How do I teach my kids good manners in today's world?
I want to raise polite, well-mannered kids but it feels like manners are disappearing everywhere. Other kids are rude and it influences mine. What manners are still important to teach? How do I get kids to actually use them and not just when I'm watching? Am I fighting a losing battle against the culture?
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4 Answers
I used to have a strong opinion on this and then I lived in another part of the country for a few years and completely changed my mind. Travel does that. What seems obvious where you grew up isn't obvious everywhere.
I think the real issue here is that society is changing faster than most people can keep up with. What was normal 20 years ago might be considered outdated now, and what we think is normal today will probably seem old-fashioned in 20 years.
This is one of those topics where there's no single right answer — it depends heavily on your values and circumstances. I'd encourage you to look at it from multiple perspectives before forming a strong opinion.
There's a difference between something being rude and something just being different from what you're used to. I try to ask myself that whenever I get annoyed by how other people do things. Usually it's just different, not wrong.
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