POINTS FOR PARENTS
By Edyth Thomas Wallace
Children respect parents more for being fair than they do for being always right.
More than most people, parents need to remember that strong emotion and clear thinking cannot function at the same time.
- 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
