# English instructions at home: everyday commands with children

Short English commands for daily tasks help children learn language together with action. Instructions you can use in the morning, at mealtimes, and at playtime.

Author: Aslıgül Aşkın · Published: 2026-10-01 · Updated: 2026-10-12
Page address: https://grammardots.com/en/blog/english-instructions-for-kids-at-home

Describing daily tasks with short English commands helps children learn language together with action. The child hears the command, sees what to do, and remembers the word through the action.

## How an instruction is built

To give an instruction, start with the base form of the verb: “Sit.”, “Come here.”, “Open the door.” There is no subject: you are talking to the child in front of you. The verb never changes; you say it the same way to one child or to several.

To soften an instruction, add “please” at the start or the end: “Please sit down.” or “Sit down, please.” To stop something, put “Don't” before the verb: “Don't run.”, “Don't touch that.” For things you do together, use “Let's”: “Let's read a book.”, “Let's go outside.”

“Let's” is especially useful with children because it turns an instruction into an invitation. When you say “Let's brush our teeth.” instead of “Brush your teeth.”, you join in, and the task becomes shared.

## In the morning

“Wake up!”, “Wash your face.”, “Brush your teeth.”, “Put on your shoes.”, “Get your bag.”, “Let's go!”

## At mealtimes

“Wash your hands.”, “Sit down, please.”, “Eat your vegetables.”, “Pass me the bread, please.”, “Are you finished?”

## Play and tidy-up

“Let's play!”, “Your turn.”, “My turn.”, “Pick up your toys.”, “Put it in the box.”, “Well done!”

## Getting dressed and going out

- “Take off your pyjamas.”
- “Put on your T-shirt.”
- “Arms up.”
- “Zip up your coat.”
- “Where are your socks?”
- “Hold my hand.”

When getting dressed, “put on” means giymek and “take off” means çıkarmak in Turkish. Outside, the shortest instructions are the safest: “Stop!”, “Wait for me.”, “Stay close.” Practise them at home first as a calm game, so your child knows them at once outside.

## Bath time and bedtime

Instructions for bath time and bedtime

| English | Turkish |
| --- | --- |
| Time for your bath. | Banyo zamanı. |
| Get in the bath. | Küvete gir. |
| Close your eyes. | Gözlerini kapat. |
| Dry yourself. | Kurulan. |
| Put on your pyjamas. | Pijamanı giy. |
| Choose a book. | Bir kitap seç. |
| Lie down. | Uzan. |
| Turn off the light. | Işığı kapat. |

Evening instructions come in the same order daily, so the child starts guessing the next step. If you say “Put on your…” and your child finishes with “pyjamas”, the instruction has been understood.

## How to use them

Choose just a few commands each week and use them every day in the same situation. Show the action as you say the command; after a while the child works out the meaning alone. Showing the action works better than translating into Turkish.

## From one-word answers to the child giving instructions

At first the child responds only with an action, which is completely normal. Then come one-word answers: you ask “Where are your shoes?” and the child says “Here!” At this stage, you complete the sentence: “Yes, here they are. Put them on.”

In the next step, swap roles. Ask your child to give instructions to a toy or to you: “Now you tell me. What do I do?” When your child says “Sit down!” or “Mummy, wash your hands!”, they are building instructions, not just understanding them.

- “Your turn, Daddy.”
- “Sit here.”
- “Close the door.”
- “Don't look!”
- “Come here.”

## Common mistakes parents make

The first mistake is burying the instruction in a long explanation. Instead of “Okay sweetie, it's time now, so can you maybe go and wash your hands?”, a short, clear “Wash your hands, please.” lets the child catch the key words.

The second mistake is using a different sentence for the same task every day. If you say “Tidy up.” one day, “Clean your room.” the next, and then “Put everything away.”, the child cannot tell which is which. Choose one instruction and stick to it.

The third is mixing Turkish and English in one sentence, as in “Hadi shoes'larını giy.” Instead, say the whole instruction in English and point to the shoes if needed. Finally, after an instruction that starts with “Don't”, also say what to do: “Don't run. Walk, please.”

To keep going, see [A 15-minute English routine for children at home](https://grammardots.com/en/blog/english-routine-for-kids-at-home) and [Rooms and things at home in English](https://grammardots.com/en/blog/rooms-and-household-items-in-english).

## Frequently asked questions

### Should I translate the instructions into Turkish?

There is no need; showing the action while you say the instruction teaches the meaning best.

### How many new instructions should I add each week?

A few are enough. Add new ones once your child understands them easily.

### Is it rude to give instructions without “please”?

Short instructions are natural in English and do not sound rude to a child. Still, adding “please” and “thank you” also shows your child polite language.

### What should I do if my child answers an instruction in Turkish?

Accept it and repeat the idea in English. If your child says “Tamam, geliyorum.”, you can reply “Okay, you're coming. Good.” so they hear the English.