What does my 1 year old understand?

Well my gorgeous daughter just turned one on saturday wow how fast time goes. Let the fun begin right :dance:
My husband and I are a little confused and lost as to what she understands. We are trying to get her to say ta when we go to give her things, but she laughs and then starts to crack it. We arent sure as to whether we are trying too early and being too harsh or does she understand enough that if she doesnt say ta we take it away and she doesnt get it?
Sometimes she says it but mostly not!!!
With the understanding thing is it just a matter of repeating and repeating and eventually they learn? I guess a couple of examples are she gets excited and starts to hit and she grabs and pushes haha wow how scary really, but we are trying to teach her to be gentle.
Other than this all I have to say is I have one cool kid and I am sure I have a future dancer on my hands hmm wonder where she gets that from!!! :rolleyes:

I only have one DD so don't have anything to compare her to. We say ta to her when we give her things and generally say thank you mummy, or thank you daddy afterwards because that is what I'd like her to say when she starts talking properly. I don't take things away if she doesn't say ta though. I think that she's a bit too young for that. She understands what ta means and likes to bring us all kinds of random objects and shove them in our faces whilst saying ta, lol. if I say, "ta to Grandma" she will go and give the object to grandma. Not sure if that helps you but that's our experience

oh cool yeah that does help a bit thanks. We do the same we say ta for mummy or ta for daddy and she gives it to us. But its hard to judge whether they are too young or not haha.
Thankyou for your reply though it has helped a bit. :)

I think they do understand alot of what we tell them and ask them to do, the problem is whether they want to do it, lol. And trying to make them want to do it!

In my experience with DD1 and DD2, the earlier you start with demonstrating correct behaviours the better. I say demonstrate because initially they listen to you and they do understand but don't necessarily copy. But at least you are showng her what she needs to be doing so that when she is old enough to copy consistently and to understand the concept of manners, she knows exactly what is expected of her because that's all she's ever been shown iykwim? My DD1 started to understand a bit more at about 18 months but didn't speak properly or understand the concept of manners until about two. But I still persevered with it. I'm doing the same with DD2 now but she's a fair way off understanding properly yet. You'll know when she's understanding you a bit more. I think when their language develops it's much easier to teach manners. Hope that made sense! :)

never too young to encourage bubs to talk.. the best way to do that is to talk to THEM! :-) describe everything you are doing as you are doing it, give them opportunities to copy your noises, and also copy their noises etc. with the ta thing, i never make my DD say ta before i give her something. this would frustrate her heaps and she is too little to understand. so basically just offer her the chance to say ta, if she doesnt i say it for her and then give her whatever it is.

:-)

I never forced the chatterbox that is Liebling to say "ta" or "thank you". He does it naturally because I do it to him. Once he could say "thank you" then I sometimes prompted it, but it was always a song and dance when he did rather than punishment when he didn't. He doesn't get things if he doesn't say "Please" now - but he tends to treat "please" as "you said no but I still want it so I'll try something else" rather than as a nicety.

Now he's 3 just a look from me will get a "please" or a "thank you" because he knows it is expected - but if I don't have to verbally prompt then he gets a kiss with whatever he's asked for. Cos I like kissing him!

They understand SO much - I'd say pretty much everything, although double barrel instructions might be a bit much right now. Understanding and following are a whole different issue though! I'd say this is way too early to be prompting her to say ta - as LZ says, role modelling is the way forward - if you say your pleases and thankyous to her, and you and your partner say them to each other, and both of you say them to everyone else around you, she will learn that it is the right thing to do. Practise it, with toys and things - if she hands you something (especially play cooking) make sure that you say it then. Children learn far better during play than during any other time.

TBH, "ta for mummy" has never made sense to me. I would rather say "Can you please give that to me?" because then you are role modelling an appropriate sentence.

Congrats on making it through your first year!

I agree with all the PPs, but a bit to add. Initially I think they do it to mimic rather than understanding why IYKWIM? They're a bit little for understanding cause and effect at this age - ie if I don't say it they won't give it to me. That comes a fair bit later.

Thankyou so much to everyone you have made a confused and unsure mum and dad alot more relaxed! Looking forward to her learning more and having a good ol yarn with her haha! She yells as it is and has the hand movements to go with it bahahaha watch out if you cross her on the wrong day lol! You guys have been a HUGE help thanks again!

Hi i have a 13mnth old DS and we started the ta no's and yes's and i found the key was repeting them over and over and he now says ta when i give him something, no when he doesnt want to go to bed by shaking the head and the yes's are a little more difficult but hes getting there.