To think it’s rude not to wave your guests goodbye?

[Pastelbuttercream]

I was brought up to always wave guests goodbye at the door and only shut the front door once they had driven off. This was the norm when I was growing up, everyone did it. If they were not parked near your house you’d walk to their car and wave them off there.

The amount of people who do not do this anymore surprises me. I always feel it’s rude but maybe I am out of touch?

If you don’t wave your guests off, why not? (besides having to close the door incase your toddler runs out, this I completely understand!)

Am I old fashioned? Is this not a thing anymore?

Well OP I must be officially old fashioned as I always wave guests away from the door. It's just being polite really.
We all do things differently, I wouldn't worry about it if I was you.

YANBU!
We always do this. My husband thinks the kids and are are crackers, and that we’re the only people in the world who do it, but it just feels the right thing to do!

I'll go to the door but watching them drive off feels like you are checking they have actually left

You wave goodbye on your doorstep and then close the door so your guests can get on with their homeward drive.

😱🙈 I had no clue that people don’t like this or that it is old fashioned! I think it might be a hard habit to break though.

I do this and so do the majority of my friends & family, most of the time. I always wondered if it was a Northern thing but apparently not!

The trouble with people wanting to wave you off is that if the weather is poor you feel obliged to drive awY quickly then park round the corner and set the sat nav/ get your audio book sorted/ get out your knitting ( passengers only). For long journeys I prefer people to go inside so I can faff about in peace for 5 minutes

I’d only wave at guests who’ve come a long way/we rarely see who we are very close with and usually only if they have kids eg my brother and his little ones who love to wave out of the car window

I agree with this, nothing worse than being rushed to drive off.

I agree, I find it rude if people shut the door as soon as we're away, feels like they can't wait to get rid of us.

I hate being waved off. It goes on forever. Especially when you have kids luggage or both.

Thanks for all the thoughts and opinions on this! It’s been an interesting read.

But as a HCP working you aren’t a guest, I have a lot of HCP in and out of my
home at the moment following a mobility altering surgery, so I don’t see them out. At one point I physically couldn’t, now I could but I don’t because it’s really hard.

I don’t think it’s rude not to. As long as you say goodbye and don’t just slam the door in their faces then it’s fine.

Fond memories of driving away from my grandparents and them waving and shouting tatty bye. Whenever I’m leaving my parents or in laws I still wave and even horn pip, kids wave too. I think it’s polite. Unfortunately people have very little respect, manners or time these days to issue such a kind and well meaning gesture, how is it offensive? Dear god. Maybe for these arses a middle finger would be better suited than a wave?

I quite like it when my dad does this as he lives in the arse end of Norfolk, but otherwise, no

My husband insists on doing this, but I find it pretty annoying. We generally have lots of visitors in winter and it lets all the heat out of the house as he stands there waving for ages. I’ve tried to convince him to at least wave from the window, so the door can stay closed.

YABU. It’s not rude in any capacity. Can’t imagine my life having so little meaning I’d worry about this. In fact it’s absolutely bizarre.
i usually say good bye at the door and when they’re down the garden path I shut the door. Good friends and family usually see themselves out - as i do at theirs.

It’s got absolutely nothing to do with respect or manners. Jeeze. It’s YOUR customary practice. Doesn’t make it good manners or respectful.

It’s a personal choice but I hate it when people do it to me. My cousin, who is the loveliest sweetest person in the world, does it whenever she sees me off on the train after a visit. I just want to get into my seat and breathe a sigh of relief at finally getting some me time after a hectic weekend of socialising, but I can’t relax with her hovering outside the window trying to gesture things at me, even though she means well!

I’ve enjoyed reading all these replies on this thread and pleased to see I’m not the only one this pi**es off.

my mum is the only one I know who does this - she walks us to the car and practically breathes down my neck whilst I’m trying to get DC in the car. She has no idea how to do car seats (and won’t even let me show her how…!) and she will proceed to pick at things as no doubt DC are kicking off being put into car seats and I’m ‘not doing it right they shouldn’t be upset, you were never like this when you were kids’ whilst unnervingly watching me. She will then after I ask multiple times to leave us be, walk to the end of her drive and wave and shout on the top of her lungs for the whole street to see (come rain or shine) it’s like a facade if you ask me so her neighbours can see she’s had visitors. She’s not like that in the house lol. I ask every time she says her goodbyes at the door, she says ok and follows us all out.

Lots of other people in my life including my dad will watch me off (divorced parents) but as I get to the car he shouts bye and shuts the door. I toot as I reverse away (he bought land to build his house so noise isn’t a problem to those of you saying about tooting 😂) as I know he loves it but he doesn’t stand outside, and as others have said sometimes he will say ‘sorry love I’m not coming out today’. Others in my family/friend unit are like this or don’t come to the door.

My mum does this! My nanna did it too.

I find it makes me feel I have to rush getting the kids in the car seats, and be instantly engine running and set off, waving as I go. I'm not a fan. When guests leave mine I thank them for coming at the door, say goodbye and close the door. I don't get it. Plus I'm usually very aware of the heating escaping, the indoor cat escaping, mischievous child messing about etc.

I see my guests to the door. I’m 53. Size 7 shoe 😂

I grew up with this too and do this myself, I’m in my early 30s! 😳I’m not bothered if people don’t do it and I don’t always but I didn’t know it annoyed so many people!

I am in my 70s and always used to wave goodbye and not shut the front door until they were out of sight. Now my grandchildren insist on waving and shouting “Bye Nanna” through the open windows! Half of me loves it and the other half is well aware that all my neighbours know my family is leaving!
Does it matter if somebody is waving goodbye? Does it really impact on the visitors life to spend a few seconds waving goodbye? How can anybody be irritated by this? If visitors really have so much to do before they can actually start the journey, just drive round the corner. But dear god, I can get in my car and drive away - how can any visitor make a drama out of this.