Mind Your Manners

I recently caught the tail end of an interview on NPR of author Lesley Blume, who wrote a book about bringing back customs and products from the past. The conversation struck a chord with me because my husband and I have been talking about how good manners seem like a relic of the past. Of course we realize there are plenty of well-mannered people in this world teaching their kids to be the same, but there are plenty of examples of the opposite as well. As I typed that last sentence I just heard two cars honking. See what I mean?

Growing up, there were times when my parents seemed terribly old fashioned and uncool . Now that I'm a parent, the tables have turned and I am beginning to understand my parent' perspective. My own child may soon find me on the wrong side of cool. Oh well. I still have an important job to do.

I feel like raising well-behaved children is important, but it doesn't mean being overly formal. For me it means being thoughtful, polite, and considerate. Knowing which fork to use at dinner is great, but inviting a new student to sit together at lunch or saying please and thank you to strangers is even more important to me.

Of course, having a preschooler means trying not to set the bar too high right now. We are trying to raise a happy, well-adjusted kid, not the future King of England. So it's all a work in progress.