Why we should teach children manners!

Do you teach your children manners? Please and thank you can go a long way, as can being courteous.

I am pleased my children know when to use manners. They are not perfect and sometimes need reminding, but generally they are pretty good. My four year old is especially mindful and answers “You’re welcome” to my thank you. It is very cute and I hope it continues.

I recently flew back from Adelaide and was thrilled when my upgrade to Business class had been approved. I had had an emotional weekend away and the thought of being pampered just a little was welcoming.

Warning though, don’t do it- I swear you’ll never want cattle class again!

Wait – Scrap that, take it every chance you can get, it was fun as far as flying goes which can sometimes be as exciting as grocery shopping before a long weekend. Cramped irate people don’t bode well at the best of times.

Any hoo, so I am quietly enjoying the little bit of luxury ahead of me. Drinks, food, movies. Yes I know you get that anywhere, but let me tell you there is something about mixing a gold class movie experience with fine dining that is a little bit nice.

I had opted for the window seat, which is something I never do when travelling alone. I normally prefer the aisle seat so you don’t have to clamber over people to use the loo. I thought it might be nice for once to have the window plus its only one person you have to ask to move should the need arise.

Of course the need arose; a woman is not a camel! Three children will tell me that. Add to that bubbles and sav blancs being thrown around like lollies at a children’s party.

The timing couldn’t be worse, it was post food and Mr Nonchalant next to me had closed his eyes… Urghhh I have to ask him politely to move but also to wake him up? It couldn’t wait, the hostess had been so accommodating I was in no position to just wait it out.

“Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom”

Now any normal person would just stand up out of their seat and let you pass right?

WRONG- Instead he flung, uh huh flung his legs over his arm rest and expected me to pass through without him moving…

Are.you. serious?

So I clamber, using the seats in front to steady myself because frankly falling into Mr No Manners seat on the way through was NOT an option!

On return, he again had his eyes closed. Do I really want to go through that again? Ask him to move when in fact he quite clearly wont? Dammit this was MY pamper moment and this rude individual was NOT going to spoil it for me…

No, instead I change tact. There is one spare seat, an aisle seat. A glorious aisle seat just waiting me.

I sit. The person I have sat next to is asleep. I pretend that it’s an ordinary thing to swap seats when they wake startled to find me there. I mention in a voice loud enough for Mr No Manners to hear, I’ve been ousted from my own seat and point back to Mr No Manners, who is still pretending to be asleep.

The two gentleman across the aisle also hear me and had witnessed my less than elegant manoeuvre as I went passed clinging to their seats. They too mention loudly that it was rude of Mr No Manners to not get up.

I felt like cheering them.

The hostess with the mostess (wine) came toward me. Was everything ok?

Yes, Mr No Manners just wouldn’t move, and this was free so well, I took it.

No problem she says, and promptly wakes Mr No Manners and instructs him to grab my belongings pronto! Another cheer wouldn’t go astray here by the way.

And she compensates me with a drink- win win. The rest of my flight being well and truly peaceful.

And to Mr No Manners, shame on you.

So tell me, what rude non mannered people have you encountered recently? Do you agree with me that we should teach children manners from the beginning?

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213 Comments

- - mom486197 said
  - 27 Aug 2024
    1:36 pm
i think teaching kids manners is so very important. It is something I do with my daughter every day and ensure we use please and thank you in our house on a daily basis.

- - Frankiielot said
  - 21 Aug 2022
    8:10 pm
We always try and make our kids say please and thank you.
When they’re old enough we will be teaching them to offer seats on public transport to people who are elderly, pregnant and the like.
I remember being heavily pregnant and no one offered me their seat, it was disgusting, especially because women saw and just looked down at their phones!!! Bet if it was them they would expect someone to offer them a seat…

- - mom19782016 said
  - 23 Mar 2019
    1:27 pm
That;s why we teach our kids manners when they’re young!

- - mom81879 said
  - 30 Jun 2018
    9:17 am
Happy to say my kids have really good manners and are very courteous to others

- - june11 said
  - 31 Jan 2016
    11:32 pm
I am finding that with my 8 year old I am having to reinforce good manners.
I don’t know what has happened but her once perfect manners seem to have “flown out the window”. I am beginning to wonder if something happened at school last term last year. The little one(a lot younger than her has better manners than she has). The grandparents pick on the little one for manners yet the older one gets away with it….. Think there is a discussion coming up about that.

- - meedee said
  - 16 Oct 2015
    2:54 pm
I think its sad when parents dont teach their children manners and how to behave. I feel like the parent is letting the child down. I never wanted people to look at my kids and think negative thoughts on their behavior.

- - Rachel said
  - 16 Oct 2015
    12:36 pm
I think teaching them from a young age is the key and showing respect and manners yourself will influence your children to do the same

- - 3xmum said
  - 16 Oct 2015
    11:54 am
Manners is a staple at our house, you don’t use them you don’t get.

My philosophy on it all is manners cost nothing but can get you very far.

- - janszi said
  - 16 Oct 2015
    11:40 am
These are the people that make me proud of my son. He has been travelling since he was 4 months – naturally there were a few tears here and there but he was a baby! Now we are congratulated by staff and passengers who often don’t realise he is there. I am embarrassed at the behaviour of some so-called adults, who carry on and behave badly. These are the people who complain about children – look in the mirror at your own behaviour!

- - dannsbuild said
  - 22 Sep 2015
    10:20 pm
Its important! Its very good knowledge to know! Thanks for sharing this article!

- - mom58162 said
  - 21 Aug 2015
    6:25 pm
Absolutely children should be taught manners from the get go. It will stand them in good stead in years to come and gave me moments of such pride at how well mannered they could be in social situations. There are rude, selfish people all over the world and mostly it isn\’t even their manners that are missing, I often feel that they are just thoughtless, only thinking of their needs and wants. I don\’t want any of my children going through life and not having good manners.

- - mom92217 said
  - 19 Apr 2015
    5:00 pm
ThIs is great Thanks for sharing

- - stepmom107932 said
  - 31 Dec 2014
    12:56 pm
you definitely need to teach kids manners from day dot but it can be hard and i forget so often myself

- - Mummy1214 said
  - 24 Oct 2014
    8:35 pm
A great story. I hope Mr No Manners heard everyone talking about him. Bad manners are a pet peeve of mine, so I am trying hard to instill good manners in my children.

- - estate wanderer said
  - 17 Oct 2014
    8:02 pm
The rudest thing I have had the last few weeks is a government environmental light bulbs telemarketer ask me what the hell I was talking about. Umm hello I’m just answering my own phone. I turned rude saying I’ll tell you what the heel I’m talking about.You are a very rude woman and woke up to myself and hung up before I got more rude.

- - mom93821 said
  - 15 Oct 2014
    8:53 pm
Thanks for this entertaining story. Enjoyed reading!

- - mom94125 said
  - 09 Oct 2014
    12:48 am
yes you have to teach children manners. we have to teach them right
- mom94125 replied
  
  04 Jan 2015 , 11:29 pm
  also just being the polite usual me, i answered a survey on the phone about telephone books, even though i really didn’t want to. there was no identifiable info being asked of me though. i do fear scams though
- - mom93924 said
  - 06 Sep 2014
    9:51 am
I work at a primary school and there are so many ill-mannered children these days. I always make a point of commenting on lovely manners and this often prompts other children to start using some.

- - mom57522 said
  - 31 Aug 2014
    7:10 pm
Love your style. It doesn’t cost anything to have manners.

- - neddie said
  - 09 Aug 2014
    12:41 am
Manners are always important with children we want them to grow up and have respect for others and be respected.