[Petie]

Originally Posted by purple_kangaroo

But isn't that where it's our job as parents to explain that "please" doesn't mean "optional"? If we don't do that at some point, what will happen when they grow up and the police officer says "Please move off the street" and they say, "No thanks"?

Ok saying that just because we don't use it in our house means they won't ever learn to move for a police officer is faulty. It's like when someone against homeschooling says, "they'll never learn to stand in line if they don't go to school." It's faulty logic. My children understand that a police officer an authority figure that they need to listen to. They are just children, yet they understand this concept, even though, at our house we don't use please unless it's optional.