Regardless of your parenting style we can all agree that manners do matter and are often the key to successful social interactions. We all want to raise pleasant well integrated kiddos whose heart is always in the right place. With this in mind we are all looking for ways to effectively teach abstracts like gratitude, empathy and cordiality.
Thankfulness Is Not a Basic Need
When we teach baby sign language we do it with the main goal of equipping our babies to convey basic needs. It is all about empowerment and making the pre-verbal stage more bearable. The first baby signs that you teach your baby should always be associated to primary needs. Go for the basics and work on those signs until your baby masters them. Once you have a basic foundation you can move to the next stage of learning and begin incorporating abstracts.
Manners Are Best Taught Through Imitation & Repetition
Teaching our babies about thankfulness is all about us. From birth we can instill a culture of gratitude by consistently thanking our baby for appropriate behaviors and thanking others when our baby is watching. Thank your older child for fetching a bottle or a diaper using a sign combined with words and always making sure your voice is full of positivism. Consistent gratitude is contagious. Pass it on!
Use The Signs for Please & Thank You During Meals
Mealtime is a fantastic setting to learn thankfulness. Let your toddler help out and thank him for his helpfulness. Sign please when appropriate and use your thank you sign every time an opportunity arises.
Introduce Thankfulness During Story Time
There are many wonderful books suitable for the first years that tackle manners through storytelling. Babies love to participate in interactive reading. Invite your baby to sign please and thank you when appropriate as your read a story or a poem about gratitude.
Teach Your Baby Thankful Tunes
Pick a well known thank you song or invent your own. Singing is a great way to trigger recall and it helps in forming habits that embrace gratitude. We have a thank you song we sing to grandparents and one we use during our evening prayers.
Teaching your baby manners is a habit he will cherish for life. Get started today. To download your free Thank You baby sign language flash card click here.
