Dr. Jameca CooperForensic Psychology Consultant, Emergence Psychological Services · Board Certified Counseling Psychologist and Forensic Psychology Consultant

Now I know with my child this would have run differently #genx #parenting #gentleparenting

9 Dec 2025 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

1:00

In this brief YouTube clip, two speakers debate whether parents should model the word “please” for their children. Speaker B, identifying as a Generation‑X parent, argues that saying “please” is foreign to his upbringing; he sees his role as providing for his child’s basic needs and issuing directives without polite framing, emphasizing authority over courtesy. Speaker A counters that the child’s compliance is often conditioned on the presence of a polite request, highlighting the “or else” threat and questioning the necessity of a please. The exchange juxtaposes a traditional, authority‑centric parenting style with the gentle‑parenting emphasis on manners and respectful communication, exposing generational cultural differences in how discipline and politeness are taught.

Mama said please. No. Mommy asked nicely. No. Did Mama ask nicely for you to sit down? Say yes, Mama. I'mma sit down, Mama. No.
Y'all, she said please. Mama asked nicely. Now I get the manners part, but as a parent in the Generation X cohort of Americans, I'm just going to say that I have never asked please, or even reinforce that with saying, I said please nicely. I can't even imagine it. It's like foreign to me because why I gotta say please to you? I provide the food and the shelter and the clothing and transportation for you and the electricity that powers all this beautiful Wi-Fi. I ain't gotta say please. I just gotta say do blah blah blah blah blah, and your job is to do it or else.
There's always the or else, and I don't think I need a please to do it.