What is it with children screaming and creating a ruckus at malls when they do not get that expensive toy they want?
WE have all seen kids throwing food around, making a mess when they eat and generally being loud and annoying. Kids! we say, shake our heads and carry on. But the malaise is possibly larger.
Consider this. A 2013 study by YouGov in Britain showed that Britons feel verbal expressions of politeness still abound but most Britons were not likely to follow it up with action. In fact 39% of respondents said teenagers were the least polite and 24% felt the elite upper classes were a pretty nasty bunch to bump into. Basic manners in Britain, it seems, has gone for a toss. American surveys indicate a similar trend.
There are reams and reams of literature on how to bring up ones children. From sweet talking to being firm with the child, solutions offered are numerous. Even about a decade ago, children would have family at home for them a grandma or a grandfather dotingly telling them stories and teaching them how to eat and how to smile and say hello. As families become tinier, with both parents away at work, setting an example for the children is left to schools and baby sitters. Unfortunately, this is not inculcating the best of manners in our kids.
Children learn best by example and they absorb even the smallest gesture and body language thrown at them by parents who spend precious little time with their young ones. And the lessons are scrappy and short lived, built into an exhausting routine of work and chores at home. Many children learn early that crying loudly and kicking up a fuss when they want something, manages to get them instant attention from the harried parent. In a world where everyone is racing against time, it is easier to indulge the child and make him/her settle down immediately rather than to spend time explaining and modifying the childs behaviour.
It is an approaching calamity of our times and a circle that is as vicious as insidious. Our next generation is not likely to pass on basic good manners to their next. We need to spend more time with our children and practice good manners at home and enjoy a meal together. After all, a family that eats together stays together in good manners and bad.
It is an approaching calamity of our times and a circle that is as vicious as insidious. Our next generation is not likely to pass on basic good manners to their next. We need to spend more time with our children and practice good manners at home and enjoy a meal together. After all, a family that eats together stays together in good manners and bad.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
