11 Manners from the Past That Our Parents Taught Us

There was time when children would have been scolded for not following the rules of courtesy. The manners that were important to our parents were practiced everyday and were seldom forgotten by Mom and Dad. This is just the way things were. Today, the story is quite a bit different, with manners being a pretty low priority for many families on a daily basis. Have a look back at 11 rules that kids today will probably have no clue about.

11) Look, But Don’t Touch

It takes a lot of restraint even for adults to follow this rule, but it is much more respectful of someone else’s belongings. And, if they saw you eyeing it offered it to you for a closer look then you felt quite privileged indeed.

10) TV Time

It was considered polite to turn the TV off when guests come over (and today that would also mean phones and tablets). To leave it on would have been disrespectful.

9) Kids Should Open Doors for the Adults

This one has long gone out the window in most places, but there was a time when students always opened doors for teachers, children for their parents, and so on.

8) Put It Back the Way You Found It

This rule applied to everything from your toys as a child to the apartment you were moving out of last year. We were taught to leave things as you found them, but this is sadly not all that common these days.

7) Offer to Help

The offer to help clean up after dinner, especially if was held at someone else’s home, was considered par for the course. However, many people today don’t do this at all.

6) Place Your Napkin in Your Lap

Tucked under your chin, crumpled by your plate, or simply unused was not how one was supposed to use their napkin. It was considered polite to keep your napkin in your lap throughout the meal and set it to the right side of your plate when the meal was done.