This brings us to another reason why people with children don’t get invited back for visits these days. Few children understand the idea of respect. They do understand what it feels like to be disrespected or embarrassed in public and they don’t like it, but few parents take that lesson to it’s logical next level and teach them that adults should be treated with respect and how. I, like many other people, have a problem with a four year old referring to me in the familiar and simply using my first name. It just isn’t appropriate. Children need to be taught to respectfully address adults as “Sir”, “Ma’am”, “Mister”, “Miss” or “Missus”, not as “Ted” or “Janet.” In polite society, children are expected to address Mrs. Jones as same. If Mrs. Jones is a close family friend and doesn’t mind, she may even be addressed as “Aunt Janet,” but never should a child address Mrs. Jones as simply “Janet.” Now this all begins, as always, at home. If you speak to your child about Mrs. Jones and refer to her as “Janet,” then your child will take his cue from you and address her as “Janet” the next time he sees her. The best way to teach your child how to address an adult is by referring to that adult in the manner that your child should address them. For example: “Mrs. Jones has invited us over for lunch today” rather than “We’re going over to Janet’s house today.” In the end it makes a huge difference.
For a simple way to remember these three lessons just remember: “Excuse me, Mrs. Jones, may I have a glass of water, please?” These three simple things can make the difference between a child that is a joy and a child that is a nuisance.