Some of the parents whose kids I teach are surprised that the general expectation at our school isn't that the kids say "please" before they ask for something, it's that they ask in a friendly tone. We're not that persnickety about it, but if, say, Sarah says, "Give me those scissors!" in a demanding tone, I might say, "Can you ask for those in a friendlier way?" (Towards the end of the year, I can elicit the same response by raising my eyebrows. ;) )
I'd rather, "Could you open this for me?" in a friendly tone than "Open this . . . please" in a demanding tone.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2005-08-24 09:06 pm (UTC):)
Some of the parents whose kids I teach are surprised that the general expectation at our school isn't that the kids say "please" before they ask for something, it's that they ask in a friendly tone. We're not that persnickety about it, but if, say, Sarah says, "Give me those scissors!" in a demanding tone, I might say, "Can you ask for those in a friendlier way?" (Towards the end of the year, I can elicit the same response by raising my eyebrows. ;) )
I'd rather, "Could you open this for me?" in a friendly tone than "Open this . . . please" in a demanding tone.