Teach yourself and your kids to say Please and Thank you

I talked about the other day (http://parentingcommonsense.blogspot.com/2011/06/be-kind-and-pay-it-forward.html) about how I am thankful in this thankless world. I have been thinking about it more and than today something happen to me today that irked me because I did a good thing and well received just plain rudeness. Yes I am both complaining and lecturing today.

So here is what happen- we were at the dollar store today and when I walked up to the checkout the woman behind me had like three things in her hand where I had a basket full, so I told her to go in front of me. She pushed herself around me and the kids never once uttering a thank you. Her attitude towards me was almost like it was expected of me to do that. Than another woman came me with one card. I fully admit I was annoyed now because I had done a nice thing for this other woman when the one behind me shouted over to the woman in front of me (they knew each other) and handed her one item and told her to pay for it.

So here I am with two small kids, trying to be nice and I was totally taken advantage of by these rude women at the store. It makes me not want to be kind (No good deed goes unpunished I guess). I stewed for awhile and I never said anything to them but it got me thinking about how often I don't hear please and thank you from others. I see this attitude of it is expected rather than a privilege.

I try hard to say please and thank you. I reward the good and usually will comment when things are bad. It just seems that good manners has gone out the door for so many. So I ask that you stop and try to remember to take that moment to say please and thank you when you are out and about. Teach your kids how important it is and show how far it goes with good things.

I am just venting and I will not stop doing good things like saying please and thank you. I also will not think twice in doing what I did today by letting the woman go before me. I just hope that people stop and acknowledge when someone does something nice for you and don't expect it.