Being polite/well-mannered towards children (Ranty)

WelshBluebird

Its not just towards children, its towards anyone.
I tend to hold doors open, say thank you if someone does it for me, etc etc. Yet I tend to find more and more that other people won't do the same things.

ali-t

Sally_A wrote: »

As for the neighbour parking on the pavement and telling the kiddies to effing shift.....have you seen the website "youparklikeac***.com" :cool::cool: embarass him with a photo and a yplac parking ticket.

:rotfl::beer::rotfl:

Gingerjar

Totally agree with you GG. I work with teenagers and hate the way people are so rude and negative about them. You sound as though you are raising great kids who will grow into (yes, shock horror!) great teenagers and then great adults.

Boo to the grotty neighbour!

lostinrates

WelshBluebird wrote: »

Its not just towards children, its towards anyone.
I tend to hold doors open, say thank you if someone does it for me, etc etc. Yet I tend to find more and more that other people won't do the same things.

This, i am afraid is my experience too.

Fwiw, i have also been ticked off by parents for acknowledging children. Most of the time this is in front of their parents....'oh what a lovely teddy you have' or 'gosh, that icecream looks nice' or, opps, you dropped this, and handiong back wthe dropped teddy/toy/ beaker

Once i was told off my a mother for interfering when she had left her child on the other side of a shop, out of sight line, and the child was sobbing quietly, not screamiong, and obviously distressed(shaking, pale and looking terrified, not tantrumy) . The mother was trying to teach the child an important lesson of 'keep up' but no one else new this and i was standing with her while my hiusband went to get a member of staff to stand with her too and to make a tannoy for what we presumed would be a distraught mum. Instead we got it both barrels for 'interefering'.

The nicest times interacting with children in public are when you get an opportunity to congratualte a parent on a childs nice manners (last time was at a theatre performance in january, a mother had brought a gaggle of children for a birthday party to see Appasionata and the children sat quietly, more or less, and were polite and just very impressive. Or when you can smile at a parent and grin to indicate..its all right, i think they all have 'those days'

puppypants

I was in a restaurant in Bath last year and a family of Mum Dad and three children were sitting having a meal. I was so impressed with their manners etc, that I took the time to compliment the parents on the way the children were behaving. It made their day!

nearlyrich

I always compliment families with well behaved children especially in restaurants, last time I did there was a badly behaved family ( the adults were louder than the children) and the mum of the polite kids said they didn't have to try to hard tonight to be well behaved LOL.

I also say thanks really pointedly to people who waltz through without taking the door or saying thanks, probably a waste of time as their ignorance is well grained in.

marywooyeah

I hope your LO is ok OP that sounds like quite a nasty accident - can't believe the woman didn't even apologise!

I speak to my son generally how I would like to be spoken to and explain things to him eg "hold hands because the road is dangerous", so now I just have to say "car park" and he knows to stop/hold hands and says "mummy its dangerous isnt it". if he is being rude I say you are being rude and its not very nice etc - I think speaking to children in a clear polite and explanatory manner generally helps them to understand why you are telling/asking something of them and also helps them to respect others. We did have some difficulties with our son's behaviour a few months ago but having perservered he has come out of the other side and FWIW OP you sound like you are raising two lovely little girls.

I wonder what will happen if your neighbour finds out who dobbed him in!

GobbledyGook

It is really kind when someone takes the time to compliment children. Especially in a setting where other kids are running riot and they've resisted the temptation to join in.

That said I do sometimes feel a bit sad at how surprised people are when children do behave. I think it's a really sad reflection on times if it's actually a shock that children behave.

Thanks for letting me rant. Gemma x

GobbledyGook

marywooyeah wrote: »

I hope your LO is ok OP that sounds like quite a nasty accident - can't believe the woman didn't even apologise!

I speak to my son generally how I would like to be spoken to and explain things to him eg "hold hands because the road is dangerous", so now I just have to say "car park" and he knows to stop/hold hands and says "mummy its dangerous isnt it". if he is being rude I say you are being rude and its not very nice etc - I think speaking to children in a clear polite and explanatory manner generally helps them to understand why you are telling/asking something of them and also helps them to respect others. We did have some difficulties with our son's behaviour a few months ago but having perservered he has come out of the other side and FWIW OP you sound like you are raising two lovely little girls.

I wonder what will happen if your neighbour finds out who dobbed him in!

It sounds like we parent in a similar way. I'm always emphasising the "well, how would you like it if someone said/done X to you?" angle.

Thanks. I've been very lucky with my girls so far. At the moment their younger biting, running away, not listening, does't sleep, faddy eating brother is making up for it :rotfl:

I think he'll go ballistic! I just hope he doesn't think it was me! That I can do without.

pinksk8

Sally_A wrote: »

As for the neighbour parking on the pavement and telling the kiddies to effing shift.....have you seen the website "youparklikeac***.com" :cool::cool: embarass him with a photo and a yplac parking ticket.

Thank you so much, this is my getaway from the England match. Best use of the internet. :rotfl: