I am writing this because recently, at least among my friends and co-workers, I have observed an increasing and alarming trend of kids who do not how to address adults properly. As a 2-year old or even now, if I addressed someone my elder - especially someone who had 30+ years on me by their first name, my parents would cringe and correct me. That's Mrs. Smith to you, not Helen! Unless of course, Mrs. Smith says it is okay to call her Helen and specifically asks to be addressed in that manner.
Anyway, I write this blog because my friends are teaching their kid to say Hi ___ My first name! This is not acceptable to me. Even when I use my own daughter and have her address the parents as Mr. & Mrs., there is no correction to the behavior. It is still, "Foster, say Hi to Renee" Or "Maddie, can you say RENEE?" I am thinking, I got at least 30 years on this kid, surely, you don't think he is my friend or equal? Teach the kids some manners before it is too late. I also wonder, when the kid starts to attend school, is he going to be calling his or her teachers by the first names? That seems wholly unacceptable to me as well. Maybe if Maddie and Foster learned early how to appropriately address an adult, then they will be saved much trouble in life later.
Even now, as I drop my child off at daycare, I address the care providers there as Ms. Lisa or Ms. Bonnie. It only seems appropriate. I think I would be mortified if my child addressed adults with their first name without being given permission to do so.
The trend I have seen is very alarming and I am just not sure what to do about it. Should I correct the parents? Is that appropriate? Or, should I secretly tell the child, it is more appropriate to refer to me as Ms. Renee not Renee? I can try to set an example I suppose by referring to myself as Mrs. or Ms. so the parents get the hint but in my experience, parents like this rarely get the hint because it is the cluelessness that started this whole mess in the first place.
