Thank You! No, No.......THANK ME!!

What the frig is going on with kids these days? I'm not old. I don't really mean the little ones. I mean the high schoolers, college kids, fresh out of school kids. Is no one taught manners anymore?

I'm tired of going to stores, saying thank you to a cashier, and getting no response. Or the other day one actually replied with a closed mouth 'mm-hmm'. REALLY? I'm buying things in YOUR store, paying YOUR salary, saying thank you for YOUR goods, and you can't even answer me? Not to mention the fact that they should be initiating the 'thank you' process. 

Or how about the other night, while I was giving out Halloween candy? 90% of the kids don't say thank you. Suddenly, half way through, I realized I was saying thank you to them! It's such a habit for me, I don't even know when I'm saying it anymore! (sidebar: I also refused to give the kids candy until they said 'trick or treat'. Hey, thems the breaks.)

One thing I've worked on since my boys were in diapers was their manners. Ask anyone that knows us, they will tell you I have two of the most polite boys ever....in any age range, including adults. Please. Thank You. May I? Sounds simple right? I've gone above and beyond those with the boys, and they know to shake someone's hand when they meet them, give compliments, and open doors for others. 

It would be easy to just say I did that as a responsible mom, but it's more important to note that I did it as a responsible human being. The simple act of thanking someone, for something they did for you or gave you, has a snowball effect. Try it next time you are working in a retail setting. Or someone holds the door for you. Or helps you. You get the point. Modeling is the best way to teach our children :)

Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 5, 2011 at 12:44 PM

    I totally agree! I've taught my kids to say please and thank you and to respond to others with courtesy and respect. It may seem trivial to many folks, but manners are so important.

    ReplyDelete

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