an example: A small child sees a grandmother picking her nose, and being caught in an awkward situation the G'parent says:" I have no tissues". Now the child thinks it is ok to pick their nose because they never have any tissues around.Should the g'parent be blamed for the habit of the child?
another example: Let's say I just bought a hot new car.At lunch i'm bragging to friends about how well it handles thru some windy turns on a road that everyone knows.Now lets say an aquaintence overhears my braggard, and takes his family sedan thru the same windy turns and wrecks his car.
In each instance a bad habit made influence on someone else.The question is: should those who know of your "bad habit" chastise you for someone else picking up on it?
2006-12-22 05:04:23 · 3 answers · asked by frith25 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
I do not think it is fair to chastise the person in either of your examples.
I person should only be chastised when they willfully do something they have been advised not to do.
In both your examples the persons did nothing wrong in and of itself. Had the grandmother known a child was watching her she would have got up and got a tissue. - Had driver #1 know that driver #2 was an idiot and copied him he may not have mentioned his driving experience in his presence, but he had no way to guess that driver #2 would mimic him.
2006-12-22 05:19:20 · answer #1 · answered by Axel M 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's never ok to chastise another person for their etiquette (or lack there of), except your own child. All you can do is explain to the child that just because Grandma did that does not make it ok for him/her.
An exception is if someone is doing something that endangers your child. You can pull a smoker aside and ask them not to light up around your child. Things like that, when it comes to protecting your child, are necessary.
This is a good chance to teach your child a lesson that they will have to learn eventually. NOT everyone, even adults, have good manners, but that is not an excuse to let ours go.
Good for you, being such a caring parent.
2006-12-22 14:17:04 · answer #2 · answered by Jennie Fabulous 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"You are embarrassing me. I don't like that." is ok to say to a mimic if necessary.
2006-12-22 19:14:40 · answer #3 · answered by Bob T 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