Should kids give up seats for adults?

[Anonymous]

People cannot tell for sure if a woman is pregnant or simply fat.

If the latter, they fear offending the woman.

Same for the elderly. Some kind gesters get shot down with "I am not that old!" while others complain "no one give me their seat."

What is a transit stranger to do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People cannot tell for sure if a woman is pregnant or simply fat.

If the latter, they fear offending the woman.

Same for the elderly. Some kind gesters get shot down with "I am not that old!" while others complain "no one give me their seat."

What is a transit stranger to do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People cannot tell for sure if a woman is pregnant or simply fat.

If the latter, they fear offending the woman.

Same for the elderly. Some kind gesters get shot down with "I am not that old!" while others complain "no one give me their seat."

What is a transit stranger to do?

Who cares how they respond if you offer with genuine courtesy? You should only care about your conduct. Don't use a "possible" rude response to justify your own rudeness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People cannot tell for sure if a woman is pregnant or simply fat.

If the latter, they fear offending the woman.

Same for the elderly. Some kind gesters get shot down with "I am not that old!" while others complain "no one give me their seat."

What is a transit stranger to do?

At the early/mid stages of pregnancies, I complete agree that assuming pregnancy is a minefield. However, towards the end of a pregnancy it becomes rather obvious. If the strangers in an elevator who look panicked when you get on and make comments about your pregnancy can tell, I find it odd that people on the metro are less discerning.

Although sometimes I've had my offers of help refused, I can't remember anybody taking offense at the offer. I understand that people are unpredictable and there might be some who would scorn your courtesy, but I think they are few and far between. I think most people would greatly appreciate the effort and even if it proved unnecessary would appreciate the reminder that there is still kindness and compassion.

[Anonymous]

Yes kids should give up their seat, regardless of age, to adults. Its just respectful.

[Anonymous]

+1 to kids giving up seats for adults.

Call me old-fashioned, but I also like men giving up seats for women. Like if you're at a bar and there aren't enough chairs. The men stand while the women sit. I think it's a nice, gentlemanly thing to do.

and holding doors. Definitely hold the door.

[Anonymous]

I think a lot of that would depend on the age + health of the adult.

Some kids are just too absorbed in their electronics to even notice when another person has entered the room.

[Anonymous]

Yes. All younger generations should offer their seat to the older generation. Whether the younger generation is 6 or 36.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of that would depend on the age + health of the adult.

Some kids are just too absorbed in their electronics to even notice when another person has entered the room.

Then their parent or other family member should remind them immediate.

[Anonymous]

I think the problem is expecting young children to just know that they are supposed to do this. We attended a large multi generational family partyfor Christmas, and my aunts and uncles had no trouble politely directing the under 5 set that "grown up chairs are for the grown ups, please find another seat, as Grandma/Uncle Bob etc...wants to sit down. Didn't have to be the parents of the children. I found the 35 and under groups didn't mind where they sat and the 50-75yo looked out for themselves and the older. As a parent to one of the under 5 kids I thought it worked great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+1 to kids giving up seats for adults.

Call me old-fashioned, but I also like men giving up seats for women. Like if you're at a bar and there aren't enough chairs. The men stand while the women sit. I think it's a nice, gentlemanly thing to do.

and holding doors. Definitely hold the door.

+1000 for both.

My neighbor has several kids of all ages and a dog, and the seating they have isn't enough for their own family let alone guests. And yet she routinely allows the dog to take up a chair, the 6-year-old to lay on the couch taking up most of the seating there, and the 4-year-old to claim the one oversized chair they have, while grownup guests stand around awkwardly. SMH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think kids should give up seats for all adults but I do think they should give up seats for elderly or non-able bodied people.

once you get to be 40ish all people are non-able bodied. Hurts like hell to get up, back hurts sitting on the floor, everything aches. You must be young.

tell me you're joking

I'm 51 and feel 21! not joking on my end. what the heck have you done to yourself that you feel that way in your 40's?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Staying for a few days with extended family. One of my pet peeves is when the kids (teens and tweens) remain on couches when there is no other place to sit. When my MIL or FIL walk in a room and there are no seats, I offer them mine. Meanwhile, I have to sit on the floor while an 11 yo and 16 yo chill on the couch with iPads. I think it's disrespectful and I'm annoyed and the various parents should correct them. Your thoughts?

Yes they should offer if that person seems old enough to be their parent. I would decline and tell them "thank you, you're very sweet. I prefer to stand".

[Anonymous]

I don't necessarily think so as a blanket rule, but that's what is expected and considered most appropriate by the majority of our society so I instruct my children to do so regardless of my thoughts. Sometimes we just have to follow social scripts.

[Anonymous]

Yes, they should.