Kids and Yes/No Ma'am and Yes/No Sir (Atlanta: eat, office)

[LovelySummer]

I see that the question that I should have asked was - would you think that a child that simply said "yes/no" did not have good manners.

[Iconographer]

Sir/Ma'am is not just a Southern thing. My grandchildren are growing up in London and they have been raised to address adults in this manner.

[BobKovacs]

Originally Posted by LovelySummer

I see that the question that I should have asked was - would you think that a child that simply said "yes/no" did not have good manners.

Our kids were born in NJ, and moved here when still young, but we've never pushed the whole "sir/ma'am" thing on them. As long as kids are polite in general, calling me "sir" isn't required. A simple "yes, please" or "no, thank you" is adequate.

[JoeTarheel]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Sir/Ma'am is not just a Southern thing. My grandchildren are growing up in London and they have been raised to address adults in this manner.

Very true...I was raised in the South and my parents did not insist on ma'am and sir unless a specific situation called for it, but they did insist on polite manners and respect. It's not really a southern thing to my knowledge, but just an option that some parents choose to employ.

[kayanne]

Originally Posted by sirrob

Politeness in kids will take them a looooong way in life. It's also a great reflection of their parents. So yes-no/ sir/ma'am, is completely acceptable no matter where you live.

Where I'm originally from, sir and ma'am are used only to very elderly people. If a middle-aged or younger person is addressed that way, they are very likely to take offense and ask, "Do I look THAT old?!"

My sister-in-law, who is 50, even posted on Facebook recently that a clerk in a store had called her ma'am that day, so she figured it must be time to get her gray roots touched up! It's definitely only for old people in some places!

[arjay57]

If you are talking to somebody important -- say a police officer, a judge, your boss or your teacher -- wouldn't you probably use sir and ma'am?

Or if you are trying persuade someone to do something -- cash your out of town check, let you get a seat on the last flight out, allow you to sign up for a class after the deadline -- aren't you likely to use sir and ma'am?

If it's important in those situations, why not for other folks you encounter in everyday life?

[Mattie]

Originally Posted by arjay57

If you are talking to somebody important -- say a police officer, a judge, your boss or your teacher -- wouldn't you probably use sir and ma'am?

I honestly don't. I address them as officer, judge, and Mr or Mrs. The only time I can conceivably see myself using sir or ma'am, is if I was trying to get the attention of a complete stranger as in "Sir, I think you dropped your phone".

But, as I said, we moved here with young teens, and they quickly picked up the terms. I'm not sure whether to attribute it to teachers, coaches or peers, but it has stuck, even now that they are in college. It certainly isn't a bad thing, in my opinion.

[Ant131531]

How I address each of the people you mentioned:

Officer: Yes, Officer
Judge: Yes, your honor
boss: Yes Mr/Mrs.Name
teacher: Yes, Mr/Mrs.Name

The only time you MUST use sir or ma'am is probably the military.

[ericsonga]

Growing up, my parents were nearly tyrannical about manners. While they didn't ask that I say sir or ma'am to them, I was required to say 'yes, please' and 'no, thank you.' Also, one of my favorite memories is often asking permission to do something and my daddy replying back, "Yes, you can. But no, you may not." It was very annoying growing up, however, now in my late 20s when I hear people speak without proper language or respect it makes me wonder what kind of environment they are from. I think in the long run it is important to teach your children these simple rules. It becomes of great use later.

This should also include proper table etiquette!

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by ericsonga

Growing up, my parents were nearly tyrannical about manners. While they didn't ask that I say sir or ma'am to them, I was required to say 'yes, please' and 'no, thank you.' Also, one of my favorite memories is often asking permission to do something and my daddy replying back, "Yes, you can. But no, you may not." It was very annoying growing up, however, now in my late 20s when I hear people speak without proper language or respect it makes me wonder what kind of environment they are from. I think in the long run it is important to teach your children these simple rules. It becomes of great use later.

This should also include proper table etiquette!

Sounds like my household. My mother was a tyrant at the dinner table. Her biggest bugaboo was not sitting straight-backed in your chair. I remember that she had misgivings about my sister's engagement because she did not approve of her fiance's table manners. She felt it would have negative consequences to their social life and his career.