well excuuussssseeee me!!!

Every day I find myself speaking to my children and reminding them of their manners - saying please and thankyou etc.. as I am sure most parents do.
I firmly believe that manners and common curtesy should be taught alongside learing how to tell the time, and doing up buttons, so I was quite suprised to see an advert in a magazine offering high tea and a reminder of good manners at a well known London hotel!!!
Surely parents teach their children basic table manners!!  Do we really need a Maitre'd reminding us of where to put a napkin or a waiter making a pointed remark about elbows on the table and not slurping your soup!!!!!

Do we really live in  that much of a nanny state that we need reminding of basic every day curtesy?  and then it hit me, of course we do!!!!!!

How many times have you let some one in a car out in front of you and have not been thanked ? or stopped at a pedestrian crossing and the pedestrian completely ignored your very existance? I know you don't have to say thank you for these rules of the road but come on its common curtesy!!!!!!!
People lean over you, push past and even move your trolley in the supermarket without and 'excuse me'. The cashiers barely raise their eyes to look at you let alone smile. You ask for help and are usually met with a huff as if you are putting them out!
Saying hello and goodbye on the phone? Asking how someone is? A thing of the past.
Aiding an elderly person or giving up a seat on the train or bus to a pregnant person ? virtually unheard of!!  

What is this world coming to!!!!!!!!

I felt vindicated recently when the mother of a friend of No1 son commented on how polite he was when visiting for tea (brownie points for him!!) and how she wished her son would do the same.

This brought up another question - Do I continue instilling what I believe are good manners into my children or do I follow the trend and allow my children to become grubby rude little oiks who don't think twice in throwing rubbish on the floor, not holding a door open or queuing?

Next time you see teenagers in the park, swearing, spitting, dropping litter just remember , that could be your little angel in ten years time!!!! soooooooooooo,................................
sit up straight, elbows of the table, say please and thank you, use a napkin, don't talk with your mouth full, smile, speak clearly, wait your turn, don't push   and remember.... Good manners cost nothing!!(except your time, and mental status repeating the same thing over and over again he he !!!!)