Of the importance of being polite

I am an Old World mom. I strongly insist on being addressed politely by my kids, and even though my German genes occasionally jump to attention when Froglet commands me around, I will refrain from doing anything unless she says please: the magic word.

Now Tadpole is only just starting to speak intelligibly (and even then: we don't understand everything she says), and I don't always like what I hear: "go away", "sit down on your bum" (yes, she does insist I sit down on my bum, just in case, you know, I might attempt to do a head-stand), and the common "a veux", "I want". I insist on a please, and she will oblige most of the time.

This morning, she told her sister she wanted something. Froglet answered in her best sing-song mom voice "ah-ah-aha! You didn't say the magic wo-ord!" (and if I really sound like that, oh boy, somebody shoot me now). Tadpole ran to her room, grabbed her magic wand, ran back and whacked Froglet on the head with it (the magic wand lights up and plays a beautiful music, but only if you hit real hard). "Aplaplaplapla!" she yelled. Husband was nonplussed. So I translated for him: the magic word was, of course, Tapolese for abracadabra.

I love my kids :D