Opening doors for others.
Pulling out a chair.
Carrying the heavy stuff.
Giving up their seat.
I love it when men are courteous and polite. Yes, I’m a feminist — the I-am-woman-hear-me-roar type, if you will — but I still love it when I’m treated with queenly respect by a man. My husband won me over by his kind, gentlemanly gestures. It’s not about being the “weaker sex” or inferior in any way, it’s about being courteous and polite.
When it was time to raise our four sons, of course, I wanted them to share the same qualities. Teaching them to have respect and to extend kindness to others was a natural thing to do. Now, I swoon when I see my sons practice their manners in this fashion. My son is a total metalhead and he wears a denim vest covered with band patches but he still opens doors for people. My other son is a grungy skater but just the other day I saw him help our elderly neighbor unload the groceries from her car. They’ve learned by example, from their father, their grandfathers and their uncles. And me.
Yes, their mother. I open doors for others, too. I help carry heavy things. I’ll give up my seat for a pregnant woman or an elderly person. I don’t think this kind of behavior is restricted to males. It’s just common courtesy. That said, I teach my daughters to do the same. I also tell them to take note when a boy is polite and courteous toward them. Sadly, it’s a rare thing these days.
Our BabyCenter Community is having this conversation right now: Sexist or polite? Teaching boys to open doors/pull out chairs. I don’t understand the stance of some people who view this type of behavior as sexist. Really? Of course, women are fully capable of doing these things ourselves. But it’s nice when someone makes this kind gesture toward you, especially when it’s a man doing something for a woman. I definitely don’t think chivalry is dead.
Do you think it’s polite or sexist to open doors or pull out chairs?
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