valscot

Had some kids round tonight for a party and not one of them used the words please or thankyou. Most Americans I've met are quite mannerly but these two words seem to elude the majority of them. So is it a British thing?
We're struggling with our youngest at the moment as she has dropped the word please fom her vocabulary
Am I being anal with this?

anotherlimey

I know that down here most kids I know use please and thank you; perhaps because if they don't they get beaten six ways to Sunday.

Ben

Here, the kids are polite and use thank-you but you rarely get a please. It just doesn't seem to be a natural part of their speech for some reason yet they do use it occasionally.

As far as being anal - sometimes I do ask my three to think before they speak and insist that they ask for things in a more polite way. Sometimes I let it slide.

Titchski

I dislike "Give me a" instead of "may I have a" or "I would like the"

jen_andreson

Most children round here are mannerly. All the trick-or-treaters we had said thank you, and most of my children's friends are very well trained.

I don't think you're not being anal at all--reminding and repitition helps children learn. We're sticklers for it, and as a results manners come naturally to them.

britvic

I see it all the time well the lack of hearing it drives me And in our little group on Halloween when my Son said thankyou, most of the time he got extra sweets for it, his other little school friends soon cottoned on to it and it was loud thankyous all round so the Americans like to hear it, then why is it not more instilled in to there vocabulary.

dan_alford

I hear please and thankyou's a lot here in the south, from kids and adults.

britvic

I must admit to hearing it far more when we lived in Ohio, but these parts very distinct lack of.

Ray

I hear it a lot ..mostly in the phrase ... "Please don't shoot me"

dan_alford

I didn't know that squirrels could talk.

Ray

Its usually Sanchez.... when he want a pay rise ....

iaink

No, all (and I mean ALL) the Canadian kids I know have excellent manners (better than the Brits I think)

Rete

I've found it to be a regional, as well as a generational, issue. Today's young people appear not to have learned social graces from their parents. As such it would almost appear on the surface as if they expect anything that is done for them to be their right and not a courteous action by the giver. Of course, there are exceptions and I many young people in the NE who are polite, respectful and courteous.

My son-in-law was born and rasied in the south and he is very polite as are his young nieces and nephews that I've had the pleasure of meeting. When he married my daughter I asked him to please free feel to call me Rita or Mom or even Mrs. Wilson rather than Ma'm. He apologized but said it was how he was raised and he would uncomfortable calling me by my first name and that using my surname is too formal.

My Canadian husband noted the same observation you have years ago and as he works in a middle school, he makes it a point to teach manners to the children, i.e. hats are to be removed when inside a building (has politely asked mothers and fathers to remove their ball caps as well), no running in the halls, to say please, thank you, and you're welcome when asking for or receiving something from another person, even another child. He says it is working and often parents will stop him and thank him for his efforts.

AmerLisa

And "yes ma'am" and "yes sir"

Irn-bru

Yes, I think more down south they are much more polite with all the sirs etc. Not being brought up to say no sir every 2 mins, I do have a hard time remembering to do it when round those people.