Do You Teach Your Child To Say THANK YOU

@onabreak2 (1161)
United States
February 19, 2007 2:10pm CST
I have noticed that trying to get some children to say Thank You is like pulling teeth. Especially at Halloween. You open the door and give them their candy and they stand there with a look on their face like is this all that I get. What is with that. We were taught when we were little to say Thank You. Do parents even bother to anymore. I think it should be one of the first couple of words a child says. If they are taught when they are real small they will always continue to say it. I dont blame the child for this I blame the parents. What do you think. Have you noticed this.?
17 people like this
100 responses
• United States
19 Feb 07
Yes, I agree. The world is getting ruder. Look at how some adults act. I was at a grocery store with my youngest child a few years ago, he was in an elderly lady's way. She looked at my son and said "MOVE"! He just looked at her, shocked! I asked him nicely to move for her and told her nicely that we normally say "excuse me". She became very haughty over that remark. So, yes, some children are rude, but look at some of the role models. YES! I taught my children to say Please, Thank You, Excuse Me..etc..those words were said and are still used in our home from birth on.
5 people like this
• United States
20 Feb 07
I can't believe that lady would just bluntly say "move" to someone. How absolutely rude!
@onabreak2 (1161)
• United States
19 Feb 07
Thank you for your comment. The role models are the parents not the people in the grocery store.
1 person likes this
@imsilver (1665)
• Canada
19 Feb 07
This is a big deal in my house. My kids have known please and thank you since they were little and are usually pretty good at using it. At least outside of the house. For some reason though they don't think that I'd like to hear it once in awhile. I'm always hearing from others how polite my kids are and it makes me so proud. The one thing that always gets me a thank you is dinner.. lol.. my boyfriend tells me that he started it when he was really young.. in his house they say "thank you cook" to whoever cooked dinner and he does it to me all the time. My children have picked it up without any encouragement at all. Now I get 3 thank you cooks after every meal :)
5 people like this
@onabreak2 (1161)
• United States
19 Feb 07
That is really sweet . Thank you for the comment.
3 people like this
@Bev1986 (1425)
• United States
19 Feb 07
We taught our girls to say Thank You from the time they started talking! I think it's only common courtesy to teach them that! I hate it when you give a child something and they just take it and walk away. I'm always saying "Your welcome!" to see if they'll respond... sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. My kids know if they don't thank me for something, they don't get it. It's that simple.
3 people like this
@onabreak2 (1161)
• United States
20 Feb 07
That is a good idea. Thank you for your comment.
1 person likes this
@inked4life (4224)
• United States
19 Feb 07
That absolutely drives me crazy, it's just plain rude. I was taught to be polite when I was a kid and it's one of the first things that I taught my own. They always say "please" and "thank you", and on the rare occassions when they forget I make sure to remind them.
5 people like this
@onabreak2 (1161)
• United States
19 Feb 07
Ditto, Really makes me wonder though because it is so many of the children now. They have to learn that when they are little and like you say if they forget you remind them. It should come automatic out of their mouths though and it doesn't. Thanks for your comment.
3 people like this
@howard96h (11640)
• New York, New York
19 Feb 07
Yes, kids should be taught to say thank you and it's the parents responsibility to teach them.
3 people like this
@onabreak2 (1161)
• United States
19 Feb 07
I feel this way also. Thank you for your comment.
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Feb 07
I think over all our society is just getting ruder! Manners don't mean what they use to! I try everyday to teach my children to use please and thank you! If they ask for something and they don't use please then I will not give it to them until they do and if they forget to say thank you I take it back until they do! I don't know if my method works but I do know even if they don't say it to me they usually will to someone else! I think that parents need to be parents and stop being friends. Children need to be taught by example!
@onabreak2 (1161)
• United States
19 Feb 07
That is what a parent should do. You are right. Learn by example. Thank you for your comment.
3 people like this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
19 Feb 07
Yes both my Children where taught Please and Thank you. They are both Adults now and they still know their Manners. I am proud of both of my Kids as they show Respect and Manners.
2 people like this
@onabreak2 (1161)
• United States
20 Feb 07
That is because you taught your kids to say Please and Thank you and to use their manners. Parents don't always do that anymore. Thank you for your comment.
1 person likes this
@smints8985 (1594)
• United States
19 Feb 07
Well I have been working in a learning center for a month now and I go through that same stuff everyday... Everybody needs a little appreciation, even a smile will be enough to replace a simple thank you... but more often if doesn't happen like that.. children just ask for whatever they need and sometimes in a very commanding tone and you never get any thank you from them, they just grab whatever it is you gave them and walk away.. Yes, I have to be honest that sometimes it does get tiring because you don't feel like your efforts are even given a tini wini bit of appreciation at all, but once in a while when a child says thank you, it uplifts my spirit, and I certainly believe that they should be taught to say please and thank you all the time..
2 people like this
@onabreak2 (1161)
• United States
20 Feb 07
Yes they should be taught that and it should be taught at home. I think a lot of people think of the schools as a babysitter and expect the teachers to teach them all the manners and things. Thank you for your comment.
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Feb 07
I'll say that first of all I have noticed the growing trend of bad mannered children...as well as all the bad mannered adults out there, so I don't think we can really confine it to just "kids these days." My son just turned 19 months old and among the words he knows how to say are "thank you." We started teaching him this as soon as we started handing him table food! We took him trick or treating this year and at every house I reminded him to say thank you to everyone, unfortunately he was so shy in front of all these new strangers that he didn't say a word until after we'd walked away lol.
