XOJane [5]'s Nicole Blades is determined that her son won't be as rude as grown-ups who can't even manage simple greetings.
Over the last two months, I've been working with him to specifically improve his meet-and-greet tactics. I tell him -- a few times over (look, the kid's 3) -- that it's not polite to say nothing when someone says goodbye.
I tell him that the kind thing to do is respond with your own toodle-loo or, at the very least, a wave. I've given him this prompt often and we've made significant progress. In fact, on a recent road trip he thought it wise to peace-out to a restaurant with a cheerful, "Bye, Applebee's! I don't like you."
We'll work on diplomacy next month.
As I said, the little guy is three years old -- a good excuse for most things -- and still growing into being a gentleman. But how do you explain the folks long past toddlerhood, the hardback adults who go mute when met with a hello from a not-so-strange stranger?
Read Nicole Blades' entire piece at XOJane. [5]
The Root aims to foster and advance conversations about issues relevant to the black Diaspora by presenting a variety of opinions from all perspectives, whether or not those opinions are shared by our editorial staff.
Like The Root on Facebook [6]. Follow us on Twitter [7].
Comments
Comments on Twitter