As soon as your children are able to talk, they can be taught proper manners. "Please" and "thank you" are the beginning steps, and the basics. Manners are taught and if we never take the time to teach our children good manners they will grow up without understanding the basic concepts of good manners and courtesy.

• We start by setting a good example ourselves as parents.  It's unfair to expect politeness of a child if the parents are not polite themselves.
• Teach your child manners in stages, as their comprehension and skills develop. It probably won't do any good to ask a 2-year-old to stop chewing with his mouth open; he probably lacks the understanding and physical coordination to comply. But by 4 or 5 years of age, your child should have the ability to grasp the reasoning behind such a rule.
• Start using words and phrases like 'please,' 'thank you,' 'excuse me,' 'I'm sorry,' and 'may I?' as early as possible around your child. Encourage your child to do the same.
• Take care what language you use around children; they mimic the way adults speak.
• Ask your child to address adults with a certain degree of formality - that is, Miss, Mrs, or Mr. This is universally recognised.  Some cultures teach their children to call non relatives auntie or uncle which can be confusing for the child.
• Be Repetitious. Small children learn by repetition and consistency. EVERY time you ask your child for something, say, "please." EVERY time they give you something, say, "Thank you." If they demand something, tell them that they must say "please" before they can have it. Remind them constantly of their manners. They will quickly learn that manners are the norm and that they must use them. They will learn that in order to get what they want, they will have to be polite.
• Some other basics of etiquette your child should learn is how to shake hands, show respect for older people, behave quietly in public places, and avoid interrupting other people in conversation. Teach them to wait their turn and not interrupt other people when they are speaking.
• Don’t ignore bad behaviour or wait to talk about it. Address a rule as soon as your child breaks it. Bring up the behaviour again in private so you can discuss it more thoroughly and make sure your child understands how to behave in the future.
• Praise your child for good behaviour.