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but we did have well behaved children in the 'old days'.
Indeed. No, I don't remember the WATCHWORD you mention, dori. My mother usually got the Woman's Day magazine, or Redbook.
You mention children and good manners...this morning, my husband and I had planned a trip to Home Depot to buy some Boston ferns. On our way, we stopped at one of our favorite local restaurants that serves a breakfast buffet that is wonderful. We were led to our table, served coffee and juice and, while we spoke briefly to some friends who were seated over from us, I noticed that the center table was full of men in camo. With them was one young boy, about 9, dressed the same way.
The men went to the buffet, along with the boy, to get their food. We came along behind them. The boy chose several large pancakes, poured warm syrup over them, and let the syrup dribble down off his plate onto the rest of the plates that were stacked beside the buffet hot bar. I doubt if he did it on purpose, but he did not say a word. The kid just went back to his table and began to eat. I did not see any member of the group speak to the servers about the mess the boy had made, and the boy certainly didn't own up to his mistake. Fortunately, there was another stack of plates beside the fruit area, so we got our food and went to our table.
A little later, I saw the same boy go back to the buffet with his DIRTY PLATE, fill it with eggs and bacon, and come back to his place and begin to eat. Again, I noticed nobody correcting him.
Isn't that something?

He can be taught by his elders to kill animals as recreation, but he can't be taught how to properly behave in a restaurant that is serving a breakfast buffet!
