The new generation of children seem to be oblivious to the manners that their previous generations grew up with.
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'Manners maketh man' says an old adage which looks to be completely lost on the current generation of young people, who seem extremely unequipped with sufficient knowledge of how to act, react, or behave during their daily interactions. What were once known as common practice a few decades ago now seems almost alien to the incredibly tech-savvy bunch of the 21st century, reports Parents. In this article, we will take a look at a few things kids today have failed to learn.
The older generations were taught to seek a host's permission if they wanted to wander around the house looking at knick-knacks, walking into the yard, or simply do anything that didn't involve not sitting and making conversation. The current generation of kids today seem totally oblivious to any norms followed previously and tend to get very comfortable in someone else's house, so much that they may even end up embarrassing their parents by being as open as if they own the house.
Children these days are callous about the way they look and dress. There's being comfortable and then there's looking like a snob—the new generation veers eerily past the second. People used to be taught to look presentable whenever they were outside the house, or even indoors. This would mean having the hair neatly combed, wearing neat clothes, and in general, being compliant with the surroundings.
Parents would often teach kids to sit or stand straight such that they maintain the correct posture just over a decade ago. However, this particular aspect of manners is completely lost on kids as they seem to stoop low, hunch their back, or in general, carry a very negative posture. This could have terrible consequences in the future too as their snipes get accustomed to their poor postures and they may face easily avoidable pains and aches that can often continue into their middle or old age.
Helping a host even when it comes to tucking away snacks or setting the table for a meal is etiquette that kids these days seem to be forgetting as they're often engrossed on their devices. Helping a host is a great way to accustom themselves to the host and build an impression and subsequently a rapport with them to carry for the rest of their lives.
Kids are so accustomed to eating a favorite or familiar snack in their homes that some downright scoff, make a face, or throw a fit when they're giving something they don't like to eat at a host's house. They should always be taught to have a few bites of food even just to make the host welcome rather than blow up in their faces and make them look bad. Of course, this doesn't apply when an allergy is involved.
The words 'Hello', 'Thank You,' 'Goodbye,' and 'Please,' seem to be eroding away slowly from a child's vocabulary. Not just these, children these days rarely offer a 'good morning' or a 'good night' when they meet or see off a guest as they would rather talk at a person in hopes of getting a response than talking to them.
Children often wear their hearts on their sleeves and if not taught right their instant reactions to new people can embarrass parents quite badly. One such scenario is about accepting gifts as they can be usually very excitable when it comes to gifts, especially if it's something they like. However, if the gift turns out to be something they already have or is a little underwhelming, they sulk openly, which could hurt the person handing the gift.
The digital age of the 2010s and onward has drastically changed the way people parent, with smart devices taking the place of teaching manners all so that they don't create a fuss the parents wouldn't have to deal with.
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