In our second installment of Mannerly Monday, let’s discuss what manners we could be teaching our children to use when they are in public places. Keeping in mind that we are approaching this topic from the perspective of being considerate of others, here are a few ideas we have tried to work on with our girls.
1) At a play, concert or other performance, sit quietly and still in your seat until the intermission so that others are not disturbed. If you arrive late to an event, enter as quietly as possibly and sit in the back rows. [Just a side note: parents should take into consideration the nature and length of the performance and the age and temperament of their child to ensure that it is a good fit. A typical three-year-old, for example, will probably have difficulty remaining still through a performance of Handel’s Messiah.]
Please do not think that we have mastered these things with our children! However, they are goals we are working toward to ensure that they know how to act in various situations and are a pleasure for us and others to be around.
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