先日、家族でファミリーレストランで食事を楽しんでいたところ、近くの席にいた小さな子がドリンクバーに向かってものすごい速さで走り抜けていきました。また、別の日には、スーパーで小さな子どもが大きな声を出しながら走り回っていました。どちらのケースでも、親は特に気にしていないようでしで、気にしていたのは僕ら家族だけのようでした。

僕の娘たちが小さい時も、同じようなことがありました。そんな時は、比較的厳しく娘たちに注意しました。時には、一旦お店の外に出し、しっかり目をみながら、大きな声を出したり走り回わったりしないこと、周りの人をよく見ることを約束してから、「やりなおし！」と戻ったものです。

僕たち夫婦は、公共の場、たくさんの人が使う場での振る舞いはかなりうるさく言っていたように思います。

みなさんは、ご自身のお子様が公共の場のマナーはどんなふうに教えていますか？

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Public Manners

The other day, my family and I were enjoying a meal at a family restaurant when a small child suddenly dashed past us at full speed toward the drink bar. On another occasion, at a supermarket, a young child was running around and shouting loudly. In both cases, the parents didn’t seem to pay much attention, and it felt like my family were the only ones who were concerned.

When my daughters were little, we had similar experiences. At those times, I was fairly strict in correcting them. Sometimes, I would take them outside the restaurant, look them straight in the eyes, and firmly explain that they must not shout or run around, and that they should always be mindful of the people around them. Only after they promised to behave, I’d say, “Let’s try again,” and we’d go back inside.

My wife and I were quite particular about how our children behaved in public places — spaces that are shared by many people.

How do you teach your own children about manners in public?