When I’m out and about with my littles lately, I notice people looking down more and more. At a screen, at their feet as they walk by or just generally looking away from others.
I get it, we’re right in the midst of some pretty stressful times. So many of us are feeling the crunch from the rising cost of living and the stress it causes the general public, which even those of us in sweet, safe Vermont feel deeply. Summer is simultaneously the best and never ending. The smoke in the sky feels like the biggest visual of doom and gloom possible. The list of bummers can get long if we let it. I myself am guilty of putting in earbuds and navigating the grocery store like an introvert stuck in a chatty labyrinth.
But if being a mother for almost a decade now has taught me anything, it’s that leading by example is a fantastic way to guide your kids through life. Modeling good behavior and kindness to others has proven to be an invaluable tool in my efforts to raise good humans. I’m not just telling them to say “please” and “thank you,” I’m showing them how and I mean it when I say it.
However, and I’m gonna figuratively hold your hand when I say this, leading by example is also a great tool for our community. Like, for the ADULTS too.
Holding the door open is kind, you don’t have to stand there all day. But not letting it slam in your neighbor’s face is pretty cool!
Saying thank you to a cashier is polite. They work hard and the job is often thankless.
Saying “excuse me” while navigating a crowd or “bless you” to a sneeze is good manners.
My son really wowed someone by saying “good morning” to a woman he made eye contact with the other day.
All of these things may seem trivial but they really add to our compassion and consideration as a whole. Not just for our private families but for the betterment of our places and spaces we love the most. I know things are hard right now, and I’m the last person that’s going to tell you to be on your “A-game” all the time. But if we can all try even a teensy bit more often to show the next generation our best selves, we’ll make a big difference.
– Shannon Hart is a Vermont native, mother of 2 and Graphic Designer at the Addison Independent