Teaching

• Dr. William Sears, an associate clinical professor of pediatrics, suggests teaching polite words early. Even if children are not cognizant of the meaning of "please" and "thank you," they understand their usefulness and function. If you use these words often, children will associate them with good feelings and important people.
  
  

Practice

• To help teach manners, you should use the "we" principal. Since children naturally observe the world around them as they look for "normal" and "acceptable" behavior, acting as you want your child to act will help those principals take root.
  
  

Acknowledgment

• When you acknowledge your child in a respectful way and when they demonstrate politeness, you are showing you care about them and the way they act. This will help your child understand why it is important to use good manners.
  
  

Benefits

• When children are taught good manners, they learn to share and take turns, and the connection between asking for something politely and being rewarded for their good behavior. Positive enforcement from parents will encourage children to use these skills.
  
  

Considerations

• It can be frustrating to teach good manners when children aren't picking up the skills as quickly as you might expect. It is important to not lower your good manner expectations. Regularly using good manners and encouraging children to follow suit will eventually lead to well-mannered and respectful children. You will see the payoff later on.