Awhile back Musings covered the subject of manners in the realm of teachers at day care centers/pre-schools and how teachers model the desired behavior to their students using positive examples of behaviors and not with holding an object until the child has said please or thank you. It is more effective to remind the child to say please or thank you while the transaction is in progress and this process should become second nature to a child's behavior patterns just as grammar. Musings may be preaching to the choir here but we want to remind parents that it is very important to encourage your child to have manners when they are young because as they age more information about acceptable behaviors will need to be learned and the matter of manners will already be in place. Most children will not learn them on their own.
Modeling is the most effective tool a parent has in their arsenal of techniques to enable a child to function in an ever increasing population. If a parent models crossing at signals instead of jay-walking the child will more than likely do the same. If a parent jay-walks because it is quicker and they are in a hurry then the child will more than likely jay-walk. This is not good because there have been increasing cases in Los Angeles, CA where a person has jay-walked and has been hit by an oncoming vehicle. Some of these individuals have died as a result of their injuries. If a child sees their parent spitting out gum on the sidewalk they will probably do the same until public streets will look like those in downtown Van Nuys, CA. Parents, please take care of what you are modeling for your child. Think about what you are doing and how it effects your child/ren. Musings knows that the children are quiet and not bothering you when they are on their computers and playing video games which frees you up to do other things, but pay attention.
Children that are left to their own devices will play video games, watch TV, use their computers in a manner that one may find repugnant and other less desirable behaviors. Manners know no boundaries and every ethnic group, religion and economic standing should have a firm grip on this subject. Children that are not taught at an early age to have manners will grow up to not possess them as well as not understanding that there are laws to obey and boundaries that are not crossed. It is up to the parents first and after that, perhaps a Life Skills class should be offered by the county of Los Angeles.
Musings is not singling out anyone in particular when it comes to this subject as it seems to have wound it's way to all demographics and needs to be addressed now. As Los Angeles' population increases, the urge to put aside one's manners becomes a constant concern and threat. The population at large needs to learn how to work around these issues before they spin out of control. Stop making excuses such as "You don't know their story" or "It's their right to act like that" and my favorite "It's their lack of upbringing". If the parents won't do it then perhaps Life Skill Classes are the way to go.
