How Can We Teach Our Toddler Manners?
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Teaching a toddler anything takes a great deal of time and patience. While toddlers will often learn to do things that interest them quickly and on their own, learning manners is tyopically not one of those situations. Still, a toddler who learns manners and then uses them can help to boost his self confidence. In addition, by teaching your toddler manners, you will help to establish lifelong habits that will be important for him later on.
The most important thing to remember when teaching your toddler manners is that he is a toddler. This means that he has a short attention span and a relatively small vocabulary. You can’t put a toddler through a two-hour lesson on manners. You have to teach toddlers manners a little at a time. Use small words, and try to talk to them at their level. You also need to be realistic about what he can and cannot do; he might learn to say “please,” but he probably isn’t going to be able to remember to always chew his food with his mouth closed.
Learning manners takes encouragement. When you are teaching your toddler manners, make sure to praise him when he does something right. Thank him for taking turns with a toy. Compliment him when he uses his fork to pick up his peas instead of his fingers.
Some toddlers can effectively learn manners through role-play. You can, for example, make a game out of learning manners. Have a tea party for your daughter’s stuffed animals. Say “please” and “thank you”, use your napkin and your silverware, and offer the teddy bear a cracker. When you are done playing, reinforce this behavior by telling her what a great job she did at using her manners, and how you hope she will use them at the dinner table as well.
Ultimately, the best teaching tool that parents have for their toddlers is the example. By demonstrating to your toddler that you know how to use your manners, he will see it and want to be more like you.
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