Yes Man

Timothy, at not quite two, is a well mannered southern gentleman. When his mom asks him to do something, he says yes ma’am in his sweetest voice, usually without being prompted. His vocabulary is expanding rapidly and though I sometimes need to ask his mom to translate, he makes himself understood with more patience than …

Suppressing Truth

If you’ve ever had a standoff with a toddler then you know just how deep your humanity runs. It doesn’t take very many days for a newborn to effectively communicate displeasure and by age three or sooner, self will surfaces with a vengeance. No! Followed by foot stomping and back talking is just the beginning. …

The Right Words

“No, thank you!” Thomas said for the third time, his little voice steadily rising with each repetition. He is learning to respond with manners, at least with the right words, but he’s still getting the hang of appropriate responses. Like when he first learned he needed to ask for something he wanted but he still …