The answer to that question should be fairly obvious– of course not! But that’s exactly what one couple did in San Francisco the other day. And, it’s the same thing another couple admitted to doing with their kids!
Here’s what happened: my wife and I walked from Union Station to Washington Square to grab breakfast at Mama’s, a fantastic restaurant by the way, with a line of people down the sidewalk each day waiting to get in. As we walked toward the end of the line, a young boy, about ten years old, raced by us and took a spot in line right in front of us. At first we were a bit surprised, and then annoyed when his four other family members, mom and dad included, sauntered up next to him. To top it off, this young boy’s father leaned down and said, “good job, son!”
My wife and I really did not know what to say. We looked at each other and shook our heads. We would never dream of teaching our children manners like this. But, perhaps we are just old-fashioned. Once we got into the restaurant and were eating our food, we met a nice couple with two young children. We relayed the story to them, and they actually admitted to doing the same thing!
So, please comment about this. What do you think? Should parents teach their children to cut in line? Should they congratulate them for doing a “good job” when they do? Do manners matter at all anymore, and aren’t they learned from mom and dad?
Bill Cook
