Mayim Bialik believes that kids should progress in their own way and pace, as they generally know what works best for them. “I don’t tell them to say ’please’ or thank you,’” the actress explained.

Although she doesn’t directly teach them how to be polite, she models their manners. “My husband and I would say ’water please’ when our sons needed water, and we would say ’thank you’ when they got it. This taught them how society functions without us forcing it down their throats.”