Homeschooling? and 3 year olds at school

TBH it would never occur to me to use “mesdemoiselles” to a group of young girls, unless I was teasing them, any more than I would say “messieurs” to a group of young lads.
For youngsters I just say “Bonjour” with as nice a smile as I can muster, depending on mood.

Thanks, Anna. I’m old enough to remember a time when Sir and Madam were customary and expected in transactions in many shops and offices, even in working class society. As a greengrocer’s delivery boy (riding one of those specially adapted cycles with a carrier on the front to take a crate of vegetables) I was under strict orders to call the customers “Madam” (I usually got a thrupenny bit as a tip).

The equivalent of Miss which still had currency in polite society until recently was or maybe still is madamemoiselle, and I thought it was still current in France for women under 20 unless they were obviously parents or married, but I am open to correction.

It seems rather a pity IMO as monsieur and madame are still almost universally current in ordinary life here. I too wouldn’t use monsieur to an obvious juvenile, but there must come a point at which a young man merits the accolade, and I wonder how it is judged?

You’re absolutely correct Peter, Mademoiselle is certainly still in current usage in formal or semi-formal dealings, for instance in a shop where the young lady wasn’t know by name.
I can"t explain why I don’t say it when I say Hello to young girls. Maybe simply because it’s such a mouthful :smiley:

Hi Peter… when I greet children… unless I know their names… it is…
“bonjour mes enfants” or “bonjour mon enfant”… or “bonjour mes petits” or bonjour mon petit/ma petite" …years ago, I noted one of my colleagues greeting them like that… and decided to follow suit.

No problem for a woman, but I’m not sure how comfortable a man would feel saying this to kids he passes in the street?
Looking at it from the other side, if I was a little girl, I’m not sure I’d much care for being “ma petite” by a strange man.
EDIT - that doesn’t mean that I think Peter is strange! Peter, I’m sure they love you calling them Mesdemoiselles, don’t stop doing it.

Hi Anna… and @Peter_Goble

Sorry, I thought we were talking about greeting children …now I have rubbed the sleep from my eyes… I realize it is young ladies he is replying to…
In which case a polite “bonjour” is sufficient and appropriate… :hugs:

But, you are not a little French girl who will have heard these phrases from birth… and Peter is replying to their “bonjours”… so , depending on the ages (children or young adults)… the responses I have offered are quite correct and appropriate.

If you mingle with folk at the school here… and other public places… you will hear this all the time… the kids do not know everyone personally… but they are taught to be polite and the grownups respond… and vice versa… :hugs:

I would not normally expect a child young enough to be called “mon petit” to be wandering alone… and if that small child has said bonjour to an Adult… then it is quite appropriate for the Adult to reply… bonjour mon petit…

In fact, if a small child IS wandering alone… it is quite in order for an Adult to gently say “bonjour mon petit”… and…look around for help to ensure that said small child does not wander into the road or whatever…

It all depends on the situation… and a short “bonjour” can sound a little terse or it can be quite gentle and sufficient… according to the tone…