who says hello and is eager to engage in conversation. If you don't know what to talk about, simply ask the person what they've been doing lately-people love to talk about themselves.
3. Brush up on current events. Believe it or not, adults love it when kids want to talk about what's been happening in the news. You don't have to spend hours doing research--just skim a few news websites or the newspaper.
4. Take a genuine interest in those around you. Even if it's no barrel of monkeys, pick out a few things you like and tell the adults around you about them.
5. Help the adults around you willingly. This is especially at parties and other big events. Try not to wait until someone asks you for help. Look around and see what needs doing, then do it. As a bonus, this is a great time-killer for when you're bored.