Should kids really write thank-you notes for every gift? What are the non-negotiable table manners in Meagan’s and Sarah’s houses? How do we teach everyday manners and common courtesy to kids who are still learning to sit still and use a fork? We discuss these questions and more in Episode 5! Join us for a fun discussion about teaching manners – and, as usual, you can expect us to get REAL about how things actually look in our families!
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Another great episode as usual! I have to say, something I am trying to reconcile as a parent now is the respect for elders issue. Coming from a more hierarchical cultural background (my parents are Taiwanese), my mom insists to this day that my younger brother call me “older sister” in Taiwanese. He’s not allowed to call me by my first name in her presence. I don’t care – he can call me by my first name, but I am bothered when children call me by my first name. It’s usual (in Taiwanese), to refer to your parents’ friends as “Uncle” or “Aunt,” which I have my children do as well. Of course, this is a little awkward when they’re around non-Taiwanese families, so I actually like the “Ms First Name” option and I don’t mind when my students refer to me as so, although I will ask the students to call me “Ms.” instead of “Miss” or “Mrs.” Just calling someone by their first name, if they’re older, seems so strange to me. Now, with my daughter, I encourage her to call her older brother “older brother” in Chinese (she’s only 2), but I have a feeling this is something my mom will care more about than me.
I LOVE hearing about your cultural perspective on this! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. 🙂
I laughed out loud when, in the discussion on dinner table manners, Meagan said “sometimes it can get a little feral.” I just started listening to The Mom Hour episodes (have been listening to The Style Hour and The Home Hour) and am really enjoying them. I love the mix of Meagan’s longer-term experience and perspective of having older kids, and Sarah’s in-the-trenches perspective. I have four small boys (aged 6 months, 3, 5, and 7), so I relate to Sarah and appreciate Meagan’s big-picture viewpoint!
Cheers from the trenches, Heidi! 🙂 So happy you’re listening!