There is a lot of talk about swine flu right now….and not having good manners is more than too bad…it is a health hazard!

We are at the beginning of what may be a flu pandemic, or at least an epidemic. Health officials are advising us to wash our hands and to cover our mouths when we cough or sneeze. 

Covering your mouth when you cough has always been a common courtesy to yourself and others, but now it seems more important than ever. So many times we see children cough on everyone around them, and often with parents present, and nothing is said to the child to help the child learn how to respect himself….wow!

Teaching children to cover their mouths is not about the action of covering, but rather about learning an attitude of respect for themselves, which is the first step in gaining the respect of others.  Children learn from each other, and when you teach your child to cover his/her mouth you also teach and influence others who are watching; in turn they learn to have respect for themselves as well.

Whether children learn to cough into their left hand or into an elbow, wouldn’t it be great if that were the pandemic that spread, instead of the flu.