Memorial Day Flag Etiquette and July the Fourth—provide a natural opportunity to teach children flag etiquette. Even young children can be taught that our flag is special, and we treat it with respect. The National Flag Foundation lists some simple rules for honoring our flag. You can wear a T-shirt showing a flag; do not wear clothes made of flags. Do not wear pants or use towels bearing flags—the flag should not be sat upon. • Raise a flag in a lively manner; lower it slowly. • Don’t create a flag motif on a lawn or football field, where feet can step on it. Don’t hang a flag at night unless you can illuminate it. Don’t display a flag during snow, rain, or other storms unless it is weatherproof. Hung vertically, the star-studded section should be in observers’ top left corner.
Good manners do more than make children pleasant to have around; they equip your kids to face varied social situations successfully. But instilling good manners has always been a challenge. Here’s what Socrates said regarding the young people of Athens in 500 B.C. Youth today loves luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority, no respect for older people, and talk nonsense when they should work. Young people do not stand up any longer when adults enter the room.
