My boy came home from school saying some of his friends think it's weird that we say sir and ma'am and that we hold doors open. I explained to him that manners aren't outdated, they're a sign of respect and that's something we do in this family no matter what's cool at school. Proud of that moment as a dad. The old ways aren't all bad.
We do the same with manners and holding doors. Mini golf every Sunday with my 6yo and he's already opening doors for people without being asked. It sticks with them.
Your boy's lucky to have that example. I've been drawing stuff in lunch boxes for years and sneaking in these little moments of respect and kindness - kids absorb it more than we realize.
That's awesome you're passing that on. My kids get it now too, and yeah some of their friends think we're old school but honestly they respect it. Keep at it, that stuff matters.
Absolutely. There's something about saying yes sir and yes ma'am that teaches respect and humility. It's not weird at all - it's actually one of the best things you can teach your kids in my opinion.
This takes effort for real but it's so worth it. My kids say ma'am and sir and people comment on it all the time in a positive way. You're giving them a tool that's going to serve them their whole lives.
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Good for you. Teaching kids to be respectful costs nothing and it actually makes them stand out in a good way. Southern manners aren't outdated they're just becoming rarer and that makes them more valuable.