Maybe being the daughter of an army officer might have something to do with my views but I have finally accepted that the world has certainly dropped its standards in too many ways and the respect we showed our elders whilst growing up have sadly, to a very decent degree, parted company with the next generations. My peers do not use bad language so someone has let the standards down and hence it has come from somewhere right?
I can start with my children’s peers. Thank goodness the majority of them are respectful and have fabulous manners. There are a minority however where calling me by my first name without asking my permission is just ‘the norm’ and I have a problem with that. Dropping explicit language at my feet whilst engaged in conversation with myself or my offspring does not seem to phase some at all. Yes, I can assure you I do not hesitate in standing my ground, expressing my displeasure in their offensive language and asking for them to watch their ‘P’s and Q’s’ whilst in my company. This is usually followed by a forthcoming apology from them and a very red face and our next encounter is always void of such behaviour, thank goodness. I think that is a lesson in respect is it not? So why do I have to do it and not their parents? I have brought up my children with a clear understanding about language which will not be tolerated neither in our home nor in my presence EVER! As a very learned gentleman said on TV recently, if you wouldn’t say it to your grandparents, don’t say it ever!
Now I will jump onto my high horse here and blatantly state that I blame mum and dad/guardians for this decline in good behaviour. As a child I was constantly reminded about respectful behaviour and my goodness I stand by it. Many will now think how, due to the increase in divorce, parenting has become harder and parents aren’t around enough to govern behaviour which is true to a point but I say RUBBISH to letting this be blamed for increased bad language in society. I was a single mum for eight years and if I can have well behaved children then there is no excuse. Just the simple words, ‘oh your girls are so lovely and polite’ makes all my hard work worthwhile and yes it is hard work to teach your children, but worth every minute of it. There are NO excuses. The simple words ‘shut up’ are spoken by children to parents and vice versa and I have been witness to this many times recently and have become the ‘norm.’ I dislike it intensely and unless using it in a frivolous manner, do not use it in my presence thank you. Once we allow the ‘odd’ bad word into our family life, the rest of those words will follow.
Walking through shopping centres nearly brings me to despair
when overhearing these younger people drop the F word or the S word etc etc as
if they use it as often as we use the word AND. It is horrifying but
understandably horrifying when, if they are walking with their elders, these
elders are using the same words.....I ask you? As they say you learn what you
live and ain’t that the truth.
Reading some tasteless comments on Facebook from some of the younger generations makes my blood boil and I can assure you that if it appears on my youngest's FB page from a friend of hers, I will put a comment on that comment. Yep, parenting is hard work and until mine are of legal age, I will continue to parent and voice my opinion and yes you lose the odd friend because of it but they come back with more respect and having learnt a lesson.
May be it should be a New Year’s resolution for families to
have a swear tin in their homes for 2012 where monies are put into it by anyone
who uses bad language or is it too late? Nope, it is never too late to improve
ourselves.Beware, anyone whose children/family members/friends are in my presence and utilise bad language when conversing with me, you will remember me forever. I will not tolerate it, never have and never will so watch out!
PS, It is now some two months on since I wrote the above and I recently noted my eldest had dropped the F word on her Facebook page. Appalled at this, I took a photo of it and then proceeded to block her and then informed her of this episode, ofcourse she was very red-faced (I told you I have standards.) Why the photo? Because she is 18 and denies all wrong-doings in her life that she is responsible for .......Sherlock Holmes has nothing on me! This little darling lives out of home, her choice not mine, and reads my Facebook page to keep up to date with home life. Not any longer. Now she has to pick up the phone and communicate with me. Perish the thought of her talking to her mother. Will she be permitted to rejoin my FB? Possibly not. It is not because I want to punish her 'until the cows come home' but I don't particularly wish to have an eighteen year old watching over my shoulder.
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