A few months back, while I was still in my third trimester with Sydney, I went to a Robert Black Fashion Tea at the Ritz Carlton. A girlfriend and I sipped tea, watched a vintage fashion show (models, runway, the whole bit) and chatted shop with some other women we were seated with. It was a fun, indulgent, girly-kind of afternoon.
Somehow, the topic of etiquette and children came up. One of the moms I was seated with (who was at least one generation older than myself) was complaining about how teaching our children the values of proper etiquette has fallen to the wayside. How society is losing its "decency" and a perfect example are unruly children who haven't been taught how to behave properly at restaurants, social gatherings, etc.
Hmmmm....I tried not to roll my eyes right in front of her because I didn't want to be dumped in the "unruly children" category while I was trying to enjoy afternoon tea with the girls. But, I couldn't help thinking she was being a wee bit, um...dramatic?
I'm not trying to imply that I don't think we should teach our little ones the art of being polite and social expectations, but I don't think the deterioration of certain formalities is the end of civilization as we know it either. Motherhood is hard enough, I certainly don't need other moms judging me because of how my girls act in public sometimes. I'm already over-thinking this enough on my own.
At the end of the day, I think I'm shooting for behavior that is somewhere in-between The Royal Family and Jodie Foster's character in that movie Nell (you know the one where she's been raised by animals or something). I want them to say please and thank-you and to listen when others speak, but if they don't remember to start with the fork all the way to the left or how to curtsy properly for a queen I'm okay with that too.
What do you think?
