Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Politely Tyrannical

We've been working on manners with our Small One. Just the basics, you know, please, thank you, no thank you. She's doing pretty well, I must say.

An unexpected downside, though, is how beautifully she incorporates manners into her natural two year old tyranny. "NO THANK YOU!!!!", she'll yell, as we put her into bed. Or try to get her to eat, or put her into her carseat, or whatever else she's protesting at that moment. We don't get the normal two year old "NO NO NO NO!" tantrum, we get a "NO THANK YOU NO THANK YOU NO THANK YOU!!!!!"

"I need a candy cane for dinner!" quickly changes to "May I PLEASE have a candy cane for dinner?" which then disintegrates into full fledged wailing "MAY I PLEASE..."

Well, you get the picture- never has a dictatorship been run with such good manners.

My favorite, though, was the other day when I was having a beer. She asked what I had, I told her it was a beer, and the following conversation ensued:

Small: "I need a beer."

Me: "No, my darling, you do not need a beer."

Small: "I need a beer in my MOUTH." (pointing)

Me: "Nope, beers are not for little girls."

Small: "May I PLEASE have a beer?"

Well... since you asked so NICELY...

2 comments:

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

My girls still think that if you don't give them what they want, then you are not sharing.

Things I May Regret Writing said...

Come no, that 21 and over thing is highly overrated. She's your child, you should intoxicate her as you wish. ;)