Why is it that when parents who field requests from young children typically reply, "what's the magic word?" when the child doesn't preface or close the whole statement with "please?"
I found myself doing that with my son and stumbled on it a bit. What makes it magic? Why does there need to be some kind of implausable explanation attached to that which aught to be a part of common courtesy?
My bet: It's a crutch that parents use to pound the use of the word please into a childs head without have to explain the why behind it.
I, for one, am stopping. Cold turkey. I am going to, instead, say things like, "how do big boys ask for things that they would like?"
Do any other folks out there have thoughts about replacements for this bit of culture we have been stuck with?
4 comments:
In the age of Harry Potter, "th magic word" may have taken on a whole new meaning :)
"How do big boys ask for things that they would like?"
They ''contribute'' to political campaigns?
They ask Congress for repeal of the ''death tax?''
They ask Congress for no draft so Blackwater and others can send 20,000 ''contractors'' to Iraq?
Dear Anon,
You are on to something. Perhaps the W, Rove and Co. are/were in dire need of better parents/parenting.
Effect vs cause
Leaders are a symptom of the voters. The voters were scared. They feared terrorists. Bush fed that fear.
New York City, with experience of terrorists, voted overwhelmingly for Kerry.
Voters need better parenting. Someone to teach them not to worry about monsters in the closet. They have the courage of a dessicated carrot.
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