Are they really still a sign of respect?
Now, as teenagers, theirmannersare consistently decent.
I didn’t really think all of my 40-something friends were still yelling, “Yes, WHAT?”
at their own kids a dozen times a day.
(Maybe my friends' kids are too young to have picked up the habit?)
I honestly thought it might be on the wane.
Do Parents Still Teach Kids To Say ‘Ma’am’ And ‘Sir’?
I started asking around whether people were teaching it to their kids.
There were solid yeses in Birmingham, Nashville, andRichmond.
(I’ve actually heard that more than once.)
(Isn’t that all of us?
Because otherwise, what will people think?)
So Where Did ‘Ma’am’ And ‘Sir’ Come From?
Like pronouns, maam and sir can replace a noungenerally someones namewhen addressing them.
These terms are holdovers from European aristocracy.
Maam was first used in English during the 1600s as a shortened form of madam.
That, in turn, comes from the French word madame, which means my lady.
It emerged during the 1200s as a shortened form of the word sire.
Originally, sir was an honorific for knights and lower members of the British nobility.
Over the centuries, its evolved into a respectful address for a man of rank or position.
Teaching Polite Alternatives
Here’s where I stand:Manners are important.
Children should respect adults and honor grandparents in a way that makes them feel loved.
But so often, our motivation is our pride, not our child’s character.
If they appear polished, I’m doing a good job.
I’m curious about how other parents* feel.
*Not you, Mom.
I already know exactly how you feel.
