So it doesn't take much to get me fired up but one quick way is to say something about my kids! I just got back from the gym and I was a 'little' annoyed by the conversation I had with the daycare woman. I consider you guys my sounding board and I expect and appreciate your thoughts on the situation.
So where's what happened basically. I went to pick the boys up and the older lady (my first time to meet her) asked me if I taught my kids to say yes m'am and no m'am. I answered her with a 'yea' and she proceeded to tell me that those were the magic words in there and they couldn't get my boys to say yes m'am or no m'am. Quickly I get on the defense b/c I thinking who the heck is she and what are her intentions? I told her that I am just happy my boys speak to me and that I try and teach all my kids yes m'am and no m'am but I don't push it with them. Then she ask me how many kids I have. I answered FOUR. I then told her that my boys have a language delay and they have theraphy twice a month and I'm just happy they're talking more and I don't care if they say yes m'am or no m'am! She said "oh, I didn't know that" which I'm thinking what does that matter! You're the GYM DAYCARE WORKER!!!! This isn't preschool and what are her intentions by asking me if i TEACH my kids to say yes m'am and no m'am! THE MAGIC WORDS ARE PLEASE AND THANK YOU! AND MY KIDS SAY THOSE!!!!!! Yes m'am and no m'am is a southern thing!! and its none of her business!!!!!! okay so can you tell she ticked me off?? LOL
What are your thoughts? Am I being silly to let this bother me?
10 comments:
Call me "Old fashion" and I know that it is labeled as a 'southern thing' but.........I LOVE it when Yes Mam, Yes Sir, No Mam and No Sir are used. It doesn't matter what age you are either. I think it shows politeness and just good ole common respect. That is one of the things that have been lost in todays raising of our babies and I think it is sad.
That is my thought.
Oh I agree that its a good polite thing to teach our kids but I think that lady was out of line to ask me that. Whether she knew my kids had a language delay or not I don't know her from Adam and I think she doesn't have any place to ask me what I teach my kids and then proceed to tell me that "here" those are the magic words like my kids MUST say it. I think its up to each parent to decide whats important to teach our kids and at what time. My kids know to bow their heads and pray over our meals... yes m'am isn't on the top of my list.
I like "yes" and "no" but not "yea". As long as you say yes or no I don't care if you say mam or sir, though we will teach our children to say mam or sir.
I think the lady could have handled it another way other than asking you what you teach your kids; as if you teach them nothing. How old are they again? They are still learning either way! I loved the way you answered her though...classic!
They're 29 months and they do say yes and no. We stress that they say YES and not yea. We are trying to get them to say whole words. And not to jumble things either. Trying to get them to speak more clearly. They say Yes and No.
Jessica says yes m'am and we have to remind Darcy to say it. But as long as they say yes and not yea i'm okay.
Well, the lady could have approached it better for sure! Any decent mom would have gone on the defensive. Considering that it is basically a gym nursery, it's not like she is running a pre-school - it's none of her business if the boys have delayed speech or not (or how many kids you have either). Maybe she just has a little power trip going on. I also thought the "magic" words were please & thank you. I did not know they were yes mam/sir or no mam/sir. Frankly at 2 ish it is a little silly to expect kids to be Little Mr/Miss Manners. My mom was a stickler about manners when I was a kid - I wasn't even allowed to sing along to the music in the grocery store!
The lady was completely out of line. It was not her business. Like Denise said, it sounds like she was on a power trip or something. She was probably one of those older women that think their way is the only way. She's not their pre-school teacher & even if she was, I'm not so sure they would have even been appropriate then. When I taught, I never asked those questions. Every parent has their own parenting ways.
I do think that sir & mam are important though. Southern or not, it shows that they are learning manners. I don't think you can start too soon in teaching that. I'm not a fan of "yea." In the long run being polite goes a long way.
But I do see where you are coming from their speech delay. You already have enough hurdles to jump over, without having to add anything to them.
Nicole, my boys are 6 and 4 and I still have to constantly remind them to add 'ma'am' to their yes and nos. That lady can just go sit on a tack. You should have asked her how many kids she had that she could afford to be so self righteous! I would have had a definite problem with her.
WOW! First off, I think the gym lady was way out of line, inspite of the fact that she may have good intentions. At school we teach mam and sir and our kids will be taught mam and sir. Let me say that again, AT SCHOOL. I will also ask for mam and sir if I am with a friend's kids and I know the parents require it, but it is not a mean request it is simply yes, what? I would also like to point out that my neice is 3 and is a good kid but often her parents have to ask for the mam and sir part. Its not because she is being rude, just little and still learning.
It wouldn't have made me very happy for someone to basically tell me what I should be teaching my children!
We're teaching our boys please & thank you. Yes Mam & Yes sir as well but it is something that we work on daily and they still don't always remember. Just like I don't always use the manners my mom taught me.
Anyways, I think she stepped over the line a bit.
Sorry we kept getting cut off, I'll try to call you again tommorrow
I totally see how you would get fired up. Thankfully no one has said anything to me about Chloe -yet- Cause I will have to be ready for that. She doesn't even say Yes or No or Please or Thank You and she is 29 months as well. That lady really would have trouble with Chloe! I always tried to say Ma'am and Sir and still do, its just in my system from being in the 'south' I suppose. Chloe can sign Please but it looks more like "bath" so yeah- we just will keep working on that!
She had no right to even say a word to you- you are PAYING her to watch your kids, its not a free service.
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