Please is not tangible

Posted by Stace.....

I am teaching Henry the word "please". It's rather tricky, because he can't see "please". He can, however, sign it, and it's an easy sign. But darned if he understands why he has to use it, and when.

In fact, he doesn't have to use it because reaching and grunting gets him all that he desires. And Mama and Dada are all too happy to grab everything he might be pointing at to ask if that is the desired object - and in the process introducing many new objects for future desires... But now we are encouraging this "please" business and Henry is OVER it. Despite knowing the sign, and being able to do it on command, he fussed/cried today as I held the object of that moment's desire out of reach and asked him to say "please". Dada and I even role-played it for him, acting as though we were so happy to receive the object in question - which we got upon using the magic word. It went over like a lead balloon.

Then Dada broke down and moved Henry's hand for him (and I was relieved, quite frankly). Happy upon receiving his object, Henry was all too happy to sign "please".