source: wordomatic
"Yes, ma'am."
"Thank you."
"Please..."
We started early on teaching our children manners. We try to teach by example. When we hand them something, we say "thank you". I don't demand they say it. I encourage them to say it. Eventually they will get the idea and they in turn say "thank you".
Haylei had started saying "Huh?" when I asked her a question or said something to her. I don't repeat myself, but instead I ask, "Ma'am?" Now she asks, "ma'am, what did you say?"
The other day, we were in the car with my parents and my Momma had offered Haylei something to eat and she said, "No thank you"...it made me feel good to hear her be so polite and use her manners. We're still working on other ways to be considerate and respectful. She has big control issues, I'm sure this is related to her age. At least that's what I'm hoping anyway.
Hunter is still young and barely utters words. He tries really hard and gets so frustrated if you don't understand him. With that said, he can say "tank - oo". He'll bring me an apple to peel for him and when he hands it to me, he says "tank - oo". He might have it a little backwards, but he is trying to understand the idea behind manners and politeness. His newest problem? Hands down the back of his diaper! YUCK!
Teaching our children to be polite early on by our example, works for us.
How do you teach your children manners?
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"The Daily Grind" are posts referring to my career as wife, mother, bookkeeper, seamstress, chauffeur, teacher, baker & cook and whatever else life throws my way. (Proverbs 31)
"The Daily Grind" are posts referring to my career as wife, mother, bookkeeper, seamstress, chauffeur, teacher, baker & cook and whatever else life throws my way. (Proverbs 31)
5 comments:
We do the same thing. It does do a mother good when their child says please and thank you. Manners are lost on a lot of today's youth!
Good for you!~ we've also recently been trying to emphasize manners to our two year old. When Vivian wants something and starts pointing, grunting, we encourage her to say "please" and we do the sign for please. If she gets in trouble and we put her in time out, then we encourage her to say, "sorry" when we retrieve her. She's actually really good about saying "thank you" even over the littlest things.
I don't think you can emphasize it too much. Manners is a dying art sadly. We need to start things right with our kids!
On a different topic, I just wanted to tell you that I really enjoy your blog and you have great ideas on here. I just wrote a post today about how I've been meal planning for three months and how much I have stocked in my freezer. Please check it out if you get a chance - would love your thoughts and suggestions -
http://www.mandylifeafter30.com/2010/03/domestic-disease-and-my-freezer.html
Thanks!
My son was pretty easy to teach; for example, he'd ask for something and I'd say "please" and he got it right away, and generally remembered.
Thank you for teaching your children manners. Too many parents just don't bother, and I think that ultimately hurts the children.
We did baby sign language with our kids, so the please, thank you, and sorry started before they could talk. Both kids are really fast to say please and thank you now!
You are so wise to start early and do it by setting the right example. I don't get adults who feel they don't have to say 'please' or 'thank you' just because the person listening is a child. You get respect by teaching respect. As you can see it happening already, good manners will become so second-nature to your kids that they simply won't know any other way to be!
My four kids (now 19-27) did me the most proud in restaurants. We always had a good time, but they were never overly loud and they never ran around (like some kids do-what's wrong with their parents???). I still remember a waitress complimenting us!
But we did deal with the 'huh?' question. My line was 'don't say, 'huh,' say 'excuse me.' It took a while, but they figured it out.
And don't worry about your daughter. I can't tell how old she is, but kids do need to establish a sense of self before they can be truly altruistic. As long as you keep showing her the right way, she will eventually pick up on the right way to behave.
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