home-school happenings
I beg you, use your manners By Nicole McKeon WNC Parent columnist
I think good manners are a reflection of good self esteem and also, a gift to our community. That being said, lately I’ve noticed that manners seem to be becoming a thing of the past. Recently, we went to the pediatrician’s office, and getting to her office requires riding an elevator. My son, who is 8, waited while an older lady with a walker got on the elevator. When we got on, he asked her which floor she was going to and pressed the button. At the next stop, a young man got on the elevator. When we reached the fifth floor, I watched in shock as the young man
pushed past the woman and walked off the elevator. My son and I held the door for the lady, and she said thank you. Once we got off, I made a point of telling my son that the young man had displayed very poor manners, and I let him know that I hoped he’d never be so rude. I got to thinking about this while I was sitting in the waiting room. I decided to really observe the manners of the people around me for a week or so because I wanted to see if my impression that manners seem to be declining and that common courtesy no longer exists was a reality, or just my imagination. I must sadly report that it’s worse than I thought. Between people flipping each other off in their cars, and not holding the door, and chewing in my ear while on the telephone, I would say that we need some remediation in the courtesy department. As parents, we must model good manners and courtesy for our children. This
W N C PA R E N T. C O M
means always being aware of our behavior toward others. Let’s face it, we are living in a time when the decline of courtesy is at its height. People talk on their cellphones while eating in a restaurant, push to the front of the line, refuse to give up a seat for someone who obviously needs it more. In our “me first” society, when everyone is too busy to take the time to care, we need to teach our children why it is important to care enough to stop and think of another first. If we all took the time to model this behavior for our children, and they in turn modeled it to each other, wouldn’t the world be a nicer place? Maybe, if we taught our kids the little kindnesses and the importance of them, then the big cruelties, like bullying, would cease to exist. Email Nicole McKeon at homeschoolstation@hotmail.com.
51