Time for Manners

My four year old son Doug has started doing a cute thing-- he opens my car door for me every time we get in the car. He's not usually such a gentleman-- he has all the usual boy obsessions with burping, farting, and boogers (yuck!). However, for some reason, he's decided that he should open my door.

The funny thing is, as I pointed out to a friend of mine today, I don't know where he learned it from. It's not something he learned from his dad, but it's not his dad's fault. It's mine.

My dad always opens my mom's door. He taught me when I started dating to stand at the car door or to wait inside the car until the boy did his duty. Like the good gentleman he is (very rarely burping, farting or laughing at boogers in front of me), Layne always used to open my door.

I think it changed when we had two kids. I felt bad for him, having to walk around to let me out, then back to his side to get a kid. Eventually, I just started jumping out of the car.

I want my boys to be good gentlemen. I expect them to open doors for women. But the thing is, are the girls going to let them? Have we all become so independent and practical minded that we can't wait a few seconds to be treated well?

Of course we can open the doors by ourselves-- that's never been the issue. What is the issue is whether or not we can make the time for the courtesy that used to be the standard.

Layne once told me that he and his friends had a joke about letting their dates get in the car, then taking a minute to "look at the moon" before they got in the car themselves. Before you think how romantic they all were, you have to know that was boy-speak for ripping one outside before getting in the vehicle with the girl they were trying to impress. I'm impressed they cared enough to keep it outside.

Anyway, my rambling point is that I'm going to try harder to be a good example for my boys. I want them to marry someone who will let them open their doors-- guess I should teach them when they're young, huh?