Dear Amy: I have two teenage great-nieces who are in need of some guidance in the common rules of etiquette.
I have talked to friends who tell me that this is a common problem today.
I don’t want these two girls, whom I care about, to go out in the world hurting the feelings of others as they have their grandparents and me. I realize that their lapses are due to the fact that their parents have not taught them how to behave.
After much consideration, I have purchased, for each of them, a copy of a simply written book of etiquette for teens, which I intend to mail to them, as I rarely see them.
I would like your guidance as to the wording of a cover letter that I plan to enclose with the book. I don’t want to hurt their feelings or those of their parents. What do you suggest I say? — Wondering Great-Aunt
Dear Wondering: You don’t say what these teens have done — or not done — to hurt your feelings, but if these are lapses of omission, such as not thanking people properly for gifts, that’s one thing. If they have actively hurt people, that’s another story — and, awkward as it may be for you — these girls should be told.
If you are looking mainly to enhance their education about how to be respectful and polite, send your books along with a note saying, “When I was a teenager, we wore white gloves and hats to parties — and while fashion sure has changed, good manners never go out of style.”
Dear Amy: I would like to know if it would have been rude of me at a concert to politely ask the person behind me to stop singing so that I might have enjoyed the band I paid to hear. I recently attended a doo-wop concert where I encountered three lovely ladies behind me, one of whom insisted on singing before, during and after the band.
Her voice was not at all enjoyable. I shot her a couple of dirty looks (as did the lady in front of me), which she completely ignored.
How should I approach this sort of problem in the future? — Deaf and Annoyed
Dear Annoyed: In my line of work, I hear about “dirty looks” being shot back and forth on an alarmingly frequent basis — and the dirty looks never seem to land on their target.
You should have asked the singer in back of you to please stop singing by saying a version of, “I’m sure you don’t realize this, but I’m having trouble hearing Sha Na Na because you’re singing. Can you wait until the sing-along?”
Dear Amy: Frequently you run letters from people who are trying to figure out how to get other people to stop doing something irritating. There have been a couple of times when people have asked me to stop irritating them.
Once, I was doing research in the law library, concentrating furiously and apparently chewing gum just as furiously. I was totally oblivious.
Someone came over and politely asked if I could chew more quietly because I was distracting her. There was no accusation in her voice. I appreciated her telling me that so I could accommodate.
I so much appreciated the non-accusatory tone, and I ceased and desisted immediately.
I have also resolved to use the same approach when I need to ask others to stop doing something irritating. — Maureen
Dear Maureen: There you go!
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