Burps

Anyone ever wonder when and why burps became bad manners. I know this is a cultural thing, but still why? We spend a good portion of a baby's first year trying, near praying for a baby to give us a good burp. We encourage it, we practically demand it. We say it is for the baby's good, but really it is in our own interest, we want peace and quiet, or to sleep or whatever.

Burps are good things, really. They are a natural function of the body. They relieve pressure in the stomach. They make us more comfortable. Let's face it, if that same air pressure doesn't come out in a burp..... It's going to come out in its less pleasant form later. The form that makes EVERYONE less comfortable. So... the question of the day..... Why are burps bad manners? Who decided this? Why is it that our society wants us to be uncomfortable with air pressure in our stomach? We certainly don't prefer the alternative, but yet seem to make darn sure the alternative is going to happen. Which, of course is also bad manners. (much smellier bad manners at that.)

We encourage our baby's to burp and then one day, "say excuse me" comes out of our mouths. Or, "that was rude, " or some other admonishment for a perfectly normal response to the ingestion of food particles necessary for normal growth and maintenance of the human body.

Why do we send mixed messages to our children. If helping a baby to burp, so she doesn't have uncomfortable pressure in her stomach is so important at age 6 weeks, why is it so necessary for the same child to keep that same pressure in at 3 years in the name of good manners? Why should a 3 year old, or a 10 year old or a 35 year old be in pain from holding a burp in. Why is that proper?

Don't get me wrong, I believe in good manners. I believe in saying excuse me when you need to slide past the person who is taking up the whole isle at the super market. Just because they don't have the good manners to move a little to the side to let others through, doesn't mean I have to be rude when going around them. I believe, when it comes to children, manners should be taught and taught early. Saying, please, thank you, excuse me, and not running rampant in a restaurant, all very important things. Taking time to stop and not make another person's day unpleasant by one's own actions need to be taught.

Burping though? Why?