I love all the new words!

It feels like every day the girls learn a new word! I love watching them learn a word and get so excited that they can communicate with us!!! But with communication, comes demanding and yelling at me.

Ana's new word of the week is "Manana." She runs to the kitchen, points at the bananas on the counter and YELLS at me "MANANA MANANA MANANA!!!" Over and over and over again. How do you explain to a 17 month old that 1) its nice to say "momma please I'd like a banana," and 2) you can't have another banana today until you poop today

 

LOL Leighann! We're in a similar spot at our house!

I keep repeating to the girls when they 'demand' something: "Banana please" Sometimes they say it sometimes they don't! Sometimes I just get the 'Peas' out of them, but at this age I'll take it!

But in this case, where she can't have any until she poops, I'd probably hide them for the time being! B/C I don't think you're going to get that point across!

I also try and model a lot for them. If I ask them for/to get me something, I always say please and when they bring it to me, I say thank you. I'm hoping it'll sink in by osmosis

 

Glad I'm not the only one! They do say thank you, but haven't yet said please. They also just say thank you after I say thank you to them, so I don't know that they quite get what it means. But like you, I'll take what I can get!

 

When they ask for something, we just repeat "Banana please". Eventually they get the please part. And we use "please" and "thank you" appropriately around them. They are pretty good with thank you too.

 

LOL at "you can't have another banana until you poop"! That's a tough one to explain to a one-year-old. I agree that it might be best just to hide the bananas, if having one is simply not an option. (We hid a lot of foods during that year -- once they were about 2, there was no point because they remembered which cupboard everything was in.)

As far as asking nicely, they may not be able to say "Please may I have a banana," but it's not too early to teach them to say (or sign) "please." When she asks for a banana, keep saying/signing "banana please" back to her until she says it. Then put your biggest happy face on and give her a banana -- she'll learn soon enough. You may have to put up with a few tantrums if she just can't be bothered to say please, but it is worth it in the long run, trust me!

 

I typically just say to them...Banana Please, as a pp mentioned. Once they started saying please a little, and I knew they were capable...now I will not give them what they want UNLESS they say please. It was getting really bad for awhile...I felt like my kids were barking demands at me all day...no way!

 

QUOTE(Leighann @ Jul 29 2008, 10:24 AM) [snapback]902129[/snapback]
you can't have another banana today until you poop today


:rotflmbo:

I just kept on saying to them anytime they'd ask for something to say please and not yell it at me, but to ask nicely. That's been working pretty well, they both say thankyou, please, bless you, etc. :good:

 

After only 5000 repetitions... manners take a while.

 

THEY WILL GET IT! I promise!

Yes, like pp's mentioned, just say "banana please" when they say "banana." And as you hand it to them, say "THank you." They WILL start repeating it and suddenly they will start doing it on their own. When my kids turned three, we started rephrasing it to "May I have a banana please?" They often do it with automaticity now, but we often need reminders. But consistency and perseverance DOES and WILL pay off!!!

Also, sometimes when they get fiesty and demanding, and shout "banana" as an order, we just say to them calmly, "Try that again." And they instantly and pleasantly say, "Banana please." Ahhhh, takes the stress away instantly.

 

at least yours are talking!!!! :cray:

 

Funny how they all say "thank you" first. We too have no "please" with the boys. Its point, grunt, use a word, throw a fit if request is not granted!"

 

QUOTE(Leighann @ Jul 29 2008, 10:24 AM) [snapback]902129[/snapback]
2) you can't have another banana today until you poop today

:rofl: I have put mine on the pantry shelves for this very reason. Mine would eat a six pack a day if I let them.


QUOTE(Babies4Susan @ Jul 29 2008, 11:20 AM) [snapback]902280[/snapback]
When they ask for something, we just repeat "Banana please". Eventually they get the please part. And we use "please" and "thank you" appropriately around them.

I do the same thing.


My girls are the opposite, they learned please first. Lauren just learned thank you and says it all the time, even when she is doing something for me she will say "thank you mama". :wub:

 

Mine say please and thank you and so does my 6 year BUT... he also demands and is rude a lot so IMO, I think once they talk it takes a lifetime to learn when "NOT" to talk. :lol:

 

Do they sign at all? You could try teaching them signs for please and thank you, in case they're not ready to make the words yet.

 

I modeled "May I have...", and I gave them credit for making the mmmm sound when asking for something. It did eventually evolve into "may I". I was also a stickler for "may I" vs. "can I". I know that sounds kind of silly, but I used may for permission and can for ability. If you tell a child they "can't" climb on the sofa, they only set out to prove to you that they CAN climb. But if you tell them they "may not" climb onto the sofa the message is much clearer. Anyway, I had a lot of luck with it. Food for thought.

 

I repeat what they say politely.

Say my kids run into the kitchen and scream "Nana! Nana! Na-nana!" I would say "You would like a banana, please?" Eventually they get it.

I thought this was going to be a thread about small kids saying rude things. Sean used to say "Shaddup!" all the time when he was about a year old. :wub: Now his favorite phrase is "You suck". It took me forever to figure out he was trying to say "Your sock". (I think some of the older boys that David plays with might have "corrected" him.) Now he runs around the house all day saying, "You suck. Youuuuu suck. You suuuuuck. You SUCK! You suck, my my suck. Where my shoe? Shoe and suck. YOU SUCK!"

 

QUOTE(fuchsiagroan @ Jul 30 2008, 05:07 PM) [snapback]905308[/snapback]
Do they sign at all? You could try teaching them signs for please and thank you, in case they're not ready to make the words yet.



the few signs i tried to teach them....let's just say, i'm not a good teacher. Somehow the sign for 'more' became the sign for all done!

In retrospect, I should have tried it sooner. They understand really well..

sorry don't mean to hijack.