Achoo – Excuse Me!

I was browsing through some of my favorite parenting blogs earlier when I ran across an article talking about “sick” manners. Naturally, the post’s title caught my eye. What does the blogger mean by “sick” manners? Kori Rodley Irons says:

“Cover your mouth when you cough” is just the beginning of the manners that can keep an ill person from being a complete horror in public. Ideally, of course, we wouldn’t leave the house when we are sick but that just is not the reality. It is up to us as parents to teach our children what is appropriate manners for coping with an illness while out in public.

Ah, I see what she is trying to say. As I read on, I realized that indeed, there are many children who do not know how to conduct themselves properly when they are sick. On the one hand, children should not really be out of the house if they are not feeling well. On the other hand, minor illnesses such as a cold or cough are sometimes not enough reasons to keep a child cooped up. This is especially true when the illness is not so serious.

Do you teach your child to cover his or her mouth or nose when he or she sneezes? When he or she coughs? This is something very basic that sometimes it is overlooked. I have seen countless children at the mall or the park who do not seem to know about the concept of covering their mouth or nose.

Then again, as Kori said in her post, it is not only the children. Adults are also guilty of the lack of manners! Again, it is by example that we can best teach them.

Written by Lara on July 17th, 2008
Filed under Health, Hygene

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