Do you teach your kids to say "yes ma'am/sir" to you?

[rightawaynow]

I teach him to use it when addressing other adults, but not me. My mom never had me call her ma'am. I hear it a lot living in the south, but I was raised up north.

[Jalapeñomel]

No, I don’t.

[shamrockshake]

I don't teach my kids ma'am or sir at all. It never occurred to me.

Yes please, no thank you. Mr/ Mrs so and so but never ma'am or sir

[dottyblue]

No. I'm in New England and ma'am and sir aren't used here. I do teach my kids to respond "yes mama" or "yes daddy" or "yes [teacher]". Otherwise I have no idea if they heard me or not.

[noodleskooze]

Yes

[lilac05]

I teach it for others, but not for me.

[TamiTaylor]

Yes.

[ginger]

Yes.

[nextbigthing]

Yes

[muppetinma]

Yes.*

* My kid does karate, where they have to respond 'Yes Ma'am' or 'Yes Sir.' It just kind of transferred to our home life. I never set out to teach it, but it just kind of stuck.

[nicechicken]

Mine says "yes, Mama" or "Yes, Daddy" to us
And yes sir/ma'am to others.

[rupertpenny]

No, I'm too busy right now trying to get her to stop calling people grandmas or mommies or daddies or whatever based on their general age range.

If anyone ever teachers her it will be H who has much better manners than me haha.

[VillainV]

No, but we teach him to us titles. “Yes, Grandma” or “No thank you, Miss Stephanie.”

[LanaLang]

Yes, but I also respond in kind, saying yes sir to my son. I teach him that we do it out of respect. If you think a person is important (not powerful, just someone who matters to you), you use sir or ma'am.

Honestly, it just started out as a way of keeping him from asking why when he's supposed to do something.
"Pick up your clothes."
"Why?"
"Not why, yes ma'am."

[BaliHai]

No. Just yes please, no thank you, you're welcome, excuse me (name). Our manners are casual but in place, and I'm good with that. Ma'am/sir icks me out in a big way, especially in regards to my own children addressing me and H as such. My dad used to demand we answered him "yes sir" when we were in trouble growing up, and I hated it then, too.

[macmars45]

Nope. I plan on yes mama/dada/other names & titles. And of course please, thank you, excuse me. Since DS only says 4 words at present I have a ways to go.

[FastHands]

In our house it's mostly for serious stuff. I don't expect it if I asked if you want some milk, but if you're showing your ass and I tell you to quit, yeah, you'd better say "yes ma'am."

[jeaniebueller]

I have not. I have taught him to call adults Mr or Mrs.

[daisyn]

No he calls me mom
But other adults sir or ma'am
I think it's super sweet how all his friends say yes ma'am to me but I think it's definitely a southern thing

[05heel]

No, but she does have to answer us respectfully at all times. My general opinions on who my daughter has to address deferentially are flameful, so I’ll leave it at that.

[lolalolalola]

no, people don't seem to say that here, unless you are a store clerk.  

[cabbagecabbage]

No. I've only ever heard southern kids say this.

[YahYahs]

Same as you, I was raised in the North but I now live in the South. It was not something I was ever taught as a kid - "ma'am" was reserved for old ladies, lol.

But yes, since moving to the South, we've taught the girls to say ma'am and sir. We've been here for 1.5 years and they're only 5 and 6 years old, so it's sticking pretty easily.

[rosiebear]

No. I taught them to answer respectfully, but not in a formalized manner.

I did teach them to address adults as "Mr or Ms," but the adult leaders and some teachers in our school undercut that by having the kids call them by their first names.

[05heel]

Oct 7, 2017 7:58:13 GMT -5 connie0000 said:

Nothing melts my heart more than hearing a little girl say "yes ma'am" I find it adorable. You can never go wrong with manners.

Why?  This is weird.  

[isabel]

No. I grew up in Texas. My parents are from the midwest. They never taught me to say that and we generally addressed our friends' parents by their first names. Maybe this is because I grew up in Austin, so liberal area, with a lot of transplants?

DH always called his friends' parents Mr. X/Mrs. Y, but he doesn't use Ma'am or Sir. He's from Indiana.

Our kids are learning please/thank you/you're welcome, Mr. X/Miss/Mrs. Y, and generally using a polite tone. I don't expect them to ever refer to me or H as Ma'am or Sir.

[05heel]

Oct 7, 2017 9:10:24 GMT -5 connie0000 said:

Oct 7, 2017 9:04:07 GMT -5 05heel said:

Why?  This is weird.  

Why is it weird? My niece saying to her grandma "yes ma'am" is adorable.

But why just girls?  I don’t get that part.  

We were taught not to address white people as ma’am or sir, but my daughter does use it with older black people.  I guess I just still don’t think it’s particularly adorable, but I do like that she knows when to be respectful.  

[themysteriouswife]

I think this is another regional question. Both H and I were raised saying ma'am and sir. We aren't making the kids say it. I have always thought it was weird.

[05heel]

Oct 7, 2017 9:19:00 GMT -5 connie0000 said:

Oct 7, 2017 9:15:07 GMT -5 05heel said:

But why just girls?  I don’t get that part.  

We were taught not to address white people as ma’am or sir, but my daughter does use it with older black people.  I guess I just still don’t think it’s particularly adorable, but I do like that she knows when to be respectful.  

Well my boys aren't old enough to say it yet. But they will learn. Respecting and showing that respect to elders is HUGE for us. And even more so with the Korean side of the family. My kids dont even address the white elders as ma'am or sir.
And the other boys in the family are on the Korean side. Don't get me started on the younger boys behavior/lack of manners and respect on the Korean side. Because that is truly flameful.

Interesting.  I like the cultural perspectives here, except for the southern stuff, because fuck that shit.  And I say this as someone who lives in the south.  

I have this crackhead aunt who thinks that all children should be bowing at her old ass feet, just because and she tried to make my daughter call her ma’am.  Yeah, that’s a no, dawg.  You’re in here cursing and carrying on and generally making a spectacle of yourself.  You are no one’s ma’am.  

[jlt19]

DH has been working on this with our kids since birth. He's from the south so that's what he's used to. I don't enforce it but I do make them say yes, please or no, thank you.

However, now that they're in karate, their sensei has that using sir and ma'am so it's catching on more.

Where I'm from it's used for older people and younger women actually get offended by it. DH calls everyone ma'am, even DD and the dog. So weird how cultural differences are only 2 hrs apart from each other.