Sam

So, Sam had a friend over on Tuesday and I pulled out some mini carrots to munch on. His friend was in the front room so Sam runs to the kitchen and snatches a carrot for himself and proceeds to return to the front room. This is our conversation WORD for WORD (I immediately e-mailed it to myself so I could remember everything):

Me: "Wait a minute Sam, is that being polite" (this isn't in front of his friend, we are in the other room by now)

Sam: "Um..No?"

Me: "Right, so what WOULD be polite?"

Sam: "Uh, to chew it with my mouth closed?" (he wasn't even chewing with his mouth open!)

Me: "No...WHAT would be a POLITE way to act when your FRIEND is over?" (giving him ALL the hints I can at this point)

Sam: "Um...hide it from him?"

Me: "SERIOUSLY SAM? You SERIOUSLY think I'm telling you you should HIDE your food from your friends??"

Sam: "No?" (notice these end in question marks...like he's not quite sure of ANY of these answers up to this point...)

Me: "Right, so what WOULD be the BETTER thing to do if you have a snack and a friend is over?"

Sam: "MOM! I DON'T know!"

Me: I go to the table, put a carrot in my mouth and say VERY politely..."Hey, Gabe...come here....would YOU like a Carrot??"

Gabe: "No Tank you, vezy Kaa Kaa"

Me: "Okay, Sam...do you know what you should do NOW?"

Sam: "No"

Me: "I JUST DEMONSTRATED IT!"

Sam: "I don't know!"

Me: "Okay, if YOU were at a friend's house and they got a snack and just went away and ate it without you would that make you feel happy?"

Sam: "No"

Me: "Right..so what would be better for your friend to do then?"

Sam: "Um..just stay right by me and eat it?" (as opposed to the "went away" part of my question apparently)

Me: AAARRGGHH!! "Alright Sam...when friends are here we play and SH....?(trying again DESPERATELY to give him another hint...he doesn't take the bait, URGH) we play and SHARE right? We SHARE! SO....WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU GET A CARROT AND YOUR FRIEND IS HERE???"

Sam: "OH! I get it! I should break it in half!" (it's a MINI CARROT!)

Me: "Sigh...yes Sam, you COULD break it in half...OR! You could just give him his own, there is a WHOLE bag of carrots!"

Sam: "Oh, *smile* OKAY!"

Sam, Sam, Sam, Sam, Sam! I love you kid!...and it's a GOOD thing you're SO cute! :) - I didn't say this...actually didn't even think it at the time because I was so exasperated - but I am thinking it now as I type this so I thought I'd add it anyway. :)