I Say Please

We started working on manners several months ago and Claire is really learning to work the system. It started when she said "bless you" when someone sneezed and we thought it was adorable. She started pretending to sneeze herself so that she could be blessed, also adorable. So we decided to work on some other staples of propriety - thank you, please, excuse me.

Thank you was straight forward enough. Although she does have to be reminded to say it from time to time, she understands that we say "thank you" when someone gives us something or does something nice. She'll even say "thank you" sometimes if a stranger at the grocery store tells her she's pretty.

Then came "please" and "excuse me", which I believe she is misusing for her own purposes. It was innocent enough when we started. If she asked for something, I would remind her to say please, and she would. Josh & I made sure we said "please" when we had requests of our own. But somewhere along the way, Claire got the impression that this word possessed magical powers that would give her whatever she desired, regardless of the request. I realized this yesterday, when she asked for a snack instead of eating the lunch in front of her.

 "Snack, please," she says, in her cute-as-can-be little girl voice.
 "No," I reply in a happy tone, "It's lunch time right now. Let's eat our lunch."
"I say please!" Her pitch rises.
"I know you said please. Thank you for using your manners. But it's lunchtime right now. No snack until after nap."
"I SAY PLEASE!!!" Meltdown ensues.

We have now had a version of the "I say please" conversation 3 times in the last 2 days.

She also seems to have misunderstood the use of "excuse me". Rather than using it when she accidentally crosses paths with someone, she uses it to alert them to the fact that she is about to bulldoze right over them.

Example: When I was laying on the couch with a cold last week, she climbed up and made her way toward my head. She said "Excuse me, Mommy" as she used my face for a step stool in an attempt to scale the top of the couch. Such a sweet moment. ;-)