Please and thank you

[Brownsofas]

How old were your children when they said please and thank you?

I don't have children, but I was taught please and thank you as soon as I could talk! In fact, my mum used to call me in from playing out, getting me to write out thank you's when I was 6!

"Ta" was their first word (both of them)

I really don't remember when please came in, but I imagine it was quite early.

I do remember one occasion - restaurant for a friend's 40th - S1 would have been 7 and a quarter. He asked "may I have the steak and chips please, without any sauce". Everyone else seemed to consider this quite a big thing but it was normal interactions in our house.

Ta was also a first word here!

I encourage Dd to say please and thank you but she is exceptionally shy and will not speak to strangers - ever! I always say it on her behalf.

She has consistently said please and thank you to me/family since she was 2.

DS isn’t quite two, really trying to encourage it. He can say please (not very clearly!) but he doesn’t use it consistently.

That’s normal, it’s lovely that he’s saying please already! Just keep doing what you’re doing and it’ll become second nature to him.

2

My 1yo says ta but not everytime he gets something as he's 1! My eldest said them regularly from around 3 but I do still have to remind him sometimes at 5.

Another one where "ta" was the first word! DD now nearly two and still says ta continuously. She sometimes says please ("peas") spontaneously but usually has to be prompted. She'll also say thank you ("tak oo") if prompted.

My boy has said please and thank you pretty well from 2.5yrs

Er consistently, not continuously!

Since she could talk we have prompted for it. She's 3.5 yo now and will say please and thank you unprompted about half the time. Thank you is a lot more automatic, but we insist on both.

Two.

Two. Although a year later he thinks that if he shrieks "PLEEEEAASE" after I've said no to something then he'll get it. It's a work in progress 😂

Our nursery taught sign for both words as soon as he started at 1. He has been saying both for quite a while now - probably since 18/20 months

A bit before two? Obviously not completely clearly.. you’ll be reminding them a long old while. Kids don’t naturally think about other people’s perspectives

From when she could talk really. Not those exact words maybe.

Peas and shankoooo were words 5 and 6 if I remember rightly, around 15m old. She remembers about 80% of the time now she's 3, and a raised eyebrow does the trick for the other 20%

Around 20 months my DD could sign please and thank you. Could say please (not very clearly) from around 22 months and thank you came around 2y1m.

She’s 2.5 and says thank you without prompt but sometimes needs reminding to say please.

Just keep prompting. And make sure you're using it too!

I don't like or use "ta" but I think that's brilliant that PPs have ingrained it as a first word!

DS is just 2. He says "peeez" when reminded and sometimes unprompted. "Thank you" is a work in progress but he manages a sort of "chan-ooo-mummy" so far

From before 1. Just never give him something without him saying please, then thank you. I'm like a broken record!

16 month old has just started saying please (peas). Thank you is also on the cards soon I think, but there's less incentive for thank you as they already have what they wanted 😂

Ha ha this thread is so Mumsnet. ‘Well, of course, DC said ‘thank you Mummy’ just as soon as they came out of my vagina!’

My perfectly nice DD was really 4 before it became more regular and now it’s entirely automatic at 6. I never gave up reminding her but it was a bloody slog. Which is ongoing with her younger brother.

DD 16mo has just learnt the signs for please and thank you (and uses them with lots of reminding)

Problem is she thinks the please will get her anything she wants (my coffee this morning!) So not quite sure how to navigate it with things she just can't have.

16 month old DD does say please (more accurately, "pish"), though not consistently. Most of the time when she wants milk. She can also sign thank you (repeating after me).