It struck me this past week or so how well Caroline is doing with basic good manners: Please, Thank you, and You're welcome. With a cheery disposition and completely unprompted, she will say "Thank you" after being given something she wants, or even after receiving a verbal compliment. If Pete or I thank her for giving us something, she says "You're welcome," and she is now finally saying "Yes, please" on a more regular basis.
Watching Caroline grow up and begin demonstrating traits of a well-mannered little girl made me wonder about how she even got there. Pete or I never said to her "Say thank you" or "Say please." We never made a conscious effort at teaching these manners, the way we typically think about teaching or instructing someone to do something.
But, as I thought about it, I realized we've always said please, thank you, and you're welcome to her whenever the occasion arose. We speak to Caroline the way we want her to speak back to us, and I guess it's actually working.
That's kinda fun.
"Teaching" manners
Posted by
Fallon
at
Sunday, February 13, 2011
2 comments:
If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.
~Dorothy Law Nolte
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I'm so proud of the way you & Pete are living... and thus the way Caroline is learning.
Love you~ Maw-Daw
xoxoxoxoxo
Love you too, Maw-Daw. xoxoxo Thanks for those words. You made my week. <3 <3 <3
Also, beautiful poem. Saving it.
Love you.
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