Little is more important in raising children than teaching them to be polite.
Years ago a woman by the name of Emily Post (1873-1960) was the 'Guru' of etiquette, i.
e.
the Art of Being Polite in speech and behavior.
Her teachings were much appreciated, respected and adhered to, at least that part of the country where I grew up.
Children were taught to say "Sir" and "Mam".
They were taught to give up their seat when an older person came into the room.
They were taught to respect and be courteous to their elders.
As parents of four daughters these were behavior patterns my wife and I taught our girls.
As a result we never hesitated to take them to a fine restaurant.
Other diners always remarked about how nice and polite they were.
By being polite and courteous themselves other people were polite to them.
Yes, evidence of the effectiveness of the Golden Rule comes into play here.
Children must be taught Politeness by you, their parents, as part of their education at home.
Too often nowadays this is a part of childrens' education that is sadly neglected.
We often read in 'Letters to the Editor' people com- plaining about how rude, loud and boisterous some children are in public places.
Rest assured that teaching your children to be polite will pay immense dividends in their future lives.
The quality of politeness will, in no way, harm them and will, in effect, make them better liked and more popular and successful in later endeavors.
They will get better jobs and perform better as human beings.
So, take the word of a parent who has been there, now is the time for all good parents to teach and promote good manners in their children.
This will make for better adults and make the world a better place.
Dr.
Vernon Brabham© 2006 You have permission to publish this article electronically free of charge as long as the bylines are included.
A courtesy copy of publication would be appreciated.