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Relationship Etiquette: Have a Little Courtesy

ByDiane Gottsman

As I contemplate a new year of resolutions that I have already broken in the first week, I decided to put a list together of simple ways to have a little courtesy that are easy to do, budget friendly and will make many a life and relationship stronger.

At Home Please, Oh Please…

  • Put the toilet seat lid back down!
  • Replace the empty roll of toilet paper
  • Throw your baby’s dirty diapers away in the outside trash rather than the kitchen trash of someone you are visiting
  • After a long run, take your muddy shoes off BEFORE entering the house
  • Drink milk from a glass rather than the container
  • Don’t take money out of your mom’s, wife’s or husbands wallet without telling them
  • Don’t shave your legs with his razor and then secretly put it back (I admit it, yes, I do!)
  • Open only your own mail
  • Don’t bring home surprise guests for dinner
  • Don’t throw away the Sunday paper before your spouse is finished reading it
  • Don’t discard his favorite college t-shirt or favorite pair of sweats without telling him
  • Clean the sink (whiskers) and shower drain (long hair) after using it

At the Office Please, Pretty Please Don’t…

  • Eat what is not yours in the office fridge
  • Drink the last cup of coffee without making a new pot
  • Leave your dirty dishes in the sink – even if you are the boss
  • Keep your cell phone on all day and answer every incoming personal call
  • Read your colleagues personal correspondence
  • “Borrow” things off of someone’s desk and not return it
  • Burn up the microwave with foul smelling food
  • Chew gum, loudly crack your knuckles, or clip your fingernails at your desk
  • Discuss your ailments and personal problems with everyone in the office

For more tips, visit

Diane Gottsman

Diane Gottsman is a national etiquette expert and modern manners professional, sought out industry leader, television personality, accomplished speaker, Huffington Post blogger, author, and the owner of The Protocol School of Texas, a company specializing in executive leadership and etiquette training. Diane is routinely quoted in national and international media including The New York Times, The BBC, CNN, Bloomberg Business Week, Kiplinger, Huffington Post Canada, U.S. News and World Report, and Forbes. She is the resident etiquette expert for two popular morning talk shows, SA Living and Good Day Austin. She has been seen on The TODAY Show, HLN Headline News, WGN Chicago, and CBS Sunday Morning. Her clients range from university students to Fortune 500 companies and her workshops cover topics ranging from tattoos in the workplace to technology at the dinner table and the proper use of social media.

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