...to think this is too much?

[SimplyBeBlythe]

Out for the BH with family. Niece hit one of her cousins. SIL told her off and made her say sorry - correctly in my opinion. Then SIL said ‘now curtesy to show you mean it’ and niece had to curtesy to her much older cousin.
Has anyone heard anything like this before? MIL treated it like a joke but SIL was totally serious.

Why would a child who's been taught to say sorry with a cuddle for example be more or less badly behaved than one who's been using a curtsy? it's the whole curtseying because you're subservient thing. We don't curtsey to our equals, we curtsy to our "betters". She might be naughty, but she isn't lesser than the cousin she hit.

I concede the point re not getting a hug etc at school

This is hilarious. I'm sat at my desk at work trying to stifle giggles. I love it.

Curtsying traditionally was a way of showing respect and deference- so you might curtesy to your ‘olders and betters’ socially. It is a bit uncomfortable in these days of supposed equality! Having said that, people are still expected to curtesy to the queen I think?

I’ve always seen a curtesy as something you did to your betters - surely when you say sorry you are supposed to be putting things back to normal, making things equal? That’s why I would have been ok with a handshake as it appears to be a very equal gesture.
As for embarrassing - the only one who seemed embarrassed was the older cousin who was being apologised to. I suspect my little niece has perfected the ‘sarcastic curtsey’ as it were, in much the same way as siblings sarcastically say sorry.

Personally I dont like children being forced to apologise. They dont mean it. They should rather be taught to understand they have hurt someone. A forced Soreeee is no use, never mind a stupid curtsey. No one shouls aim to embarass a child, it teaches nothing