Language etiquette for kids, use of sir and m'am

[Group Hug]

Originally Posted by Annikan

I moved from the south (where I was called ma'am all the time by salespeople--even when I was like...19. As in, "Ma'am, you dropped your keys" by a cashier at a grocery store if I dropped something) to the north where in those situations where the other person doesn't know your name, they call you "miss". Even though NOW I am mid-30's and a mom. I find that pretty amusing...I guess in this North, you can be a "miss" forever because they don't want to be "rude" and call you ma'am. ;-)

Exactly!!!! It is fascinating to me how what is perfectly polite in one dialect can be a bit rude in others.

[bhamoutlook]

I was raised in the south but my mother and her family were from South Florida. (South Florida is not really the south regardless of its geographic location.) They did not raise me to say ma'am or sir and it definitely gotten me into a lot of hot water over the years until I taught myself what was expected. There's really nothing wrong with that either if the local culture expects that.

I would definitely teach your children to say those things in addition to holding the door open for people, giving up their seat for elders, taking their hat off indoors, allowing other people to be seated first, etc. It will serve them well in adulthood no matter where they end up. I am now in an executive leadership role and people often admire what they call my "humility" and respect of people regardless of their status.

[snsh5713]

I am sometimes appalled at kids who have stellar academic and other credentials, but who have very poor manners. It is almost as if the ability to look an adult in the eye and answer politely to a question....or send a thank you note....or other similar basic courtesies....are almost becoming passe. I am beginning to wonder if I'm a dinosaur...

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by snsh5713

I am sometimes appalled at kids who have stellar academic and other credentials, but who have very poor manners. It is almost as if the ability to look an adult in the eye and answer politely to a question....or send a thank you note....or other similar basic courtesies....are almost becoming passe. I am beginning to wonder if I'm a dinosaur...

That makes at least two of us dinosaurs!

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by snsh5713

I am sometimes appalled at kids who have stellar academic and other credentials, but who have very poor manners. It is almost as if the ability to look an adult in the eye and answer politely to a question....or send a thank you note....or other similar basic courtesies....are almost becoming passe. I am beginning to wonder if I'm a dinosaur...

No, it makes you sensible. All the academic, extracurricular, and volunteer credentials in the world don't mean **** if you don't have some basic decency and manners.