Patient Teacher With A Callow Student, In the School of Asking Nicely

This evening, Madeleine was watching "The Little Mermaid," and Ian changed the station abruptly.  Madeleine screamed; Ian refused to change back to her movie, and Madeleine came complaining to me.

I went to research the matter, and  it turned out that the entire problem stemmed from the fact that, after Madeleine pitched her first protest, Ian was trying to teach Madeleine to ask him to turn back the channel nicely, and Madeleine was failing to catch on to the curriculum.  There have been similar less-than-successful bouts of etiquette class between Ian and Madeleine in the past.  This time, they discussed the event as follows:

Ian:  Madeleine, you  have to ask nicely.

Madeleine:  I didn't know that!

Ian:  You should.  Everyone's been teaching you it for years.

(February 6, 2014)