Minding Your Manners

To us, saying please and thank you is like second nature, or at least it should be. But your toddler may not always show the best manners. That's because they need to be taught. Tricia O'Brien, Features Editor for American Baby Magazine, offers some tips on how to encourage well behaved children.

The first mistake children might make is saying things like "Gosh, that man is really fat!" out loud. Children tend to blurt out what's on their mind. What you can do to stop this is teach your child we don't always say what we're thinking. Help them to understand what we say can be hurtful to others.

You might also have a child who doesn't like to meet new people and stands behind you clinging to your legs. Meeting new people can be tough for kids. To solve this, have your child practice shaking hands and introducing herself to her favorite doll. Once she has that down, progress to family and other people she knows well, like her baby-sitter.

It's also important to teach your child to say goodbye to playmates who come over. Children get distracted and forget they need to see their friend off. The next time this happens, just take your child by the hand and walk him to the door to say goodbye to his friend.

And everybody knows a kid who has announced they don't like the gift they have just been given. Kids aren't necessarily shy about saying their disappointment in a gift. So before guests arrive, explain the art of accepting gifts graciously. Practice opening "presents" filled with boring things, like socks, and make sure your child always says thank you. And as soon as he can hold a crayon, have him help with the thank you notes.

And finally, it's also good to teach your child it's rude to interrupt you when you are on the phone or with friends. Toddlers hate to wait and want to have your attention now. To help curb this behavior, give your child a heads-up before you get on the phone so she can have your full attention. And if she still interrupts, hold up your finger to say, wait.

For more tips on teaching manners, and other parenting advice, click here.
by Jenn Eaker and Tricia O'Brien