https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 13 Jul 2026 05:28:31 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/better-ways-to-help-a-child-remember-their-manners#post-2660487 Fri, 02 Dec 2016 03:23:18 +0000 lamariniere 2660487@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I do a lot of "ahem-ing" and raising eyebrows as a prompt. When my daughter asks for milk (politely), I won't let go of the straw cup bottle until she says thank you. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/better-ways-to-help-a-child-remember-their-manners#post-2660475 Fri, 02 Dec 2016 00:41:46 +0000 irene 2660475@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If DS (also 4.5 years old) commands "milk!" We'd respond, "excuse me?" or, "what is the magic word when you want people to help you with something?" or, "how would you ask for it nicely?" or I start a sentence, "can I...", "Would you please..." and prompt him to complete the sentence.... if your DD doesn't ask you properly then ignore her until she does.</p> <p>Then, maybe you can role play with dolls to reinforce the concept. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/better-ways-to-help-a-child-remember-their-manners#post-2660468 Fri, 02 Dec 2016 00:23:25 +0000 Truvy 2660468@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: This is what I did, almost word for word! It has worked and now she says, "May I please have some milk" without prompting. The funny thing is now she will also ask things like, "May you please get me some milk" instead of "Can you" which I think is cute. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/better-ways-to-help-a-child-remember-their-manners#post-2660423 Thu, 01 Dec 2016 22:11:58 +0000 808love 2660423@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Try weaning her slowly. Cue her with May I.. then say a key praise afterward. Of course you can my Polite Princess. The next time, What was that, my Polite Princess? Make it fun and repeat with gradual release. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/better-ways-to-help-a-child-remember-their-manners#post-2660420 Thu, 01 Dec 2016 22:08:59 +0000 Corduroy 2660420@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've had some success reminding LO with baby sign language. When it works it seems to snap her out of the yelling on repeat because she has to stop and think about what I'm doing. Just some success though. We struggle with this too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/better-ways-to-help-a-child-remember-their-manners#post-2660264 Thu, 01 Dec 2016 16:06:11 +0000 2PeasinaPod 2660264@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At this age, it's repetitive reminding. DS1 is 4, and he does the same thing. It doesn't matter how many times I add the "please" at the end of his requests, he always forgets. He'll remember every now again which was better than before...so it's starting to sink in veeeeery slowly. If he demands something, I get a bit more stern. If it's him asking nicely, but without the please, I laugh and tell him he always forgets it and he laughs and repeats the request in a silly way with a please. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/better-ways-to-help-a-child-remember-their-manners#post-2660259 Thu, 01 Dec 2016 15:58:35 +0000 honeybear 2660259@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just model how I want him to speak to me when I'm speaking to him (not perfectly, of course, but I try!), prompt him when he forgets ("You need to say 'please' if you want me to do that for you."), and praise him when he's been very good about speaking politely. I'm not sure there's much else you can do. I get it, though. It is aggravating to have a child demanding things when you know they know how to ask nicely. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/better-ways-to-help-a-child-remember-their-manners#post-2660257 Thu, 01 Dec 2016 15:55:35 +0000 SLR 2660257@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: If you all sit down to family dinners, could you make it a game in a way? Perhaps be over dramatic about asking for things, but in a fun way. "May I have the butter, Daddy." "Could you please pass the salt?" in a playfully proper way. That's probably the kind of thing that would resonate with my daughter. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/better-ways-to-help-a-child-remember-their-manners#post-2660256 Thu, 01 Dec 2016 15:55:14 +0000 Adira 2660256@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I mean, I'm not sure, but I think you just have to keep reminding them at this age. When Xander just says "More hemp milk!" or whatever, I'll just say "How do you ask?" and he asks politely and will only give him what he wants if he asks politely. Kids just need to keep practicing these things until they are ingrained. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/better-ways-to-help-a-child-remember-their-manners#post-2660252 Thu, 01 Dec 2016 15:51:19 +0000 ShootingStar 2660252@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just say, "How do we ask for things?" before giving them to him. Then he'll either just say, "Please!" or ask in a funny/overboard way like, "Please Daddy can I have some more please Daddy please? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/better-ways-to-help-a-child-remember-their-manners#post-2660251 Thu, 01 Dec 2016 15:49:26 +0000 mediagirl 2660251@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SLR: sorry, she's 4.5. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/better-ways-to-help-a-child-remember-their-manners#post-2660246 Thu, 01 Dec 2016 15:47:20 +0000 SLR 2660246@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How old is your daughter? Maybe a cute book about manners? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/better-ways-to-help-a-child-remember-their-manners#post-2660244 Thu, 01 Dec 2016 15:44:01 +0000 Freckles 2660244@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I sometimes respond to my daughter, "sorry I didn't hear a question." </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/better-ways-to-help-a-child-remember-their-manners#post-2660240 Thu, 01 Dec 2016 15:39:46 +0000 mediagirl 2660240@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I need help finding better ways to help our daughter remember she is supposed to ask for things, not just yell out the word for the item she wants. I think she is picking this up at school and it's driving us crazy. She will say "Milk!" "Water!" "Tissue!" instead of saying, "Could I have some milk/water/a tissue." </p> <p>Help. Other than repeating back to her "May I have some milk, please?" or ignoring her when she yells out just words, what can we do to get her to start asking nicely for things again? </p>