@onabreak2 (1161)
• United States
20 Feb 07
Better late then never. I know what you are talking about. There were kids on Halloween that did that. It was cute. I think they were kind of frightened. Thanks for your comment.
1 person likes this
@thebeing (657)
• Romania
19 Feb 07
well, of course the parents are to blame. I think that the best way of teaching a child to say "thank you" (and not only that), is to reward him for every positive reaction (a candy, or, better yet, a kiss)...that for when the child is too young to understand what's "good" and not. But, nowadays, parents are soo incredibly stupid and full of themselves, that saying thank you is like way down on their "to teach my son/daughter" list. unfortunatelly.
2 people like this
@onabreak2 (1161)
• United States
20 Feb 07
It seems like it for sure. But as far as giving them candy or kisses I think they love it when you tell them what a good boy or girl they were for doing that. Of course you can help but kiss them. Lol. When they do something sweet. Thanks for your comment.
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Feb 07
Most kids don't say thank you. I have taught my teens to do so and am now teaching my toddler. I even went so far as to try to teach him the sign for thank you. It is working as he will often say thank you without being prompted to. Last summer a vendor at a flea market commented to me that my daughter was the only teen or pretten they heard thank thier parents. Made me feel proud. I am told quite often how great my kids are, well we have been teaching them to be polite since they were itty bitty!
2 people like this
@onabreak2 (1161)
• United States
20 Feb 07
That is how it has to be. Thank you for taking the time to comment.
1 person likes this
@sripriya (450)
• United States
19 Feb 07
Well!you are right!Parents should be the role model for the kids to instill good qualities in them.In day to day life we should be using the words such as please and thank you between family members a number of times!By doing so kids get the habit of saying these words spontanously without taking any effort.
3 people like this
@onabreak2 (1161)
• United States
19 Feb 07
Yes exactly. It has to start at home when they are little. We cant blame society for everything. Thank you for your comment.
2 people like this
• United States
19 Feb 07
I absolutely teach my kids to say thank you, and please. And yes sir/ma'ma and no sir/ma'am. It's just manners and it's what is polite and it's not like it's a hard thing to do. My son hates using those words, however, I make him do it. If he doesn't, then whatever he is asking for, he doesn't receive. It's that simple. And I start the kids young with it. The younger they start, the more ingrained it becomes. To this day I still say please and thank you, even when going through the drive thru.
@onabreak2 (1161)
• United States
20 Feb 07
Well that is good but why wouldnt someone say please and thank you even going through the drive through. There are human beings there taking your order. So it shouldnt be any less of a place to be respectful. Thank you for your comment.
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Feb 07
I agree that manners is hard to come by. If the parents say 'thank you' to eachother and their children, the children will also. My 2 1/2 is extremely polite and even says "G_d Bless You" when I sneeze. Her brother and sister hardly ever do that. Like I said, it is the parents example that will set the kids up to be polite.
2 people like this
@onabreak2 (1161)
• United States
20 Feb 07
Well that is sweet. They didnt learn that themselves though. Your 2/12 year old heard probably you or someone else say it. Thank you for your comment.
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Feb 07
All four of my children have been taught manners. We say please,thank you, and you're welcome. We use good manners at every meal, we treat people like we would like to be treated, and we respect our elders. Just today, we were shopping and a little boy dropped his toy. My 4 yo son picked up the toy and handed it back to the little guy. He did this without me asking and I think it's great.I think it's extremely important to teach our children manners-it helps them learn to be a good person and how to show people compassion.
2 people like this
@onabreak2 (1161)
• United States
20 Feb 07
That was really sweet of him. He sounds like he is off to a good start. Thank you for your comment.
1 person likes this
@Ravenladyj (22904)
• United States
19 Feb 07
My kids have always been raised to use their manners and I wouldnt have it any other way..Thats not to say of course that they dont forget during all the excitment at times but a sharp "um excuse me!" from me and they clue in right away....I have noticed that more and more little ones are seriously lacking in the manners department which is a really sad thing considering its not only right to be that way but its so easy to get them in the habit ya know...
2 people like this
@onabreak2 (1161)
• United States
19 Feb 07
Thank you for your comment. I have noticed it too. They act like it kills them to utter the words.
2 people like this
@medooley (1873)
• United States
20 Feb 07
Yes I do. And actually I think that if you continue to teach them to do this they will learn it and continue it for the rest of otheir lives. Our 4 year old says is most of the time and only needs help remember every now and then. Ps and Qs man...
2 people like this
@harxian (671)
• Philippines
20 Feb 07
i dont have a child yet but to my cousins which is 2 years old i always told her to say thank when somebody gives her something its the way appreciating ones presents
2 people like this
@jhoanee (598)
• Philippines
20 Feb 07
yeah i noticed it too..i guess its not just the parents responsibility to teach the child to say thank you..it goes with everybody, wither your an aunt, uncle, grandparents or relative we should teach those children the say thank you always everytime they recieve something or given a favor. although the number one responsible for that should be the parents. me i always make it a point to teach my niece and nephews to say thank you. as i dont have my own kids yet. godbless you!
• Philippines
20 Feb 07
yes, i try to teach my daugther to say thank you evertime she recieve something nice to someone.. even i have to say thanks to her each time she gave me something nice or she follow what is have said to her. this is one thing how to train your kids in telling to say thank you to some one. what adults do is what kids also try to do.. so keep all your words and action in the right side in order to keep your kids on the right track.
2 people like this