Is it an AMERICAN thing???

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

It's a form of respect and manners, something many young Americans in general nowadays unfortunately know very little about. Hence it's nice to see somebody raising their kid appropriately.

When I grew up, I would have to remove my hat from my head when entering a building. I had to keep my elbows off the dinner table. I had to asked to be excused if I wanted to leave early. I couldn't put keys on the table. I tried to teach my kids the same manners. So far it worked very well.

Cell phone in a restaurant while dining? Talking on the phone while talking to the bank teller or check-out clerk? Shouting "Yo!" instead of asking "excuse me?" That's the new "freedom" thing. I think it's just disrespectful, plain and simple.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

It's a form of respect and manners, something many young Americans in general nowadays unfortunately know very little about. Hence it's nice to see somebody raising their kid appropriately.

When I grew up, I would have to remove my hat from my head when entering a building. I had to keep my elbows off the dinner table. I had to asked to be excused if I wanted to leave early. I couldn't put keys on the table. I tried to teach my kids the same manners. So far it worked very well.

Cell phone in a restaurant while dining? Talking on the phone while talking to the bank teller or check-out clerk? Shouting "Yo!" instead of asking "excuse me?" That's the new "freedom" thing. I think it's just disrespectful, plain and simple.

Yo yo yo.....Need a new thread for this issue not just young Americans...in Canada and everywhere else

[Udella&Wiz 325]

this!^^^^^

im from michigan- i never would have dreamed of calling my moms friends just by their first names

i still don't

always used a miss or mrs. when addressing an adult

PS - aren't you and adult now too? I have adjusted and now deal with some of the adults I knew growing up and Ive been told to now address them by their first name in our business dealings.

That's just a modern thing....when I grew up I addressed everyone's mom and dad (or any adult) as Mrs Smith or Mr So and So.....I personally have my daughter's friends and my stepsons address me by my first name and have no problem with it. I don;t have any desire to be addressed as 'Mrs soa nd so'...but that's just me

[Jenn! 918]

I wish people would consider that there are different cultural standards in different parts of the country and not judge people based on your own. Just because someone was not raised calling their elders "Miss ____" does not mean that they weren't raised right or mean disrespect by omitting the title.

[besaangel 17]

Justicia is correct- U'll probably never get a "Ms" anything in Michigan. I was there for a year while on my F-1 and it was very different in terms of respect. I too think its a southern vibe. Went to a after-school program with children and they all called me "Ms" and one spanish kid called me MOM lol, mind u I'm Jamaican

[ScratchIt 12]

My parents raised me to use Miss, Mr, or Mrs, whenever appropriate. Have lived in FL, AL CO, WA, CA and heard this used by children in all locations. It seems to be an indication of good parenting skills, though as Jenn says, not using them doesn't mean that the kid is rotton. Strangely I think I have heard it most from disadvantaged children and far less from those from families with means. maybe when you have less, respect becomes more important? As I got older and my peer group changed, so did my useage of the prefixes. If it bothers you that children pay you this respect then I urge you to deal with it and not to discourage them. As was stated earlier, respect is something in short supply these days and parents who can teach it are heading down the right road.

Edited April 5, 2010 by ScratchIt

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I too was raised to call someone Miss/mrs/ms but always surname, never first name.. it's bizarre to me (the first name part) and seems a very southern thing to do.

Now, I would never call colleagues or my MIL Mrs/Miss/Mr or anything like that. If I met someone for the first time i would call them Mr/Mrs/Miss and ask what they preferred I call them. Family, and even my husbands family are by their first names.

I agree that as a young child it should definitely be used, unless they have asked for permission to refer to in another manner.. or they have been asked to refer in another manner.

I have lived in TX and IA, but have friends from Alabama, Mississippi, Kansas, Illinois, LA, NY etc and of those only Alabama and Mississippi use the Miss/Maam thing when they first met me. There is one friend of my husbands and i don't know where he's from but he ALWAYS says "yes maam, or no maam". It's like a reflex with him and it makes me laugh but I would never correct it.