Why children are forgetting basic manners in the digital age
At a busy restaurant one Sunday afternoon, a young boy slides into his chair without acknowledging the waiter standing beside him. No greetings, no eye contact. Across the table, his visibly exhausted mother offers the waiter an apologetic smile.
“This is a concern showing up everywhere, in restaurants, schools, churches, supermarkets and family gatherings about children who do not greet visitors, interrupt conversations, refuse to share, ignore domestic workers, or respond harshly when corrected,” says Catherine Mugendi, a counsellor and family coach.
Yet beneath these uncomfortable moments, she explains, lies a deeper parenting question: In the race to raise successful children, are families forgetting to intentionally teach character?
Experts say modern parenting now unfolds amid exhausting schedules, economic pressure, long commutes and digital distractions.
