Down The Rabbit Hole

B. 2. Mind Your Manners

Mind your Manners

"Mind Your Manners!" – The Red Queen insists on Alice having manners around her. What sort of rules/manners/common courtesies would you like to see more of these days? (<500 words)

W/C 411

Where Have All The Manners Gone

Where have all the manners gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the manners gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the manners gone?
Children lost them, every one
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh when will they ever learn?

Adapted to the lyrics of "Where Have all The Fowers Gone?" by Peter Seeger, and Peter, Paul and Mary version.

         Every weekend, I have to wipe the cobwebs away and wash the mud slings from my poster of "Manners, Rules, and Common Courtesies Chart." Yep, my son's three girls come to visit. My chart isn't demanding. I don't think. It is just something to prevent me from going mad and ending up dwelling in "Wonderland" permanently. A sample of my chart follows:

Close the door behind you. This is an ongoing battle. I am just about ready to invest in a revolving door. I don't think they make revolving windows yet?

When through eating, clear your dishes. It never ceases to amaze me that they do not seem not to mind eating among dirty dishes.

Stay out of my cupboards! Breaking this rule drives me "bonkers"! I hate straightening my cupboards every Monday.

Don't help yourself to things that don't belong to you.

Don't make messes and leave them. I'm not sure that this habit will ever be broken.

Say Thank you and Please. I am starting to think these words have been lost in the English language, at least among the younger generation.

Knock before entering a closed door. You never know what or whom you might witness.

Turn off lights when no longer in use.

Chew with your mouth closed.

Garbage belongs in the trash, not the floor.

Say excuse me before interrupting

Ask permission before taking something

Stay of the refrigerator. Standing with the door open doesn't do much for my pocketbook.

          I know this seems like a lot to expect, but I think most of it should be automatic. I have arguments with my son, but since he gets them on the weekends, he fears upsetting them. I jack it up to the cause anymore. I give credit where credit is due—the mother. I won't go into that because we are writing funny things and not Horror stories.