Teach Social Skills and Expect Courtesy We need to teach relationship skills in our classrooms and homes. As teachers, we see more children come to school each year without basic social skills. Courtesy has gone by the wayside. We often don't even notice when our children don't say please, thank you, or excuse me. Language has become littered with vulgarity.
Vulgar language seems so commonplace now that it is the accepted norm in many families.
Put-downs are a form of accepted humor. This is reinforced by countless sit-coms where we are entertained by family members and friends insulting each other all in the name of humor. She was a foster child, unwanted by her natural parents, at odds with her foster mother. The deck was stacked against her. I wanted to take her shopping to buy her decent clothes.