Dear Miss Manners

I know how you feel about correcting other people. It's almost as rude as the offense itself, right? But I was wondering, what about when my three-year-old does it? When he, in his youthful innocence and honesty, corrects other people, should I take him aside and explain that we don't do that, or can I give him a few years?

For example, when my sister-in-law was around this age, she reportedly would go up to strangers smoking and lecture them on the evils of their habit.

Or let's say, hypothetically, that we were sitting on the couch in the foyer on a Sunday during the worship service, trying our best to keep our little one quiet so as not to disrupt other people's Sabbath reflections, and as the space began to fill with other people who were late and waiting for the appropriate time to enter the meeting, some of the adults decided to carry on a conversation in not exactly whispery tones. Adults who I know would have shushed their children if they had been making any noise. If my son kept trying to shush those adults in their conversation just as he has been shushed a moment earlier, would it be okay if I just kind of smirked and turned a blind eye to his behavior?

Just wondering.

-Mommy Manners in Nevada

*The Spin Cycle this week is on manners, so head over there and check out all the thoughts on etiquette