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Teaching a child to say please, thank you, and you're welcome used to be something we taught our children before pre-school. So no, it is definitely not too much to ask at the age of 8-10.

It is very important to start prompting them between the age of 2 and 4 depending on how advanced their speaking and ability to understand what you are wanting from them.

I don't know what the problem is with society anymore that parents don't think teaching manners to their children is a priority. When my children first started to talk enough to express what they wanted or needed was when I started teaching them manners they also knew at a very early age that if we were out somewhere in public and they failed to use their manners they would be in trouble once we got to the car.

If your grandchild is 8-10 years of age and doesn't know enough to say thank you, I would suggest prompting the child when a thank you is in order and the child fails to say it. Explain to them that not saying thank you is disrespectful and how acting ungrateful in the real world won't get them anywhere.

Parents today seem to allow their children to walk over them a lot more then they did when I was a child. I think some of the problem is parents are feeling guilty for whatever reasons. Maybe the parents are having to work too much or maybe it is a single parent home, for whatever they are letting the kids get by with way too much. They don't realize the harm they are doing to their children; they are making bratty children that will grow up to be bratty adults that no one will want to be around and will have no problem putting that child in its place. Society isn't going to care if they hurt the child's feelings.

So if you have a grandchild who is 8 or older he or she needs to be saying thank you. It is definitely not asking too much what is however asking too much is for the parents to expect others to tolerate such behavior from their children.

Explain why it is important to say thank you and make it clear what you expect from that child in the future and stick to it. If after that you are still not getting the respect you feel you should be getting from them don't do anymore favors for them until you get it and let them know it that until they can show their appreciation you won't be giving them anything.

It is time to take back control of the younger generation and stop letting them control us.

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