Friday, November 19, 2010

Yes, There are Nice Teens Out There

Yesterday evening I went to the grocery store to pick up some dog food. I got two fifty pound bags and heaved them into my cart. When I got to my car the heavy bags were stuck in my cart. I was trying to figure out how I was going to get them out and into my trunk when a teenager came up from behind me. He saw I was having trouble and lifted one bag and the other and put them in my car. After thanking him I told his mother she should be proud she had such a thoughtful son. She replied, "I am. I taught him well. I'm proud of him." Here are two points to made- 1) We teach kids values and niceties. We do it through our example. (2) A teen is not too old to be praised. When you give honest praise it is valued. Even if a teen shrugs it off, he or she still likes it.