Kids Notice Good Manners...

This summer, my son attended a robotics camp at a local university where he was privy to interact 
with a diverse group of like-minded 8th grade students. The second day of camp, I picked him up and eagerly listened as he, full of excitement, began to tell me about all the cool things he was learning at camp.  Then suddenly, after a brief swallow and quick breath, he switched gears and said "mom these kids have such nice manners!" I tried to hide my totally happy yes-it's-working look and instead matter-of-factly shared that I was glad to know that the other students had good manners.  Not a second passed though when I could not resist (even though he went on to change the subject) - I had to ask "what do you mean by good manners?"  Of course he used limited speech and simply said, "You know, like being polite..." Humm I wondered, how often do we underestimate our children?

Even at 13, I am constantly reminding my son of basic social courtesies such as "don't talk with food in your mouth, say excuse me, don't interrupt," etc. His default response is always "I know mom." And of course I often wonder whether he has heard a word I said. But I have to gloat a little and share with you that I am very proud of how well-mannered my son truly is. Over the years and even now I continue to hear from teachers, neighbors, and total strangers on how respectful and polite he is. We cannot afford to ignore the value in teaching social competence and to insist on common courtesies in our own homes.

Kids do notice good manners...