SOUNDING OFF ABOUT MANNERS: PET PEEVES III
NaBloWriMo Post 10
I continue to get wonderful feedback on this blog post series. It is always nice to know posts are not falling into a cyber-hole somewhere. I hope you will enjoy reading this one, too. Several of you have sent me some of your favorite pet peeves.
If I get enough of them, there will be a Pet Peeves IV one of these days, but with all the peeves from readers!
Here is today’s list:
PET PEEVES III
1. People who talk during theater performances, particularly during the overture of a musical production.
2. Talking heads on TV who shout over each other, thereby rendering intelligent debate and an exchange of ideas impossible.
And no, it isn’t always one party or the other who does this.
They ALL do this.
3. People who refuse to entertain even the thought of maintaining a friendship with someone who believes differently than they do. Alas, this is a particularly popular viewpoint in the 21st Century.
Frankly, this disgusts me. Whatever happened to “the loyal opposition”, or mutual respect?
I certainly do not know everything about everything, do you? Is it not possible for us to learn from one another?
4. Those who make fun of or denigrate those with other opinions.
Please see # 2, above.
Try this instead: Ask a question of a person with whom you disagree and find out why they believe as they do. This is far more instructive and kind than to lambast them or ridicule them without having understanding.
5. Drivers who read the mail, text, talk on their cell phones, put on makeup, unwrap a sandwich, or brush or comb their hair in the mirror while driving.
That isn’t driving, people, that’s almost criminal negligence.
Please do not forget you are driving a potentially lethal machine!
7. Public nose-picking or derriere-scratching. Also making a point of burping, or worse, in public, or without saying, “Excuse me.”
8. People who refuse to take the time to write a thank you note for a gift, or at all…
… written by hand, in cursive!
What? You think you’re automatically entitled to a gift? Gifts should come from the wellspring of the giver’s heart, not due to a sense of obligation or under duress.
So be appreciative, and honor the time, effort and money the giver spent for you.
8. Children who constantly interrupt adults without saying, “Excuse me,” or without patiently waiting their turn to speak. (If you doubt this is possible, think again.)
Anyone need a suggestion about how to curb their offspring’s habit of interrupting? Please email me using the “Contact” form on this web site, and I’ll share an idea or two that worked well with our children. Easy schmeazy.
9. Those who push their way onto an elevator before letting those already on board get off.
10. Those who do not respect the time of the following:
a) stay at home parents – b) homeschooling parents – c) people working in home businesses.
In other words: just because someone’s life revolves around their home does not mean they are less than, dumber than, or less busy than someone else. REMEMBER! It’s all about The Golden Rule!
I grew up having to write thank you notes and I make my children do the same. I think this is just common courtesy. However, I am realizing that some people don’t even acknowledge that I sent (in the mail) them a gift. A thank you note would be wonderful, but even a simple verbal, ‘I got your gift and thanks’ would be nice. Ugh! Makes me mad!
Also, I’d love to hear what your tips are for stopping children from interrupting.
Good for you, Shanna, for working with your kids to write thank you notes. I always told my kids as they became teens that thank you writers stand out and people remember their kindness. True!
My father taught me when I started job hunting to use the same courtesy any time I had a job interview, successful or not, but to use a formal business letter in that case. (Another dying art form.) I can tell you to this day people in business and service remember those who do this simple thing. One more pebble in the bucket.
Our best technique to get kids to learn not to interrupt:
a. teach them to enter the room quietly, put their hand on your shoulder lightly, and remain quiet until you acknowledge them. This gives you and the other adult/s a chance to break at a logical spot, acknowledge your child, and then answer the child without disruption of the adult conversation.
b. as kids get older, they can handle the larger discussion surrounding this about courtesy and respect of others’ time.
c. we used to tell our kids, too, that they do not have an automatic RIGHT to our attention every second of the day. They had to learn what is appropriate in given situations like we all do. (Barring life or death emergency, of course.)
d. Provide a reasonable consequence when a child, especially a younger one, forgets the hand-on-shoulder bit, but it really doesn’t take long for them to catch on. I think once they realize you will talk with them, just not right the second they show up, it helps.
e. What we would not tolerate was the kids bounding into the room, already talking or shouting, ‘Mom! I want….” When they did that, the consequences were more swift and unpleasant once the ground rules had been established and practiced.
If this doesn’t make sense, email me at SarahGM917@gmail.com.
Let me know how it goes!