Random Ravings - Manners MATTER

I was watching some show the other day (don't remember which) and they were talking about how bad behavior has become the 'norm'. It's definitely apparent, even looking at kids in the elementary schools. I keep saying that I really don't like 5th grade. True, I have a 5th grader. Quite a few 5th graders (taken by themselves) are tolerable. As a group, though, they are very rude and have little consideration for others.

When I'm in a regular education 5th grade class, I've noticed that the kids really don't want to listen. They constantly talk when an adult is trying to give them instruction. Then, because they didn't listen, they don't know what they're supposed to work on. TESTS as a rule, are an INDIVIDUAL's job to do. It's not something you're going to consult with your neighbor on and expect the two of you to pass.

Now, I know that kids are going to try to get around whatever they can get around. But it becomes a problem when they consistently are rude and inconsiderate to the point that substitutes won't agree to work in their class room. That or the teachers/staff have to make sure that they get a 'strong' sub to make sure their class behaves. It says something when teachers have to go out of their way to make sure their students perform.

I'm apparently one of the few parents who actually take the time to drill into my children's brains that manners MATTER. The kids my kids hang out with are fairly well behaved as well. It shows to the point that there are very few kids I'll allow to stick around my home for an extended period of time (like a sleep over).

"Good manners sometimes means simply putting up with other people`s bad manners." H. Jackson Brown, Jr