Stay-at-home mother H.F. Chiang, 36, thought nothing of her eight-year-old son Brian's habit of pointing a finger at others while speaking.

However, etiquette consultant Eunice Tan, 37, identified this as an impolite habit when he attended a three-day holiday programme by her consultancy, Image Flair Academy Of Modern Etiquette.

Pointing a finger at other people can come across as being hostile and aggressive, and Ms Tan explained to Brian that there were other hand gestures he could use to express himself.

Mrs Chiang said of her son: 'It never dawned on him that he had been sending the wrong message to his friends all these years.'

She considered the $299 course fee well spent, adding wryly: 'The best way for him to learn is by attending classes as he listens more to teachers than to his parents.'

Even four-year-olds are attending workshops and camps dealing with social etiquette, such as greeting others and speaking on the telephone, dining manners such as having correct posture at the table, and how to correctly handle bread and butter.

Housewife K.K. Wong, 41, spent $250 on five etiquette sessions for her four-year-old daughter Kellie.

She said: 'Being smart is not enough. Being smart and being able to conduct yourself properly around others is better.'

Demand for such classes has risen and requests from parents have led to more courses being conducted at community centres by the People's Association (PA).

Back in 2006, the PA had just three such classes. This year, more than 40 etiquette classes are being offered in various community centres.

Safra has also jumped on the bandwagon. For example, Safra Jurong is offering three etiquette classes over the June holidays, the first year it has done so.

Prices range from $25 for a two-hour session at community centres to more than $300 for etiquette camps, such as the one conducted by Image Flair Academy Of Modern Etiquette.

Through various means such as role playing, children from four to seven years old are taught basics such as how to shake hands and how to conduct themselves when meeting people. Those aged five and above are taught how to consume a three-course meal, with tips on dealing with messy foods such as spaghetti, and having the proper dining posture.

Older kids ranging from those in primary school to teenagers get etiquette pointers on topics such as deportment and personal grooming.

Some courses even focus specifically on helping girls learn about skincare, dress codes and dressing for their body type.

Protocol Academy etiquette consultant Teo Ser Lee thinks one of the main reasons for the spike in business is because parents want their children to behave well in public.

The 44-year-old has seen business double since she started children's etiquette courses at her centre five years ago. 'Nowadays, parents like to entertain. They don't want their kid running around and making noise. They want them to know how to shake hands and make polite conversation,' she said.

And these lessons seem to be working. Image Flair Academy's Ms Tan recounts how a painfully shy six-year-old, who was so reticent that she could barely interact with other children, let alone strangers, came out of her shell through the lessons.

She said: 'After the classes, her mother told me how her daughter greeted her colleagues for the first time.'

She added: 'She was so happy that she cried.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.