Imagine an all too common situation. The doorbell rings. You open the door to find grown-up relatives or family friends standing there How do you react when you see them?
Chances are, you'll scream for your parents to attend to them and run to your room without so much as half a smile. If you are a little more docile, you might mutter a 'hello', but run off all the same. Being at home, you probably don't think there's anything wrong with your attitude. But imagine yourself in the visitor's shoes. What does such behaviour suggest to you? Rudeness? Indecorum? Indifference? Probably all three.
Most youngsters regard visiting grown-ups as solely their parents' responsibility and not as guests of the family. You may not need to entertain them on your own. But being part of the family they are visiting, you do need to be hospitable to them.
|
