"Please"

MickeyM04

So DS has never been much of a talker.  He babbles but he only says mama, dada, more, all done and bye-bye.  He understands more but he just doesn't say much other than ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba all the time.  It's super cute, believe me.

Anyway he's at this age now where when he wants something, he points at it or otherwise indicates at it and then gets all frustrated, like grunting, whining, making these frustrated sounds.  So I've been trying to teach him, "Please."  I'll grab the object or point at it and say, "Please?" "Please?" several times.  Lately I can get him to stop whining/grunting and say, "More!" whenever I say, "Please," so it's like "Please?" "More!"  "Please?"  "More!"  Then after a few tries, he starts getting mad because he's said more like 9 times and I'm not giving it to him, so I'll settle him down again until he says, "More!" instead of whining at me, and then I'll give him what he wants.

I feel like I may be prolonging his lack of using words like Please (or other words for that matter) by just giving him what he wants.  But at the same time, I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've heard him say a "P" sound, so I feel like if I refuse to give him things until he says please, I'm going to be waiting a loooooooong time.  Suggestions or similar experiences?

Oatoa

We're big on Please and Thank You in our house too.  DD has some issues saying these two words so we say the word and use the sign.  Please is a tummy rub and Thank you is flat palm, toward you fingers to the lips and then pulled out.  It was easier for her to start with the sign then to say the word.  Now she says and signs at the same time.

ProfessorPedals825

Sorry no suggestions here, but it sounds like you have a good plan going there.  Repetition is pretty important.  Keep up the good work, and I'm sure he'll come along.

MickeyM04

Thanks so much ladies!  And thank you oatoa for the idea about using the signs!  And for the explanations!  He did start doing the sign for "all done" before he started saying it so maybe this will work!

salsa_wifey

Just keep trying. That's what I do. DS was at that stage too and now when he grunts or whines I ask if he wants more and he says "More." Then I get it and right before I give it to him I make him say "Please." And of course "Thank you" after he gets it.

I wouldn't stress about it.  He will get there.

The grunting and whinning is frustration. He's trying to communicate to you and he's frustrated when he feels like you aren't understanding him. You can try signing like the pp said.  We use a little signing but not much. He didn't really start using it until he could already say the words.  He's got the "More" down for sure now but since he can actually say the words, I don't encourage the signing that much.

VeilSdeGTO

We didn't start with please and thank you until DD was closer to 18 months when she started to parrot words we would say. DH and I would always say please and thank you around her so she was able to pick it up that way.

She didn't fully get that she was supposed to say please if she wanted us to get her something until closer to 20-21 months. Up until then, she would just say "please, thank you, you're welcome" all rolled into one.

I don't think by offering it before he says please will hinder him from saying it. I might even give it a week or two and try again since he is still developing his words. You also don't want him to start to associate feelings of frustration with the word please.

martinimomma

Ditto everything VSGTO said. Please started out as "peeee" and thank you was "choo" at first but as DS' vocabulary exploded the past couple months he's now got all 3 words down pat. I think hearing us use them consistently help as well.

MickeyM04

Excuse me Sandy but how do you even have time to Bump right now?!  I am amazed by you.

Junebug060609

This is coming from someone who has a kid with severe speech delays...

Work on getting him to say the names of what he wants, then add on the please. It will help him learn what things are.

martinimomma

Peanut2929 said:

Excuse me Sandy but how do you even have time to Bump right now?!  I am amazed by you.

Just practicing the time honored art of nursing and lurking. And the nanny is here today so DS is under control.