How Do you Teach a Toddler Good Manners?

With Thanksgiving and Christmas, just around the corner, how do you get your two to four year olds to say “please and thank you”? It’s never too early to teach them good manners. Try the following steps:

1.    Begin with two or three nice words such as "please" "thank you" and "excuse me" and then introduce more as your child begins to grasp their understanding.

2.    Be persistent and consistent. It may take time, but young ones are smart and will get it. Teaching manners early in life will help your children once they leave the house.

3.    Lead by example. Teaching good manners begins with you. You must “walk the talk and talk the talk” yourself. If you do it first, your children will mirror your actions, so you want it to be a good reflection!

4.    Give positive feedback when they use the right words or when they show you how to wait in a line patiently or help a friend put away toys. Let them know how polite and thoughtful their actions are to others.

5.    Have fun with it. Teaching manners is the first step in getting your child to think beyond himself. The first time you see the benefits could be when you’re out of the house, around others, or visiting Grandma and Grandpa.

Source: www.newparent.com