Yes Sir
 

When I was growing up we were taught to say "Yes sir", "No sir", "Yes ma'am" & "No ma'am" when speaking with our elders.

I teach my children the same thing but this appears to be a dying practice.

Does anyone else still teach or practice these things.

I, myself, say Yes sir... etc when speaking to my elders or anyone even close to being an elder. I think it is a good thing and I am sad to see it leave our society in practice.

Re: Yes Sir
 

I still do also. Making my daughter do it is like pulling teeth. Few teens who come home with her give that respect, but some do.

Funny thing though, when a boy comes a knocking for her, it is all about the sir's and ma'am's.

They fool the wife.

Not me.

Re: Yes Sir
 

So... as it turns out...you are not only respectful... but wise. :)

Re: Yes Sir
 

Yes sir. :tease

I do use sir and maam. I also refer to people as Miss so and so. I don't do it for men though for some reason. My children always hear me refer to people as Miss though. And they hear yes sir and yes maam often. I don't actually require it, but they do say it because they hear it. :)

This has been one very, very nice thing about moving to Texas. I'm not looked at strange when I refer to someone as Miss Donna or Miss Linda. It's normal-ish here. In Idaho, wow...lol I'd get some strange looks for it. But I didn't care. I wanted my kids growing up hearing that and grasping the idea of respect, not just for elders but for all people.

What I think is funny is that the whole sister/brother thing makes me almost crazy. I use those words for very, very few people in combination with their names.

Re: Yes Sir
 

Yes ma'am...

Being Texas born & Texas bred I can vouch for the "normality" of the yes sir/yes ma'am way of thinking.

Cowboys wear their hats but those hats get tipped when a lady is addressed.

Just a simple nod coupled with the utterance of a simple "ma'am" is sufficient... but proper recognition of ladies & elders is the way of the south. Especially in Texas.

:)

Re: Yes Sir
 

we say it and taught our kids to say it...

Re: Yes Sir
 

No one says "Hey Yo!" anymore?

Re: Yes Sir
 

It was and is still required in our family.

Re: Yes Sir
 

It doesn't seem to be that way up North in Minnesorta and Wisconsin, but I was raised a polite Texas boy. Now that we are back living in the South, Louisiana, we hear it all the time.

Re: Yes Sir
 

I use it regularly and have had folks refer to me as "Sir" or "Mr. Davidson" often and I'm 31. I guess I look old to some folks.

When telemarketers or bill collectors call, they sometimes ask if they can call me by my first name. Politely with firmness I tell them, "Mr. Davidson" is fine.

The foreigners usually revert to "Sir" at that point. :)