Pray And Thank You: How To Teach Your Kids To Say It

Do your children remember to say thank you and thank you ? Many of us still believe in the value of teaching our children the importance of good manners. Saying ‘pray’ and thank you reflects not only our societal values ​​but also our emotional attachments. Through these words, we show other people recognition.

In recent years, there has been a trend that we should not “force” our children to do anything. The idea is that the children themselves must choose when they want to participate in an activity or say a certain word, as if this way will ensure a more respectful growth process and maturity.

But we should not take it to extremes. As parents, we must not forget that we are the best people to encourage our children to integrate themselves properly into the world.

We need to give them examples, strategies and skills so that our children can relate to people around them at the right stage. For every lesson there is a right time and we need to be able to recognize this in our child.

You do not “force” your child to do anything if you teach him or her to say pray and thank you. We do not impose anything on them. We help them discover the effect by having good manners in our society. These are ways of acknowledging others and we need to teach them that as soon as possible. 

Now we will explain why.

Pray and thank: the effect of a word to be learned early in life

When the child is between 3 and 6 years old, he or she goes through the first phase of “awakening” when it comes to their social and emotional development. It is at this point that their language development begins to take shape according to their experience of relationships.

Children learn from everything they see. They absorb behaviors and reactions from their parents. Even non-verbal communication (gestures, movements, and expressions) becomes stronger.

This is a small step that will lead to a development process. As the child begins to regard those around them as equals, they will approach a level of emotional maturity that is both more developed and more complex.

What do we mean by all this? As parents, we should always try to be the best possible model for our children’s behavior. In this context, a simple “ask and thank you” can have a unique power that we tend to underestimate. 

Manners show that we can not get everything we want

There are some children who behave like little tyrants. They take everything they get for granted and they believe they have the right to behave and react as they please.

• We can, of course, blame the parents for this type of behavior. But we need to understand that there are some children who are more difficult than others. Dealing with this is a challenge, but it is also a responsibility.
• A child’s social and emotional upbringing begins at a very early age. Children understand much more than we might think long before they learn to speak.
• We have to work on frustration. Children can not – and should not – always get what they want. And when they do, we need to teach them to say “thank you” as early as possible.

Positive words show recognition towards others

When a 3-4 year old child walks into a store and says “good morning” or “ask”, they will always get attention and smiles. This is a positive behavior that allows the child to connect with others at an early age.

• It is likely that your child may not understand how important these expressions are at this age. But what they will understand is that when they say it, it helps them to be respected, admired and valued.
• When you say “thank you”, you acknowledge the things that other people do for us. These things help lay a foundation for authentic empathy, which is a major aspect of a child’s social and emotional development.

Good manners are contagious

It’s not hard to teach a child to say ‘pray’ and thank you, and it brings great rewards. If our children have learned these good manners before starting school, then they will probably pass them on to their classmates. This is a positive model in the societal participation that builds social relationships.

• Again, we need to keep in mind that some words are of great importance to us as human beings. An “I love you”, a “you are important to me”, or a simple “thank you” are not just words. They are expressions that give rise to emotions. They are a way for us to pass on the emotions within us to the person in front of us.
• When we make these words our own, and when we make them common to our children, it means that they are more empathetic and mature in their close relationships. They will not only say thank you, they will also expect to be thanked.

When your child does something for someone else, they will expect recognition and respect. They want others to treat them with the same good manners that they themselves show to those around them. All this they have learned from us. And that will be important in their daily lives.

Do you want to teach your children the value of these words?