More Parent’s Etiquette Advice

POINTS FOR PARENTS

                                                                        By Edyth Thomas Wallace 

Children respect parents more for being fair than they do for being always right.

• Not This – Mother: “I can't see myself apologizing to a child because I thought he took money from my purse. Anyway, my talk on honesty won’t hurt him.”

• This – Mother: “Son. I want to apologize for insinuating that you took money from my purse. I remember now that I paid the paper boy with it.” – 1952

More than most people, parents need to remember that strong emotion and clear thinking cannot function at the same time.

• Not This – Father: “Now don’t go off to your room and sulk. Come back here and we'll settle this thing right now.”

• This – Father: “Let's wait and talk this over later, Son. We are both angry now and can't think clearly.” –1954

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia