Texting.

 

Seven Golden Rules for Gracious Texting

1. Think of texts as preludes or follow-ups to conversation, not the conversation itself. Keep them short. More than 160 characters means that a phone call or e-mail is the better way to deliver your message.
2. It’s super easy for your tone to be misunderstood in a text, even more so than an in e-mail. That’s why texts are best left for mundane messages like, “I’m home safely!” or, “See you at 8:00 PM at your house.”
3. Texting while you’re with others is as rude as getting up and leaving them in mid-sentence. Just don’t do it! Also, don’t text in movies, church, meetings, class, or while at someone’s house. Even if your friends have left the area for a moment, or the movie, business meeting, or church service hasn’t started yet, be tuned in to the place you’re at as soon as you enter the area, even in the quiet moments and down time.
4. Texting is the most informal form of communicating. Usually, you don’t want to represent your business or organization or to relay important family news (unless everyone has agreed in advance) in a text message. Call or e-mail instead.
5. Don’t use text lingo and shorthand unless you’re positive (It’s really hard to be positive.) the recipient is fluent in the constantly emerging language of texting. One techno-savvy twenty-something wrongly assumed “LOL” meant “lots of love.” Poor girl, she was heartbroken and embarrassed when she found out the guy on the other end was being rude by “laughing out loud.” He wasn’t sending his love at all.

6. Don’t leave them guessing. If the recipient likely doesn’t have your cell phone number stored in their phone, make sure to let them know who you are before composing the rest of your text. For example: “Hi, Everly! This is Sarah (Kim’s mom from school)…”
7. Don’t send texts (or e-mails that go to smart phones) after bedtime. If the recipient forgot to turn their phone to silent before turning in for the night (like my husband has done twice in the last week!), you’ll wake people up at midnight by the beep of their phone alerting them they have a new message.
8. OK, I know, I said “7 Tips” but this one just has to be said again. Please, please, please, don’t ever text, or read a text while driving! Maybe you haven’t hurt yourself or anyone yet; but this just could be the time! Don’t do it, ever! Ever. Ever.


Visit the  Manners Mentor  for more tips.

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The texting with my husband's late-late-blooming family have started again. We happened to be in church at my grandmothers funeral when he got 17 in a row, from the dis-courteous siblings. 

I need a nice ( or maybe not so -nice way ) to get this to them.

and as you guessed it's about Christmas gifts for their parents. Unfortunately I'm not a late shopper like all of them. Their gift has been bought & is already wrapped.  My husband hasn't responded to them.

My mom's group gift, was thought of & purchased over 4 weeks ago. Can't understand why my husbands siblings  all do everything so last minute.

Thankfully I drew the line. I take care of my family, and our customer's gifts & hubs is responsible for his family. ( I'll wrap for him ).
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