Small Steps, Amazing Achievements: Thank You!

For months now, when S wanted me to take something out of her hands, she’d say ta, ta, ta, ta, taaa, ta, ta… until I did it.

I suppose because whenever someone has handed her something they’ve tended to say “ta!” she thought that was what the word meant: “take this thing out of my hand!”

Just recently, she’s been saying “thank you” – or her own version of it , “da-doo” when I’ve taken something from her.

I’m not really one for forcing a child into politeness, so I’ve not corrected her or tried to force her into understanding how to say it; I think the best way is to lead by example, so I just make sure I say “thank you” when she gives me something – or when I have to try and wrestle a pen from her hand for bed time!

Yesterday evening we came in from nursery and I decided it might be nice to sit together and watch Arthur Christmas together (because I am a sucker for Christmas movies). We went to the kitchen and I got her a cracker. As I handed it to her I said, “can you say thank you?”

That’s the first time she’s ever associated saying thank you with taking something, rather than giving it. And she said it so sweetly, with a big old cheesy grin on her face like she knew she’d done something fairly awesome.