Some people opine that saying please implies that you’re merely requesting, not insisting. 2ly (and please read that as “two-ly” ), it undermines your authority as a parent. Lastly, it annoys them it puts you into poor bargaining position if they refuse.

Other people say that it’s important to teach our children to say please by example. Other people in the pro-please camp say that by saying please the first time, it makes you sound less like a petulant dictator. Finally, it makes you look (and feel) like you have the moral high ground if a child refuses, since you “asked nicely,” and they were the unreasonable ones when the didn’t comply.

Personally, I do ask Hayden to do things the first and maybe the second time. If he doesn’t go along after that, though, it ain’t pretty.

What do you think—do you say “please”?