We’re trying to teach Daniel manners. The kind that is becoming lost art these days. You know, the please‘s, the thank you‘s and the excuse me‘s. Daniel is mimicking us pretty well although the actual words that come out from him are pish, queue and meeeee. I’ll give him A for effort, nonetheless.

We tell him when he says please he can get the thing he wants, which is a huge mistake. Definitely the wrong approach to teaching the magic P word. Because now he thinks saying please is the answer to all his problems.

He was throwing Smarties everywhere on the couch and he thought it was hilarious to count them one by one. He played with them so long that the colour of the Smarties pretty much faded and transferred to his sticky hands. It was gross. We tried to take them away from him and he would get so angry, saying No No.

“No, Daniel. Enough!!” Dean would say in an angry tone.

He looked at me for a second, then looked back at his dad.

“…Pish?” he looked up at him with huge watery eyes.

“No…” Dean’s voice quivered.

Ahhh… he’s melting… he’s melting, guys. He’s going to give in. Pass me the popcorn please!

Daniel knows him oh so well. He came closer to Dean. “…Pish, Di?” 

Ahhh… there it is, do you see that, guys? The melted Dean puddle on the floor?

“But sayang, he was so polite! How do I say no to such manners?” Dean defended himself.

Weak, I tell you, WEAK!!