Manners......I am hard pressed to see anyone use good manners in schools anymore. Heck, for that matter, almost anywhere.
Students pop in the clinic and shout "bandaids". I say, yes, would you like some bandaids for your classroom ? They say yeah...... No please......?? I give them a handful and they walk out of the clinic without any THANK YOU. I have to say..."what do we say" and they look at me like I have three eyes ????
WHISKEY, TANGO, FOXTROT !!
It's not just the students. I have teachers that won't say please or thank you either.
I want to very sarcastically say: "YOUR WELCOME" when they leave here without so much as a thank you.
I mean, who is teaching kids manners these days ? Certainly not parents, and apparently teachers either !
This shocks me. As a "kid" I would never DREAM of being even remotely rude to anyone, especially when I'm brand new to such a vast and respected profession. Blows my mind. Glad I haven't run into any fellow students like that at my school yet.
Perhaps I am a meanie- I make them ask nicely (usually in a playful way, so not to make them feel bad)... and I've said "you're welcome" to many of children who fail to say "thank you"... they usually say it after that little reminder.
Since I work with elementary school kids.. I do think they need that reinforcement to use their manners. Heck, I still have to remind my own kids to use their manners from time to time.
To ALL school nurses or any nurse who deals with children, please, as a mother of 2 (10 and 7 years old), PLEASE continue to enforce manners! My hubby and I are very strict when it comes to manners/being polite, however, there are many kids in their grade who appear as though they were raised by wolves!! The last thing I want is for these kids' influence to reverse everything we taught!! Unfortunately, there are many parents who do not take the time to teach their kids the basics of "please" and "thank you." In my own experience as a nurse to ADULTS, I will still point out any deficits in manners and remind both patients and staff to say please and thank you. It's very sad how un-polite our society has become...
I'm not a school nurse but I am a mom to a 10 year old who is about to start middle school next year. Maybe my husband and I are "old school" but my husband holds doors open for me, etc. My son does the same thing. He naturally says "please" and "thank you" because we use those terms as well. He chooses gifts for his teachers and the school nurse every year for the last day of school to thank them for their hard work during the school year.
The moment I realized just how self-absorbed some kids are happened one day last year while my son and I were having lunch at a local restaurant. My son and I were sitting close to the large front window. We saw an older lady and her much older mother (probably in her 80s-90s and slow-moving on a walker) get out of their car. There were several other families with school-age children and some with teens sitting around us. A few people stared out the window watching the LOL struggle to make it to the door. One of the teens made a rude comment and laughed. My son didn't even hesitate. He jumped up and hurried over to get the door for them. I didn't even tell him to. It just came naturally for him. He was 9 at the time. While the other kids just stared and kept eating their meals, my son had me nearly in tears from being so proud of his kindness and respect for these ladies. I would be ashamed if I knew my son demanded things from his teachers or his school nurse or any adult!
I am a big stickler when it comes to manners and the kids in my school know it. If they come in and bark out ice pack, I might bark back, cell phone when they look confused I just ask "Were you looking to ask me for something? I thought we were just yelling the names of items to one another". I get very cranky when kids aren't taught manners. It's not too much to ask for a please and thank you!
I may start doing this!
When kids do this now, I ask them if they walk into their classroom and demand "knowledge" since that's what they are there for. Or go home and shout "Dinner. Shelter. Unconditional love" since those are the things they get there.
And many times I have sent students out of my office and told them to reenter with respect.
As unruly as my kids can be to me and to each other, I feel like I'm on the right path when we went to a buffet and the girl working there told me how polite each of them was when they asked for things. Showing their manners in public shows me that they have learned it- they just need to practice it at home too!
They will walk in and see me on the phone are talking to another student and just butt in and demand something. I will just turn and give them a look and they usually get the drift. That irks me. Your hangnail is not that big of an emergency that you need to interrupt me.
Don't work with kids or schools BUT...I live in an area where manners are not highly prized...sorry to say. I am polite and people ignore it and don't even reply 9 times out of 10....but I may be considered rude for interupting PRIVATE conversations at work so that I can ask a WORK-related question. Frustrating, to say the least...
They will walk in and see me on the phone are talking to another student and just butt in and demand something. I will just turn and give them a look and they usually get the drift. That irks me. Your hangnail is not that big of an emergency that you need to interrupt me.
I'd like to have a trap door in front of my desk...for the PARENT who either starts talking to me while I'm on the phone and just stands in front of my desk waiting for me to get off the phone; push one button - and they're gone!
Last week I received notes from all the second graders - which were quite funny. One student told me I have good manners. Maybe it will rub off on some of them:)
gonzo1, ASN, RN
1,739 Posts
yes, it won't be long before all manners are gone