I don’t always make my kid say “please.” Sometimes, I say it for him. And here’s why: 1. It skips the power struggle 2. It keeps the momentum going 3. It keeps us BOTH regulated 4. Modeling the behavior is a powerful and developmentally appropriate way to teach My son is 3. Most of the time, he says “please” and “thank you” without prompting. But when it starts turning into a battle, I pause and model it for him instead. I’ll say something like, “Mommy, can you please get me out of my car seat?”