It was a big parenting moment. We were celebrating Christmas with my family and my daughter had just opened her gift from my sister. It was a CD we already owned. What would she do? How would she react?
This story begins when we first took our first born out for trick or treating. He stood at our door and rang the doorbell. We coached him to say trick or treat, to hold his bag open for the candy and to say thank you. We talked about how if you don’t like something, you just say thank you and move on to the next house. It was an excellent investment in time. He did a great job and was really polite.
We started practicing for the next holiday. We focused on table manners and how to politely refuse food he didn’t want to eat. Then we moved onto Christmas. We practiced saying thank you right after you opened the gift. We practiced saying thank you even if you already owned the gift. We even practiced saying thank you for socks and underwear! When our daughter was born we role played with her as well. And, of course, her older brother shared all of his wisdom regarding polite behavior with his younger sister.
Role playing is a very useful tool for teaching your child polite behavior. They get a chance to use the appropriate words and practice how to use them. Give them some “what if…” situations and practice what to say and what not to say.
My daughter behaved like a champ. She thanked her aunt for the gift and gave her a hug. I was so proud of her.
