Aussie Manners
 

Bit of a random question, i know....but....in terms of the "general" behaviour of children in Oz, are they well mannered?

I know everywhere has their problems including problem children, and i also know there are lots of well behaved children in the UK so i don't mean to sound as if i'm generalising, but i'm talking about the loutish, hoody teenagers with nothing better to do then cause trouble, and anti-social behaviour or drink/drug taking due to boredom and lack of discipline. This problem seems to be getting bigger and bigger.

Is it the same in Australia?

Re: Aussie Manners
 

Quick answer: yes.

It's a bit of a paradox: most schools have small children wear simple uniforms and it's refreshing to see them relatively neat and tidy - but the youf scene is different.

Only yesterday we were treated to CCTV video of a Canadian tourist in a wheelchair being attacked by two yobs of less than thirteen. They used a metal bit of his own wheelchair, smashed his scull and stomped on him as he was lying on the ground for several minutes.

Yes, it happens everywhere now. They've just done research which says tha longterm exposure to violence on TV and video games makes kids violent.

You don't say! Who'd have thunk it?

Re: Aussie Manners
 

Oh not one of those threads again..of course they are the same in OZ, kids are kids.

Re: Aussie Manners
 

Does this answer youe question
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CZSbdaUdrA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_Ch9...eature=related

Re: Aussie Manners
 

And then came along Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Re: Aussie Manners
 

YES

Re: Aussie Manners
 

Aussie manners in general fall way behind UK manners. On a trip in your local supermarket see how many people aknowledge simple acts.

However its not the be all and end all of everything. Your kids manners are pretty much dictated by you. Till they get to an age when they realise you know nothing about the world they are growing up in as you where created in a vacum last wednesday.

Re: Aussie Manners
 

what a load of cobblers

Re: Aussie Manners
 

Then they get to twenty-five and can see how much you've learned over the previous ten years <g>.

Re: Aussie Manners
 

I’ve noticed here people don’t seem to give up their seats on buses or trains for old people, pregnant women or disabled people. And people seem really shocked when you hold the door open for them.

Re: Aussie Manners
 

depends where you live - there are inner city crap holes and there are nice suburbs - its same as anywhere else.

overall i'd say that in UK - you walk in fear of local gangs of youths who would (according to the daily mail) wreak terror and havoc upon you with their knife wielding glue sniffing shenanigans.

I can honeslty say in brisbane that the single worst experience of discomfort when nearing teenagers (now that Im 39) was being told that I had "nice abs" as I jogged past them in what i now know was too tight lycra for my beer belly.

Personally I think the manners here are great. Shop assistants ask "hows your day been" and some are interested and kind, and some are doing it becaue the auto-prompter on the till tells them to. Very Very few are ignorant.

Yeah people dont acknowledge when you let them in in traffic -because its what you its not a favour it just how people drive. You dont get Lorry drivers blocking the left hand lane of a motorway to stop people shooting the inside in a jam and merging right.

My two penneth and Im sure that others will have diametrically opposed comments and views.

Your own kids behaviour is more about your treatment of them than anything else.

Re: Aussie Manners
 

Well I've certainly got a diametrically opposing view to that! You must live in a different Brisbane to the one I lived in!

Personally I think people are similarly mannered to the UK...the major exception being once they get into their cars!

As for the kids...when I still lived in the UK 'hoodies' were flavour of the month in the tabloids...I lived in various parts of London and can't say my life was ever blighted. Clearly other people will have had experiences, even like the one Wol described in Sydney. One place I have lived that I would say was blighted by roaming packs of anti-social kids was Glasgow. Got a bit of a shock last week though when I saw a group of kids in Sydney dressed as near as dammit identical to Glasgow 'neds' and with an attitude to match - they were shoplifting in Safeway.

And as far as drugs go...I find the recreational use to be even more prevalent here...just based on people I know, what they do & what they've done.

Re: Aussie Manners
 

this is so very true

Re: Aussie Manners
 

Interestingly although I would say the driving is a bit worse here it is much easier to get out at junctions and so on. Also, in a big queue of traffic it is easy to just zip up the empty lane and cut in at the head of the queue, they will always let you in. I should point out I only do this if I am in a hurry!

Re: Aussie Manners
 

I guess that since we've all moved onto motorists rather than teenagers you can read something into that as well :-)

Teenagers are great - adults are gits

Re: Aussie Manners
 

The one the police arrested is 16 - this is no excuse though, the little prick should be locked up for a long time.

Re: Aussie Manners
 

I disagree but then that's in my experience from Belfast to North Melbourne.

Chances are your move was from different areas and you have found something in the reverse. It does not negate what I have found.

I do find manners improve the more rural you go.

Re: Aussie Manners
 

I would prefer he be made explain in a very public forum why he felt the need to attack a person in a wheelchair.

Then imprison him as well but maybe when you have to explain your actions in front of other they will not seem so clever.

This boy should be ashamed of what he did...if he is not someone has to find a
way to make him.

Re: Aussie Manners
 

put him in a wheel chair for 3 months

Re: Aussie Manners
 

"Ashamed" doesn't cut it for me.

No-one, of any age, can be excused in any way for doing what they did - beating up a stranger to within 25.4mm of his life for kicks, much less when the victim is disabled.

Ashamed, contrition, apology etc etc are all very well when the perp is actually caught but I very much doubt if they would be in evidence if he wasn't. Rather like all those murderers and abusers who become born again christians in jail: pity they didn't behave a bit better before they were apprehended.

