The Please Police

I've decided recently that I've been getting lenient with the kids manners. The most noticeable change has been with the number of times 'please' and 'thank you' is said, or should I say not said. Because of this, last week I decided that I was going to help them get back in the habit of saying please and thank you. The kids have been doing rather well with it. Even Hannah, who still isn't talking, has caught on and is using her signs more often. I was however, quite surprised with who took to the whole activity the most. BenBen! Over the past week I have bestowed upon him the nickname of 'the please police'. Both he and Sarah Kate think it's fun to catch me when I don't use please and thank you, (yeah right, like that ever happens) but Ben has gone above and beyond with my missed pleases. Almost everytime I ask him to do something he will say, "Mom, did you forget something," and if I'm too busy or not paying attention he will stand there and say, "P P P P P P P P P P P P P " until I catch on and say please. He literally will not move until I ask again with my please. You know a lot like what I require of him. Sadly catching on to what he's doing can take awhile. The poor boy has gotten in trouble a few times because I was so busy with dinner, a screaming kid, or something else to figure out why he wasn't doing what he was asked. The whole activity has been very successful and I must say that I'll take the annoying P's and the fact that my kids enjoy pointing out my faults if it helps them become polite again. And they enjoy it.