Do/did you raise your kids to say "yes ma'am" and "yes sir?"

[eeyore kelly]

My son often calls me Miss Mom!

That is to cute.

 

[Pete's Mom]

I'd expect my daughter to reply with "Yes?" or "Yes, Mr./Mrs./Ms/Miss [Last name]?"

Yeah, huh, what, etc. are all unacceptable alternatives.

Yeah, whatever...

 

[jrydberg]

Dunkin' Donuts is also an unacceptable alternative!

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

I was raised in the north but am now living in the south raising my kids - Dh is from the south however we do not demand that our kids use yes sir/mam however they do use their please and thanks you's. When I first moved to the south I was quite surprised how rude many people were in this area - I've had many doors slammed in my face and kids pushing and shoving their way in front of mine in line - VERY RUDE but they did say Yes mam/sir. My kids will use the Yes mam/sir in some situations at school and such but they also are taught to hold doors open for people and say Please and Thank you. One thing that sits in my mind when talking to many people here who do say Yes sir/mam - the first thing out of their mouth is if they didn't say it their parent's would have whipped their butts. So to me that is saying it out of fear not respect.

My FIL demands the "yes Sirs" from my kids but at the same time he will belch and toot at the dinner table while you are eating - that man deserves no respect as far as I am concerned - LOL He is just beyond rude! LOL But that is a whole other story - LOL

 

[wdwgirl03]

I don't have kids, but me and my sisters weren't raised to say that. I don't mean to offend anyone, but it sounds like a southern thing...

 

[dancergirl]

I was raised in the south and raised to say it to adults. If I were to speak to a teacher at school, even being 18 years old, and not use Ma'am I would get looked at strange! It is considered polite. I can't imagine being asked if I wanted something and saying a simple "yes" to an adult. I think it's interesting the way it is split in the US.
I have heard that it is disrespectful in the north, hope I never go up there, they'll hate me!!
I spent a week with a group of teenagers from Michigan and they didnt use it, but thought it was cute that we did! We also noticed that they never referred to their mom as "momma." I know 35 year old men who still call their mom Momma. I love learning the regional differences!

 

[kasar]

No. We are not raising our kids to say "Yes, Ma'am" and "Yes, Sir".

We are raising very polite children, though.

 

[luvmydogs]

Born and raised in PA and moved to GA when I was 26. Ds9 has been raised saying ma'am and sir, and when he goes back to PA to visit the family, people always comment on it (both positively and negatively) because it's certainly not the norm there. He also calls his elders "Mr. Mike" or "Miss Jen" instead of Mr. or Mrs. so-and-so, because that's how it's done here, also.

I do appreciate when children show respect in that way, but it also doesn't bother me if they don't.

 

[georgina]

When I was a cub scout Leader, I expected the boys to ma'am me. I also expected the boys to use Miss.

So insted of harping on them, I called them gentlemen as a group, used Sir with and Mr. with them.

Mr. Johnny, will you go get your Scout Book? Thank you, Sir."

I was called Miss Kelly, and Ma'am was a given in out troop. I feel like modeling the behavior and giving respect helped me get it in return.

At home it is ma'am and Sir from our kids, and our kids call adult by the title and their first name.

My girl scouts call me Mrs. C, since we have a long last name. I call them by their first names. I would be very upset if my kids called me Ma'am. I am Mom!

 

[allie&mattsmom]

Both DH and I were both born and raised in the midwest. We were not taught to say "yes ma'am and Yes sir". It just isn't done around here. My parents were both born and raised in Tennesse, that's where all of my relatives are. They definitely say yes sir and yes ma'am. I personally like it. I think the South is very friendly, I always have. Obviously there will be exceptions to this. We are just doing our best to raise our kids to have good manners and be polite to others. They call people by Mr. and Mrs (last name), they say yes please and no thank you, and if they forget, then we remind them. If we were in the South, I'd like to think we would raise them to say yes ma'am/yes sir, but it just wouldn't fly here in the midwest.

 

[aprilgail2]

No way...I hate ma'am and sirs! I can't stand it when one of y friends has her daughter call me "Miss Gail"...makes me insane...all the other kids just call me Gail and my daughter calls all my friends and neighbors by their first names.....anything else is to darn formal around here....

 

[aprilgail2]

No way...I hate ma'am and sirs! I can't stand it when one of my friends has her daughter call me "Miss Gail"...makes me insane...all the other kids just call me Gail and my daughter calls all my friends and neighbors by their first names.....anything else is to darn formal around here....

 

[perdidobay]

If someone in the south says..." my mom would have my butt"... they are not saying they fear the parent, the are explaining they were taught to say no ma'am, etc.
...........................................................

I was raised to say yes ma'am no ma'am, and I raised my children to do the same. It is simply a way of showing respect. I work retail, and believe me, when anyone over 15 asks me a question or addresses me I will use yes ma'am/yes sir...it is showing respect for the customer. Under 15 I will use sweetie or dear... yes we southerners use terms of endearments too! The horror of it all!

It is a cultural thing with southeners... so instead of getting offended, try to find the charm in it.

 

[doxdogy]

I was taught to use the ma'am and sir. My mother's favorite saying was yes ma'am, no ma'am, thank you ma'am, please. She also taught us to say pardon me when we didn't quite catch what an adult said to us. DD, niece and nephew were taught to us ma'am and sir. Though my SIL was not happy with them using the ma'am and sirs. Now as an adult, I work for the Army and use ma'am and sir all day.

 

[Microcell]

DD's preschool does this too. I don't make DD call adults Mrs. "Last Name" but I don't feel comfortable with her just calling them by their first name, so we often use Miss "First Name." I guess it's just something I grew up with so it's normal to me.

I make my kids do that too, and the object corrects them to use the first name only, which drives me nuts. I am trying to teach my kid here.I would perfer they address them as Mr. Smith etc... Teaches respect. It undermines me if they can call an adult by thier first name.

 

[Buckalew11]

I'm from NJ and I was taught to called people Mr., Mrs., Miss ___. When we moved to TN almost every adult I met said to call them by their first name!

When DH and I had DD, she follows that first name thing most of the time. But we also like her to use sir and ma'am. I just think it sounds respectful. She doesn't do it all the time as she *forgets* but usually around strangers and new people she remembers.

I spend a lot of time at our local college and almost every student who I come in contact with will answer me "yes ma'am"/ "no ma'am". I hate that it makes me *feel* old LOL but I also like the respect that they have when we're talking. BTW, these kids are from all over--a lot of Northerners.

 

[SqueakyMouse]

It is very common where I live. At my school, we've noticed that a number of the newer students don't say this. Our school council (made up of an equal number of parents and teachers) has decided that the staff will emphasize the importance of good manners this coming school years. Answering adults with a "yes, sir"/"no, ma'am" is high on their list!!

 

[WDWHound]

I call my MIL Ma'am. She seems to like it.

I appereciate when kids call me sir, but its not a big deal if the don't. I prefer kids address me as Mr. lastname until I give them permission to do otherwise, but again, its not a big deal.

In my opinion, parents should teach their kids to address an adult the way the adult wants to be addressed, be it by first or last name, sir or Ma'am or whatever.

 

[Pin Wizard]

There has to be something better out there than "ma'am!" I'm ready to smack any person that says it to me. And around here, all the military say it. What can we call men that is just as insulting? Kids are the others that say it. To me, "ma'am" has always been disrespectful.

 

[WDWHound]

To me, "ma'am" has always been disrespectful.

Why? Its a term of respect. The only two dictionary definitions I could find are

1) Used as a form of polite address for a woman
2) a woman of refinement

How could that be seen as insulting?