Manners Boomers Still Embrace That are Rejected by Millenials & Gen-Z

Ahhhh, manners. They’re a way of life for a certain generation, namely boomers and even some fringe Gen-Xers. Manners were taught in respectful homes and finishing schools for years but have fallen out of practice as American life becomes more relaxed, less refined and generally more self-consumed. What are some of the manners that boomers still swear by but that Millenials and Gen-Z swear off? Let’s take a look!

Writing Thank-You Notes

There was a time when if you received a gift, you wrote a thank you note — handwritten, mind you — and mailed it to the person you were thanking. In fact, there was an entire stationery industry that thrived on creating beautiful sheets of paper and carefully coordinated envelopes to ensure that not only were the words of thanks thoughtful but that they looked nice too.

Practicing Good Table Manners

Folks of a certain age likely recall being told to put your napkin in your lap, elbows off the table, chew with your mouth closed and the proper way to set a table and use the utensils. Oh! And don’t forget to say grace.

Politely Answering the Phone

The irony of phones today? No one likes to talk on them. Boomers know that there was a time when you answered the phone with “Smith residence.”

Whether you were traveling by car to see family or you were flying by plane for

Dressing Up For Air Travel

Traveling by airplane meant one thing was certain: you were to be dressed up for this exceptional travel experience. Women wore skirts or dresses, men wore suits and ties.

Respecting Your Elders

Whether you were interacting with your parents, your teachers or any other adult, children were always to address their elders at sir and ma’am as a show of respect.

Standing When an Adult Enters the Room

Whenever an adult entered the room, children were to stand up and acknowledge their arrival as a show of respect. Bonus points if you extended your hand for a handshake.

Tipping Your Hat

Speaking of toppers, men were also expected to tip their hat as a greeting or show of recognition for another person.

Opening the Car Door for Your Date or Significant Other

It was considered polite for a man to open his date’s or significant other’s car door for her and close it once she was neatly inside before he got into the driver’s side.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©"table manners" by The hills are alive* is licensed under BY 2.0..