Polly Bath: We teach children that it’s rude to interrupt adults when they are talking. So, we also teach them to say “excuse me” if they have to. But what ends up happening?

The little kid is standing beside you saying, “Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me…” And then he/she starts poking you, continuing to say “excuse me.”

Finally, we break down and say, “What!”

Surprised the little kid says, “I said excuse me.”

We’ve taught these kids to use the term “excuse me,” but we’re missing something in that teaching. More is involved than just saying “excuse me.”

We need to teach them when to use it, how to use it, where you should use it, under what circumstances, what types of cues to look for. All of these things are what kids need to learn when it comes to saying “excuse me.”