2 year olds and manners

[catgirl1976]

DS has just turned 2

He is reasonably good at saying please and thank you (though does have to be prompted) but just recently "I WANT" has become his catch phrase

For some reason I really don't like this. I'm trying to get him to say "Please may I have" instead but not I am wondering if I am being a bit OTT and pedantic with him and that he will grow out of "I WANT" but then I start worrying that if I don't teach him properly now he will be yelling "I WANT xxx" when he is 38.

He is also snatching a fair bit. I stop him when he does this and tell him "Don't snatch" and make him wait for whatever he wanted until he is less grabby

Any top tips for improving his manners without being a harridan with him?

I am sure you role model good manners. He is only 2. Don't worry too much.

Thank you

The tone and the frequency of the "I WANT" is just getting to me I think

He is only 2. I will just keep smiling and saying the right words and hopefully he will start to pick it up. I read somewhere when they say a word wrong, you don't correct them but encourage them for saying the word but say it back to them correctly themselves

Maybe I just need to adopt that principle with how he asks for things

DD is 3.6 and has only really remembered 'Please can I have' in the last couple of months. DH has been trying to get her to say it since she was 2, but I tried to talk him out of it.

It's a lot to remember when they're that small, and they're so impulsive.

My advice would be take it slowly, and gently remind him of manners as you go along. It will click eventually. Probably the same as if you don't remind him now but make a big deal of it when he's 3.

I think they have to have a decent command of language before the actual manners set it. Bit like potty training - they'll learn it quicker when they're ready anyway.

I think aiming for "x please" is more realistic at that stage. Please may I have is a lot to ask of a 2yo eager to get their point across.

It is a mouthful for him. Maybe "I want please" would be easier and slightly less abrasive :)

My DC don't get until they ask nicely.

5yo just gets a polite but blank expression.

2yo gets "can you ask nicely?"

And we model and reward "nice asking" whenever possible.

yy to "I want please" And pick your battles - choose either the "I want please" or the grabbing to deal with first and only after that's been sorted deal with the other one. Lots of praise when he does remember to say please!

This phrasing is totally normal - after all he is correctly saying what he wants which is a step forward in its own right. just politely encourage please and thank you IMO. My 3 year old is just starting to get "may I have a....please" - still needs lots of help and gentle reminders.

I feel better now

I only have the 1 child and none of my friends really have children so I always find stuff hard to gague

It is hard, stuff like this! Especially if there speech is quite clear/they're putting words together - but they are still very young really.