I Also Teach My Children To Say Thank You, Good Morning Or Please

There are many of us who continue to trust in the value of teaching children the importance of giving thanks. Because words like “good morning” or “please” are a reflection not only of civility, but of that emotional connection exercised through the word where we recognize the other person.

It is curious how in recent years a trend has emerged in which the need to “not force” the child to do anything is reaffirmed. It is intended that it is he himself who chooses the moment in which to initiate such behavior, such word or such action as if this would guarantee a more respectful growth and maturity.

However, the classic “laissez faire” cannot be taken to extremes. As parents, as mothers, we cannot forget that we are the best architects to promote the proper integration of a child into their world. We must give you examples, strategies and skills to connect with yours at the most appropriate stage. Because each learning has its time and we must be able to develop it in the child.

Teaching our children to say thank you, good morning or please, is not “forcing” them to do anything. It is not imposing. It is to make them discover the power that some words have in our society. They are gestures of harmony and recognition that must be taught as soon as possible.

Next, we explain why.

Giving thanks: the power of a word to discover early

The socio-emotional development of a child has its “first awakening” between the ages of 3 and 6. This is when your language development settles according to your relational experiences. He learns from everything he sees, integrates the behaviors and reactions of his parents and strengthens even non-verbal communication (gestures, movements, attitudes …).

It is a small step that will continue to evolve when, Once you pass the barrier of “egocentricity” and recognize your equals, you are already approaching a more refined but also more complex emotional maturity. 

With all this we want to make an essential aspect clear: as parents, we must always act as the best role model for our children. There where the value of a “thank you” has an unmatched power that we sometimes underestimate.

Giving thanks is also understanding that I cannot have everything I want

There are truly despotic little children. They are creatures who take everything they receive for granted, and who see themselves with the full right to do and react as they please.

• We could certainly immediately blame parents for this type of behavior. However , we must also bear in mind that there are children who are more difficult than others. Taking it on is a challenge but also a responsibility.

• The social, civic and emotional education of a child begins very early. Long before a child learns to speak, he understands much more than we think.

• You need to work on your frustration. They cannot always – nor should they – receive everything they want. And when they do, when something is offered to them, it is necessary to instill in them the word “thank you” as soon as possible.

Positive words that allow us to recognize others

When a 3 and 4 year old boy walks into a store and says “good morning” or “please” he always draws attention and smiles. It is a positive behavior that allows you to connect with others early.

• It is very possible that at this age you still do not understand how important these expressions are. However, what you will understand is that saying them, saying “thank you”, helps you to be respected, admired and valued.

• Because a “thank you” is knowing how to recognize the action that others do for us. Something like this is undoubtedly being able to lay the pillars of authentic empathy. A key aspect for the social and emotional development of a child.

Positive words are contagious

Teaching a child to say thank you, good morning, or please costs nothing and goes a long way. If our children reach school age with these behaviors built into it, they will most likely “spread” them to their peers. It is a model of civility loaded with positivity that builds social relationships.

• Once again, it is necessary to remember the importance that some words have for the human being . An “I love you” an “you are important to me” or a simple “thank you” are not just words. They are expressions that create emotions, a type of feeling that comes from within and that reaches the person in front of us.

• Making them ours, getting a small child to normalize these words will make them more empathetic and mature in their close surroundings every day. Not only will you give thanks but you will also demand it.

When you do something for someone you expect to be recognized, to be respected. He will want others to treat him with the same closeness that he does. All of this is a model that he has learned from us and that will undoubtedly be of great support to him on a day-to-day basis.

So now tell us … do you also teach your children the value of these same words?