My daughter will be two next month and I am trying (trying is all mommies can do) to instill some good qualities in her, you know, getting her to say please and thank you and all the rest of it.
At first it was tough , because being a typical toddler, or so I liked to believe, she would say no to just about everything, no matter what I tried. So, I decided to let her be, which is exactly when she started saying the magic words!
Aha, I thought, had I just cracked it? Was it really that simple?I wondered why it hadn’t occurred to me earlier. I wanted to tell all toddler mommies in the world about my eureka moment, to share my wisdom and relieve suffering moms.
Except, of course, it didn’t even last till I reached out for my computer. My obvious elation was enough to set her back!
But, it was a start, and from then on she realized that please was the one word that had the best chance at getting her a pat on the back and anything she took fancy to. Needless to say, I didn’t quite look at it that way. I mean I was ok with the positive-reinforcement thing but using that to her advantage? Hmm..
Anyhow, I let it pass, not wanting to rock the boat. Till, one day, she started slapping at being refused anything – be it sticking her finger into sockets or putting everything into her mouth. That’s when I reminded her about saying please.
Now, she simply says please if she wants something, but the trouble is, that if she is denied it, she keeps saying please. In her mind please is the password that will get her what she wants and if she does not get it, she sees little point in using the word! But mama you said, say please, now gimme!
Sigh.
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