What do we forget to teach our children?

I called a business yesterday, I asked to speak with the person I was calling, and the girl said, “He’s with a customer right now”. That’s it….There was no, “May I take a message?” or “he should be free in 5 minutes”, nothing! So, I told her I guess I would call back later. That got me to wondering why she wasn’t polite enough to offer help, such as taking a message or when he might be free? Was it something she never learned how to do growing up? Had no one taught her the polite thing to do in that situation? It seemed so basic, but yet, it just wasn’t there.

This got me thinking even more about the small things we might overlook teaching our kids. What do we forget? What does school not teach them that they assume we will? I can’t be with her in school every day, so what is she going to miss? And I certainly cannot teach her everything! I can teach my kid to be polite, heck she already says thank you, please and bless you when you cough or sneeze. But how do I teach her all the little things, like asking to take a message when someone isn’t available?

I remember my mom teaching me how to answer the phone, the proper way to handle the situation, etc. My dad would call from work to let me practice answering the phone. And I was told to never let someone know my parents’ weren’t home. I always told them that they couldn’t come to the phone right now, and could I please take a message.

But that is just the phone. What other stuff am I going to miss teaching her? Hopefully it’s not something big that someone will someday wonder ‘didn’t your mom ever teach you (fill in the blank)?’

It is currently 11:42pm this night before the 4^th of July. I can’t sleep, so I am down here on the computer. Someone, very close by, started setting off some fireworks in the last few minutes. I am going to bet that it’s our neighbors across the street from us. They aren’t exactly the best neighbors in the world. If they light another off, I am going to be marching out there, because Courtney’s room is in the front of the house. And the dogs go nuts every time they set one off. It sounds like they are shooting them off with a potato gun!

A vacation, we are going on a vacation!!! We are planning to take a few days in August to go to the Peach Festival in Palisade, CO. That is over by Grand Junction. We will only be out of work for 2-3 days, but hey, it’s something! No business, just the 3 of us heading off to do something together! The other two owners at work have already had their vacations. One was gone for a week and a half and just checked email on his blackberry and only responded when absolutely necessary. The other owner went camping in Yellowstone with his family and I don’t think he even brought his phone. I tell you what; it’s very tempting to make Hubby leave his phone at home.

He is very addicted to his blackberry. He rarely can go more than 15 minutes without checking it. He can only go for long periods of time without looking at it if he is on the computer. Granted this is during the day. When he is at home, he is good about putting it down when entering the house and leaving it there unless necessary. However, when he comes down in the morning, it’s the first thing he goes to. He can’t do much before checking his email.

Well, it’s late, and I am still wide awake. I guess I will go try reading a bit.

Hope everyone has a very Happy and Safe 4^th of July!