What Happened to Manners?

Somewhere between the rise of social media and the rush of modern life, common courtesy lost its footing. What once felt natural -- saying hello to a neighbor, waiting your turn, offering a genuine apology -- now feels like an interruption to our constant hurry.

Scroll through almost any comment section today, and you'll see it: sarcasm, insults, shouting in all caps. Rudenss is everywhere. Our children see it every day in the way adults speak online, how students talk to teachers, and even how drivers behave on the road. They're growing up in a culture that often rewards the quick comeback over the kind word, the bold opinion over the thoughtful pause.

It's no wonder so many parents tell me, "My child isn't trying to be rude; they just don't know what respect looks like anymore."

Somewhere along the way, we stopped modeling what it means to disagree without dishonoring, to speak truth with grace, or to show kindness when it's not convenient.

But here's what I've learned: manners haven't disappeared; they've evolved. What used to mean holding a door or saying "please" and "thank you" has expanded to how we treat people behind a screen and how we demonstrate empathy in a fast, distracted world.

Today, manners are about heart posture, the daily choice to treat others with respect, even when culture doesn't. True respect isn't outdated. It's countercultural. And when we model it in our homes, our children learn that kindness isn't weakness, it's quiet strength.

In this episode (or post), I'm talking about raising respectful kids in a disrespectful world, and how to refresh the idea of manners so they fit the world our children are actually living in.

Read the full show notes with links here: Raising Respectful Kids in a Disrespectful World

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