Shana Rank
Sweet music to a Mother’s ears! These simple words hold a lot of power – “please” and “thank you”. These words convey politeness and often foresight and follow through.
I delight when I hear my kids showing their good manners, but as my own Mother so wisely told me, the process of learning takes time. As long as my boys live in my house, I will need to encourage them to say “please” and “thank you.”
The other day, I sat in the kitchen listening to my two boys, Gideon and Nolan, playing in the living room. Giggles, snorts, sputtering, squealing… “Gideon, can I have your car, I’ll give it back in one minute.” After sharing I hear, “thank you,” and they go about their play. The times I need to go in and referee the boys are the times I don’t usually hear them using “please” and “thank you.”
I ask myself why these words work. Developing Godly character, which helps me treat others correctly, requires that I put what I’ve learned into action. When I was a child, I said those words because I was taught to do so, and I am passing that training on to my children. Now as an adult–a wife and a mother–communication that is based on true courtesy still serves me as a most valuable and indispensable skill.
