A Small Gesture that Shows a Lot of Respect

This summer on vacation, my husband and I went to a crowded restaurant, and were told the wait would be at least 30 – 60 minutes. The restaurant had a section that resembled a living room. It had long couches and chairs, so we went to find a seat.
I was bewildered when I saw several children sprawled out on the couches and chairs. Not only did they not let waiting adults sit down, but each child was taking up at least three seats by themselves. I was very surprised that these children’s parents allowed them to take up so many spaces, let alone not ask them to offer seats to the adults around them.
At home, if there are more people than seats in one of our living areas, then we ask our children to get up and allow the adults to sit down. Just like you should offer your seat on the bus to a pregnant woman or elderly person, I think children should jump up to offer their seat to an adult. This will sound really old-fashioned, but I think men should offer their seats to ladies in all cases. I know small children get tired and need to sit down. In this restaurant waiting area they could have sat on the lap of a parent, sit together in one seat, or even sat on the floor near their parents.
Being aware of one’s surroundings is something that children need to learn, and parents need to explain good manners to children in all situations. This includes not taking up too many seats or offering his/her seat to an adult whenever possible.