“Look at their eyes” I say.
In an attempt to raise courteous, respectful and well mannered boys I find myself working to get them to look into the eyes of adults when they are either speaking or listening. As I do this, just like many other things about parenting, I find myself more aware of my eye contact with others.
I realize this might be asking a bit from a 5 year old and a 3 year. To be honest, I think we don’t expect enough of our children … at least in the area of manners.
The other day I’m at the grocery store picking up a few things. I’m a little appalled and my own behavior. Somewhere along the way I’ve gotten into the habit of making it more important for me to look at my change, my receipt, etc. With a small conscious effort I can look up at the eyes of the cashier and say “thank you” or “have a good day.”
I think it’s the little things that make a difference in one’s day. I know I feel much more appreciated and respected when someone makes an effort to slow down enough to look me in the eyes. Just think about all the junk some people have to deal with each day. Why not share a look in their eyes with a smile and a few nice words.
Now that I’m getting better at this I think my next step is to simply ask their name, or read their name tag and use their name. People love to be called by their name. Don’t you?
I do.
-Kyle
May 15th, 2007 at 3:33 pm
I like the post about eye contact. Full eye contact shows that you are really engaged, and is a great pathway to the heart. You can see a lot in a person’s eyes – their pain, happiness, respect, disrespect, hurt, etc. Here’s to more eye contact…Paul