Does this sound familiar?

Toddler Property Laws

1. If I like it, it's mine.
2. If it's in my hand, it's mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it's mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
5. If it looks like mine, it's mine.
6. If I'm doing or building someing, all of the pieces are mine, AND
   Since it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way!

Good manners don't come naturally. Toddlers need a lot of gentle reminding to remember their p's and q's (please and thank yous).

Steps:

1. 

Model good manners to your toddler. Say please and thank you to your toddler when appropriate. If your toddler sneezes say, "Bless you." If you want your toddler to move say, "Excuse me."

2. 

Praise your child when he or she exhibits appropriate behavior. Say things like "Nice manners!" "Thank you for being polite," or "You are so polite," when your toddler uses good manners.

3. 

Tell your toddler how you'd rather he behave if he is rude or impolite. If he hits, tell him you want him to be nice or gentle. Tell your toddler that hitting is bad manners.

4. 

Talk about other people's behavior. When you see someone using good manners, point it out to your child. Use the people in your family and household as frequent examples.

5. 

Read books and sing songs about good manners. Watch videos on the topic. Work politeness into every day in some way.

6. 

Use a simple consequence like time out for refusal to use good manners. Give a warning once and then follow through with the consequence.

Tips:

Time out is most effective if the time spent in time out is determined by the child's age. Follow this formula: one year = one minute. Do not exceed the time limit.

Give rewards for using good manners if you are trying to break a bad habit.

Be consistent and clear with your expectations and consequences. Don't let things slide one day and not the next.