Remember Reader’s Digest, the magazine in your doctor’s or your dentist’s waiting room? “Laughter is the best medicine,” the cartoons, the quick-read articles?
Readers Digest was a gem of interesting information presented in nicely shortened formats. They were quick to read but still very informative.
Today, Reader’s Digest has stepped into new role, that of the parent. Yes, you read that correctly, they are the new parent as the parents of the past no longer perform the role that those parents once did.
Remember when parents used to teach manners? Say “Please.” Say “Thank you.” “May I be excused?” when finished eating. “Excuse me” when interrupting adults talking. Knock before you enter a room. Say “Pardon me” if you didn’t hear correctly.
Those days are not quite gone. We do not want them to fade away completely because those times were gentler, more acceptable and definitely easier to deal with.
Parents today are busy, far too busy to give children the tutelage they require when it comes to manners, etiquette and proper decorum. Or maybe, the parents have lost all patience in dealing with the minutia of life and have relinquished their role as teachers of their children to electronic devices.
Well, Reader’s Digest has stepped into the role of surrogate parent with a shortened article on the “17 Good Manners rules that parents seem to have forgotten to teach their children.”
Here is how Reader’s Digest has stepped into the role:
