As a child my parents taught me manners and to respect my elders. Even if I didn't like what they were saying, I would graciously bow out of a conversation, slink away from the situation or just shrug my shoulders and move on. My parents taught me to say please, thank you and...the biggest pet peeve I have going these days, EXCUSE ME! We were also taught to not put our elbows on the table, not to eat with our mouths open and not to chew like a cow. But yet, I see children everywhere these days not only not minding their manners but the parents acting like its ok. WTF?
Is it my imagination or are people not teaching their children these basic manners any longer? When has it become, as a society, to be belligerent and rude to everyone around you?
I just want to mention that I was born and raised in NJ and even though us Jersey girls rule the school yard when it comes to going from 0 to Bitch in less than a nano-second, not even I am flat out rude to people (unless of course they ask for it!) and believe me, when they ask for it, they become very sorry very fast!
Short story, I'm in shoprite the other day with the love of my life, Tom, we are always courteous to other shoppers, we say excuse me and keep our cart to the right so people can get around us (imagine that in a food store, right!) So this cocky little chick around 16 years old is standing with a basket at the end of the lane, we were looking for something so we did not even see her, Tom steps back and she skirts around him, while sucking her teeth and rolling her eyes. I see that and the Jersey rears its ugly head and I said to her, The word we use here is EXCUSE ME! loud enough for every one in the aisle to hear. Neither her or her oblivious mother said anything to me the nearly 3 times after that they almost ran into me. My point of this story is, What is with people? If that were me when I was that age, my mother would have dragged me back there and publicly apologized to that person. Not saying excuse me, please or thank you were a sin that you did not want to commit.
Today on the news this morning, I hear this "new thing" parents are doing with their children, its call "free range parenting" are you freaking kidding me? You let your kid out of the house to get some fresh air and now you have a name for it? Like they are some kind of chicken you let loose in the yard? You allow your kid to act anyway they want towards other people and its ok with you that he/she is a little twerp? Seriously?
Now Its true I do not have any children of my own and far be it for me to tell someone else how to raise their kids but come on, a few manners and some common sense go along way in life. That is...unless...the parents are assholes too...which is more than likely the problem...
