simka2 Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 I think this has to do with being in the South, but now when I ask my kids to do something they respond with, "Yes, Ma'am." When we are discussing something and I ask a question I get "Yes or No, Ma'am." It is becoming second nature to them and I am plesantly surprised. It has made a huge difference in our family atmosphere and has cut the whining down a lot. Who would have thunk? :D ( I am a Northerner who squirms at the idea of addressing someone as "Ma'am") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Wow, you're around Houston, right? I didn't realize they are so into "Ma'am" there. I lived in Texas/Oklahoma for years and with our son, I model him answering with "Ma'am/Sir"... he's not 100% good at it, but he's pretty good. I think it sounds polite :) When he argues, it never starts with "Yes Ma'am" :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durriyyah Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Hehe, I'm from the north, so saying ma'am is just for old people in my mind. A friend of mine moved up here from Louisiana when she was in middle school and her plus her two brothers got sent to the principal's office their first day in school because the teachers thought they were being snarky saying "yes ma'am" and "no ma'am". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karensk Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Cool! Glad to hear it's going well for y'all! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krista in LA Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I hate being called ma'am! I'm a northerner and when we first moved down here to LA, I was offended when I got called ma'am at the store. In my mind that's reserved for old people. I learned to deal with it though. But when my dd decided to go to high school, she started saying yes ma'am to me and it drives me nuts. I am her mom not ma'am. It's even an actual law here that the kids must say yes ma'am and yes sir to the teachers at school. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jillian Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 We are teaching dd yes/no ma'am/sir and I've heard the "old people" argument before. DH got yelled at when he was a kid for saying it to someone (he was born and mostly raised in Louisiana). Yep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Hehe, I'm from the north, so saying ma'am is just for old people in my mind. A friend of mine moved up here from Louisiana when she was in middle school and her plus her two brothers got sent to the principal's office their first day in school because the teachers thought they were being snarky saying "yes ma'am" and "no ma'am". But, it is a law in Louisiana that kids can be sent to the prinicpal's office for only saying "yes" or "no" and not including "ma'am" or "sir". My aunt (who is from Kansas) teaches in Louisiana and it drives her crazy to be called "ma'am" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapbookbuzz Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 We find our kids are much more obedient (or more quickly obedient, rather) when they know they need to say "Yes, ma'am/no ma'am" and "yes, sir/no, sir" to us the parents. Must be a regional thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 When we lived in a southern culture we knew kids who "yes, Ma'am'd" thier Mommas left and right. They were also sneaking out of their windows at night to do drugs with their boyfriends. Form doesn't always = content. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jillian Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 When we lived in a southern culture we knew kids who "yes, Ma'am'd" thier Mommas left and right. They were also sneaking out of their windows at night to do drugs with their boyfriends. Form doesn't always = content. Oh absolutely but that's with or without the Ma'am/Sir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 . DH got yelled at when he was a kid for saying it to someone (he was born and mostly raised in Louisiana). Yep. And I got in trouble when I didn't say sir/ma'am! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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