Some say the Miss Manners approach to parenting is outdated.
But rename “manners” to “social skills,” a popular buzzward in autism circles, and things change. Pediatrician Perri Klass wonders about some of the rude kids she sees, “and when you are in the exam room with a child who seems to have [no manners], you begin to wonder what is going on at home and at school, and questions of family dysfunction or neurodevelopmental problems begin to cross your mind.”
So yes, pediatricians should absolutely care about children’s manners.
