Teaching your kids manners

How on earth do you teach your children manners in this day and age? I don't mean "please" and "thank you". Even "sorry" we have sussed.... well, sort of, taking into account that children aren't able to feel empathy until they're about 8 years old.

What I mean, though, goes beyond the three magical phrases that get you out of trouble and into the cookie jar. 

• I mean the ability to sit at the table through a meal and not spill your juice... on purpose. (Also see Teaching Kids Table Manners.)
  
• I mean not yelling at the kid brother who isn't doing our bidding.
• And, ok, I also mean the politically incorrect offering your bus seat, holding the door open and remembering that hitting girls is a no-no.

In a society where most teenagers think "courtesy" comes with "car" and means a free set of wheels (and who think the f-word is punctuation), how do you instill a set of old-fashioned values in your children?

My 6-year old used the f-word the other day. She had no clue what it meant and she clearly used the good old trick of swearing in order to get a reaction. But still, how do I get from here to 10 years from now when she'll be able to have a polite conversation at the dinner table?

I don't have the answers. Ok, I have one, but I don't like it, and I bet you won't think much of it, either. It's something to do with practicing consideration and good manners at home (though apparently it's ok to have 2 sets of table rules, one for home and one for going out) ...

... and modelling the desired behaviour yourself.

No more interrupting my husband, then. No more talking with my mouth full. No slouching and no elbows on the table. Oh, the sacrifices we make for our kids!