Veronica Zysk - Manners Matter!

Temple Talks to Kids Series: MANNERS MATTER!

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Text and illustrations 2018 Veronica Zysk

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ISBN: 9781941765593

Dedication

To the child spirit in all of us, where we find a world of magic and possibilities in a jar of fireflies

A Personal Note to Kids from Temple Grandin

As a child of the 1950s, manners were taught to all children. The social rules around manners were the same at my house as they were at my friends houses. When I went to other homes to play with my friends, the other mothers corrected all the children. Teaching children good manners was considered important, and everyone pitched in.

The structured ways that manners were taught in the 1950s and the general expectation that all kids would learn manners helped many children who were socially awkward to adapt. I can think of several college friends and teachers who were probably Aspergers with no speech delay. Having good manners helped them keep and hold jobs. Their manners made socializing easier. People would overlook some of their quirkiness because they functioned within the social rules of the time.

Be true to yourself. You are different, but not less. It is acceptable to be eccentric. Eccentric and unique is fine, but being rude, unkind, or not knowing how to interact with others at the basic level of please, thank you, or excuse me is never acceptable. Manners help people exist together and get along with each other. They will open doors that will give you a chance to express yourself, be yourself, and achieve your goals and dreams. I know from experience that this is possible. Just keep learning and trying!

Temple Grandin

Professor of Animal Science

Colorado State University

About Temple Grandin

Temple Grandin is world famous for many things! She can think in picturesthat means she can see pictures in her mind that represent her thoughts and ideas, sort of like the drawings in this book show the ideas were talking about.

Isnt that amazing?

Temple grew up in Colorado, attended public school, graduated from college, and then started working with companies who make big corrals for cows and other types of livestock. She was very, very talented at drawing blueprints for these corrals. Month by month, and year by year, Temple got better and better at her job. Now she works with companies all over the world!

Animals have a special place in Temples heart. Maybe they do in your heart, too?

Temple writes books and speaks to people around the world about her work, and also about growing up and being a person with autism. Maybe you know someone with autism?

Now Temple and her friend Veronica are writing a series of books especially for kids, kids just like you! They want to tell you stories of what it was like for Temple as she was growing up and some things Temple learned that can help you too.

Isnt that great? Lets say Thank you, Temple! Thank you, Veronica!

because after all, manners matter!

Hi, my name is Temple Grandin.

Whats yours?

I live in Colorado.

Which state do you live in?

I have reddish-brown hair that gets curly when it rains.

What color is your hair?

I like to dress in western clothes and cowboy boots.

What are your favorite clothes to wear?

And I have autism, which means my brain works a little differently than most peoples brains.

Every person is unique.

Some things may be the same about us and some things may be different and thats okay.

When I was young, around your age, I really, really, really liked to spend my time doing my favorite things, like painting pictures or building things.

My autism brain was like a super fast mini-computer in my head. My thinking was in pictures, and that made it easier for me to learn some things.

But my autism also made some things not so easy for me to learn.

Some things just didnt make sense, or they didnt seem all that important to me.

Especially how to behave around other people.

I called it social stuff.

My mother and teachers used to tell me I needed to learn how to talk and act around other people:

To say please and thank you.

How to introduce myself and shake hands How to behave in public.

How to get along with other kids.

How to act at the dinner table or in a restaurant.

She called all this social stuff MANNERS.

In our house, manners were the rules!

All kids were expected to learn these things, not just me.

And my autism didnt matter I still needed to learn manners.

When I was young, I didnt think manners were all that interesting to learnbut I was expected I learn them!

If I didnt, there were consequences, like not being able to watch my favorite shows on TV.

I needed lots and LOTS of reminders about using my manners!

I kept trying and practicing

(and making mistakes sometimes).

After a while it got easier and I started using them on my own. And you know what?

As I got older and went from elementary school to middle school, and then graduated from college and became an adult, manners really helped me.

Hmm I guess manners are a good thing if I want to learn how to be around other people!

In this book, I want to tell you about some of the manners I learned so you can learn more about them, too!

Manners are social rules people follow so everyone can get along. Manners show others you are kind and sensitive to their feelings.

Manners are things you say (or dont say) and sometimes things you do (or dont do).

It doesnt always feel right or good, but heres what I learned:

Other people judge you based on what you say and do.