Yes, and please, and thank you.

Manners, anyone?
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As parents, we teach our kids manners from birth. How RUDE, some adults say, when kids do not say thank you for a gift. My boys are taught to hold the door for women. I teach all my kids to look people in the face when they speak to you. I tell Eli that if he is going to be late, make the phone call. Emma, no burping without saying excuse me. Tripp, don't fart in my face. Go to the bathroom.

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EPIPHANY - I figured out that in life -you don't owe anyone anything. You do things out of kindness. When favors become necessities, it takes away the joy and makes it a burden.

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Then, why, as adults, don't we practice what we preach?

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I just heard a story. My little brother (almost 30) had some tickets to a concert. Due to his little boy getting the H1N1R2D2 flu thing, he was unable to go. Wow. $200 worth of tickets, purchased SIX months ago... He gave them to my older brother and his wench. The wench picked them up.... Guess what she said? NOTHING. No thanks, can I pay you something? No NOTHING.

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How Rude, right?

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People take advantage all the time. I hear it, see it, smell it and taste it daily.

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My kids throw trash BESIDE the trash can. No worries, mom will fix it. I am supposed to fix it. To a certain extent. But Eli, at the tender age of 13, has to have some responsibility about him. Dave was more firm with Eli - he taught him to do his laundry at a ten, he is responsible for picking up his clothes. He makes his own snacks, and just recently he sold mums to pay for a Beta Club trip.

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Why do we push responsibility and manners on our children, yet we can't follow thru as adults?

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Why do we make excuses for adults? Some people say that it is the wench's "personality." You know what she is. Just accept it. My mother is a nut. Just accept it.

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But do I have to subject myself to it? No. Yes. Maybe So.