It's never too early to teach a child manners. If you are an inherently polite person, and act this way around your child, the child will catch on that this is how it works and start to mimic these behaviors (the same goes for if you are inherently rude.) I find myself prodding the newly-kinda-talking Emma to say "please" when she wants something, and "thank you" when she gets it. While it comes out "pees" and "doot do", I think she might be starting to get it.
The reason this comes to mind is because lately I've been watching the way people interact. Is it just me, or are people ruder, nastier, and more pessimistic than they used to be? I am constantly hearing complaint after complaint, rude remark after rude remark, and I don't hear as many "thank yous" as I used to. I also hear a lot of negativity about situations that really aren't that bad. I'll be the first one to tell you that it's easy to fall into the pessimism trap when life hands you a crappy set of cards, but it's up to you how to play those cards for the rest of the game. If you choose to pout for the rest of the game or complain incessantly about your bad cards, it's only going to set you up for a bad outlook on things. Why not use the cards you were given to try to play the game to your best ability?
Optimism, like manners, is easily learned when it is practiced dutifully. There are many positives (no pun intended) to being an optimistic person. You'll never, or rarely, be called "nasty" or "grumpy", and you will attract other optimistic people in your life. And really, what sounds better: a group of grumbly, complaining, miserable people, or a group of happy, cheerful, and thankful people?
So remember, it's never too early (or too late!) to make your life a little happier. Start with a little "please", add some "thank you", and pretty soon, you'll be catching yourself, or your little one, making the world a little bit brighter of a place.
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