He takes the candy from your hands and runs away without saying a word.
You remind him: "And the magic word?" - he reluctantly mutters "thank you". Sound familiar?
Many parents worry: why do children so rarely express sincere gratitude?

It turns out that it’s not about bad manners, but about how we demonstrate gratitude ourselves.
Children copy not what we say, but what we do. If in the family "thank you" sounds formal, like a ritual, the child will not understand its value.
True gratitude is an emotion, not an automatic reaction. To help a child feel it, it is important to show how it works.
For example, instead of asking, “Thank your grandfather for the gift!” you can ask, “What do you think your grandfather felt when he chose this car?”
This shifts the focus from formality to emotional connection. Another secret: thank your children for little things.
Not just for help, but for a smile, an idea, an attempt. "Thank you for sharing the story about dinosaurs with me - it was interesting!" - such phrases teach that gratitude is born from attention to another.
And most importantly: don't expect instant results. If a child doesn't say "thank you" today, it doesn't mean he'll grow up ignorant.
The process takes years, but every time you sincerely thank him or others, you lay a brick in the foundation of his emotional intelligence.