Teach Babies Good Manners - Be a positive role model for your child. You child is watching and learning from you. Treat other people with respect, including your child. Around age two, children start mimicking their parents. Say "Please", "Excuse me" and "Thank you" even when you are at home. If you do, chances are that your two-year-old will also use that language when out in the world.
Remind your baby to use her manners. Begin this even before she is talking and when she just starts using words. If you teach your child sign language before she talks, show her the signs for "please" and "thank you." It will probably take a while for your child to consistently learn to say or sign those courteous phrases, but she will eventually. When she asks for a drink or food, ask her, "What do you say?"
Teach Babies Good Manners
Give your baby an opportunity to practice his table manners. Pull your child's high chair up to the dinner table to eat with the adults. Encourage him to sit quietly during the meal. Start with making him sit at the table for five to ten minutes at first. Slowly increase the amount of time you expect him to stay at the table. Reward good behavior. For young children, offer verbal praise. With older children and toddlers, try a sticker chart. Eventually, he will be able to eat with the family for the whole meal. Doing this at home allows you to teach your child in privacy, instead of expecting your child to sit still for the first time when you are at a restaurant or are a guest in someone else's home.
Encourage your baby to share and take turns with toys. Use play dates as a time to practice these skills. These skills do not come naturally to babies. Most toddlers and babies do not like to share. They see something they want, so they feel entitled to take it. When other children come to play with your child, warn your child before her friends arrive that she will have to share her toys. When your child wants to play with a toy another child is using, or vice versa, set a timer for a few minutes. When the timer buzzes, tell the child it is time for someone else to have a turn.
Teach your child to apologize. No child is perfect, but it is important for your toddler to say he is sorry to other people. If your child does not want to say he is sorry, when he calms down, talk to him about the other person's feelings. This will help him to develop empathy for other people, which will help him understand why he needs to be polite. When your toddler apologizes, tell him that you are proud of him for admitting he was wrong.
Almost nothing is more embarrassing than when your child is rude to another adult. People notice when children have good manners. If you want your children to be polite, it is best to begin training them early. Start even when they are babies. It is never too early. The basic idea behind manners is treating other people with respect and having empathy for them. If you teach your baby to respect others, you should have no trouble raising a well-mannered child. - by eHow
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