Re: Aussie Manners
 

My experience is of Hertfordshire to Adelaide then on to the Gold Coast, with my upbringing being 1930's housing estate and Comprehensive girls only schooling.

I find the kids in Oz to be far more 'kid like' in at Primary age, very confident, bit scruffy and happy. Teenagers on the whole are not threatening at all and I have seen very little Chav type behaviour/dress here... in my area Maori kids can be quite intimidating and tend to form gangs. Teenagers are notably unashamed to be seen with their families and seem to be part of the community still. Young adults on the whole seem to turn out well mannered and educated.

Adults are very community minded and uphold strong morals. Alot of grumbles stem from cultural differences, us Brits being a bit uptight about alot of things :)

That is my general observations, but of course there are always exceptions.

On the whole my experiences have been positive.

Jan

Re: Aussie Manners
 

My experience is the same, but without the diversion to Adelaide :lol: and I'd agree with all that. I find the kids, teens, young adults far more well behaved, mannered and find that they, from a fairly young age, will happily hold a conversation with an adult that I've never seen in the UK.

Schools that I've seen put more emphasis on social skills, behaviour etc than the normal education in the early years and that attitude makes a more well rounded person in later years. That's only going by what I've experienced anyway. Obviously there are crap kids, don't know of a child who's perfect and probably wouldn't want to know them if they were. They're all human beings at the end of the day, warts and all.

Re: Aussie Manners
 

Reminds me of a saying

"If all Kids are wonderful - where do the crap adults come from"

Re: Aussie Manners
 

From my experience of Perth v London children have much better manners in Perth.

I'm very impressed when children on the trains and buses stand for the adults. Now that just doesn't happen in London. Fact. :(

In London and a lot of the UK the PC world has gone mad and children know their rights without the responsibilities linked to those rights. :curse:

Having said that you still get rude children in Perth. Had an incident at a park last Sunday where some kids (9 - 10 years old approx) were climbing on the flimsy roof covering a climbing frame. I asked them not to climb on the roof, to stop it being broken. They first argued back, before I stood up and walked over to them. Five minutes later their 'bogan' mum walks over and starts swearing at me. I initially thought she was their sister as she only looked to be in her early twenties.

Re: Aussie Manners
 

It's obviously very variable. When I used to catch the bus in Brisbane the kids used to stand up as soon as the bus got full - there were signs up saying they had to.

Whereas on the tram in Melbourne they never seem to give up their seats.

In Sydney at the moment and some kids barge on the train while everyone else is waiting for people to get off.

All in all - mixed bag - like anywhere else.

Re: Aussie Manners
 

Subsititute 'kids' with 'adults' and the story is the same. Human natcha innit? The living breathing crap of humanity ...

Re: Aussie Manners
 

"We are the all singing, all dancing crap of the world" ... funny how some quotes get remembered differently ...

Re: Aussie Manners
 

I like the way kids give up their seat for you on a bus in my part of Sydney. I know it's a requirement and they are from posh private schools but it's still refreshing. (oh hang on maybe it's because they think I am old! Gutted).

I have also experienced the other type of kids who got on the bus and refused to pay. My wife told them to either pay or get off the bus and they called her a "b*tch" and told her to "**** off". Dear lord I thought my wife was going to kill them.

Re: Aussie Manners
 

Nice one :D

Re: Aussie Manners
 

Generally, the kids here are more polite and confident (in a nice way, not cocky) than the UK. The teens on the supermarket checkouts are always chatty and polite.

Kids are slower to 'grow up' here which as a parent is bloody fantastic!

Re: Aussie Manners
 

Re: Aussie Manners
 

The UK has good kids and bad kids, Aus has good kids and bad kids,every other country on the world has good kids and bad kids.......same as adults really.....

to paraphrase a well worn saying....same people, different bucket?

Re: Aussie Manners
 

would agree couldnt wish to meet politer people serving in shops ect..

Re: Aussie Manners
 

Worked as a teacher in cheshire for 10 years kids were on the whole ok but compared to my last 3 years in Perth these kids and parents mainly Australian are great!

How you going, good to see you back, thanks for your effort, invites to tea just great.

However try walking down the street and you do find the odd boof head. However of the whole kids wise better than UK.

Only my perspective, Perth drivers however just don't get me started............:eek:

Re: Aussie Manners
 

There you go....I honestly believe that in general average kids are nicer and more affable over here - less aggressive, less backchat, even less surly. Perhaps they are lazier too, and don't have the same intensity level of UK kids. Doesn't mean they can't be anti-social or get on the grog, far from it. I have never felt that sense of unease walking past teens in certain situations. I have never met a socially awkward or tongue-tied child.

I think that in the suburbs there is less sense of community and people are not very sociable or community-minded when they shop so that would explain the holding doors open thing. The UK still has a lot of villages at the end of the day where everyone knows everyone. I also think a lot of complainants tend to move from smaller towns (where they seemed to be going to the dogs) to huge cities larger than B'Ham.

Suburbs in Australian cities can be very bland, inhuman places and the ease of getting around in the car means that people don't have to leave their personal zones - also explains why Australians are less likely to let people in. When you drive down straight double-laned roads it can be quite annoying to do that. I find a set of traffic lights almost an affront..In the UK, people have learnt to do so as the roads are so much more busier. We found them a lot busier when we went over there in many parts of the country.

Re: Aussie Manners
 

I don't count shop staff in both places they are paid to be pleasant.