Does anyone ever notice the total look of surprise when a child uses their manners?
I didn’t until yesterday when I took my daughter (aged 22 months) to a birthday party and because when people asked if she wanted things she said please and then thank you when given whatever it was, the look of surprise on their faces was enough to make you laugh.
I didn’t think it was unusual for a child to be well behaved and polite as I have always been taught that this is right so why do other parents find it odd? I’m guessing that it is because in today’s society manners don’t seem to count for very much, some blame the parents who live on council estates claiming that they are lazy and don’t bother teaching their kids manners but this is unfair as I know quite a few parents off council estates and their kids are polite. Others blame the parents who work long hours and put their kids in daycare but this is unfair because daycare places encourage children to be polite. The final theory is that children are afraid that being ridiculed by their peers for using manners if their peers don’t or simply forget; this is plausible because most people want to fit in with their peers so adopt the same behaviours as them, or if they forget again that is possible as everyone forgets things from time to time.
So in conclusion manners don’t seem to be as important as you progress down the generations but those who do use them shouldn’t be greeted with a look of shock as it makes the child doubt that what they are doing is right, which is unfair if that is what they have been taught is the correct way to behave.