Etiquette has always something that society expects children and teenagers to learn from home, but many people are questioning whether or not schools should teach etiquette. One of the reasons behind this questioning is that manners are important in a child’s life and are relatable to them at this developing stage of their life. Another reason is that face-to-face interactions and first impressions are important to each young man or woman’s life as they grow into adults, and social skills are needed in order for these interactions to run smoothly. Looking at these different scenarios, it is clear that teaching etiquette can help students throughout their whole lives, from preschool to retirement. Although parents may be held responsible for teaching a child their manners, there are many working parents that do not have the time to continue to teach their kids proper etiquette past the simple ‘please’s and ‘thank you’s. Schools should teach etiquette because of the effect it has on children and teenagers throughout their entire lives.

Etiquette is important for children to learn, especially a young age, because it is relatable to them at this point in their lives. First of all, children who are taught etiquette understand their situations better than children who are not taught etiquette. This understanding of different situations can help children behave better since they know what is right and what is wrong. For example, in a school situation, a child could be deciding whether or not he or she wants to be messing around with his or her classmates or focusing on the task at hand. If this child was taught etiquette, then he or she would more likely choose the right thing to do, which is to focus on the task in which he or she was assigned. This child’s decision to focus on what he or she is supposed to be doing shows that etiquette helps children learn better. Moreover, children use their manners every day of their lives, but other subjects that have been deemed more important by schools are used less frequently by younger children than by older children. For instance, etiquette is more important for developing children than math is, so math can be taught at higher ages. This comparison shows that teaching etiquette can give children a subject in which they can practice and become comfortable. All in all, children’s lives can be positively affected if etiquette is taught at their schools since manners are more relatable to those developing children.

Etiquette majorly affects the lives of teenagers and young adults every day, especially with the abilities to hand face-to-face contact an to make a good first impression. Teenagers and young adults are not interacting with each other as the past generations have because of the technological advances. Face-to-face contact is decreasing, so the younger generation is getting less and less comfortable with meeting or talking to other people in person. Also, since everything is now done online, teenagers and young adults are more dependant on technology for social reasons. Etiquette can change this social awkwardness by preventing younger generations from being uneducated in what to do in real-life situations, like face-to-face communication. In addition, first impressions are important to everyone because it is very common throughout a young person’s life, like in job interviews, for example. The teaching of etiquette can help students prepare for the real world by preparing them for encounters that they may have as they go about their lives. Also, social skills help teenagers make new friends who serve as support systems for each other in times of need. In conclusion, a young person’s social experiences can be affected by whether or not they have been taught etiquette, as shown through the damage technological advances have had on young people’s social skills.

Some critics say may say that it is not the teacher’s job to teach manners, but the parents. Those critics may think that parents are responsible for teaching their children basic skills, including etiquette. They can also argue that children should learn proper etiquette through life experiences and their own mistakes. However, many parents just simply do not have the time to continue to teach their kids etiquette past preschool. Studies show that in families with two married parents, which takes up about 55% of the population, 61.1% have two working parents. Parents are getting busier, and they should be able to rely on teachers to teach etiquette and lift that burden off of the parents’ shoulders. Also, children are not able to learn from their mistakes, since they are so young. They can not understand if what they are doing is right or wrong without proper etiquette. Moreover, a young man or woman can not just learn from his or her mistakes when dealing with the real world because, for example, he or she can not simply redo a very important job interview. Thus, parents can not be held responsible for their children’s manners, since most parents are living very busy lives and do not necessarily have time to teach their kids etiquette past preschool.

To conclude, young men and women’s behavioral and interpretive instincts are things that can be affected by the absence or presence of etiquette in schools. The behavior of a child and the constant ability to practice this subject of etiquette are two reasons why manners should be taught in school. Other reasons are that manners are important to young men and women in their everyday lives when they have to face people in the real world. Although critics may attempt to prove those statements wrong by arguing that parents should be teaching their children etiquette, educating students about proper etiquette in school is more beneficial to the parents as well as the students since it can lift a small burden off of busy parents’ shoulders. In summary, etiquette is very important to children and teenagers’ entire lives, and teaching these important lessons of etiquette to them in school can help children and teenagers prepare for the real world.