Saying ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’
“Good manners are free”. I’m not sure who first said this, but it’s totally true. Having good manners throughout life is so important and if someone is bad-mannered, then it is noticeable immediately. Having good manners and saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ is something that all children should do, but many don’t. It isn’t the child’s fault if they don’t say please or thank you; this is totally the fault of the adults around the child.
Teaching children good manners
In Montessori, we encourage children to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ any time the children are asking for something or receiving something. Very quickly, the child will learn to say please and thank you independently and without prompting, both inside the classroom, but outside, too. A well-mannered child is received better by the wider community and encouraging a child to say please and thank you will develop a lifetime habit of good manners and kindness.
Looking for more Montessori activities?
Here is the full list of the Montessori tasks, including preliminary, elementary, applied exercises, and grace and courtesy. Just click on the activity you want to learn about to go there.