Manners Matter

Around our homestead there are not too many 'rules' or 'expectations'.  From the time Erin was born, I have mothered by feel and in the moment.  There were never strict timelines but rather routines and doing things in a certain order but not by the time on the clock.

We don't punish our kids but rather teach them through natural consequences and dialogue.

Lest, you stop reading because you think this is a holier than thou post, it is not. 

We are not perfect, we make huge mistakes, we yell, and wonder about what we are doing to our kids all of the time.

There is one area where we remain steadfast and true with our children from the time of their toddler comprehension abilities.

PLEASE 

and 

THANK YOU

It's very simple really.

If you want something say May I please....

If I or someone else gets it for you say Thank You....

These are three little words that I say constantly throughout the day.

Eoin: I want chocolate milk.

Me: How do you ask?

Eoin: May I PLEASSSEEE have chocolate milk.

Erin:  Can I please have a cookie?

Me: Why, yes since you said please.

Erin: gets cookie.

Me: What do you say?

Erin: Thank you.

This is probably THE only area where Jerry and I mesh perfectly in our parenting.  There are a ridiculous amount of teaching moments in this area and we both rise to the occasion from sunrise to sunset.

So, naturally for us, when Bridgie started signing the first two signs we taught her were

Please and Thank You

This flabbergasted our OT for about a minute.  The first time she witnessed Bridgie signing Please and Thank You she said:  "We don't really teach those signs until much later focusing more on things like "milk", "eat", "bottle", and "more".

I said "Why? those are the first words we taught the older two when they started talking so we just naturally did with Bridgie, too".

The OT kind of paused for a minute and then said "You know what. You're right, why don't we teach those signs right away?  Our goal is to include the child so why not teach them manners early".

We both laughed and kind of reflected on this one moment of clarity and went about tending to the 

screaminator.

 

 

All Done