Pet Peeve

My biggest pet peeve with my students is when they talk back to/argue with me when I tell them to do something. For example: "Johnny, please stop talking; you're distracting people around you." Johnny's response? "I was just asking her if I could borrow a pencil." No, you weren't just asking for a pencil; I've been watching you yak for the last five minutes!
I just hate the excuses and justifications and back-talk and flat-out lies. All I want is a simple "Yes ma'am" or even an "OK."

Well, somehow my child has discovered this, and is exploiting it for all it's worth.

"Tater, don't smack your daddy in the head like that! It hurts!"
"It's ok, I'm just patting him!"

"Tater, please sit down in your chair."
"I am sitting down, Mama!" (when in fact he's standing... in the chair)

And it just goes on and on! Every little thing I ask him to do, or to stop doing! Augh!!!

We'll be nipping that little habit in the bud. He's going to learn very quickly what arguing is and what is going to happen if he continues to argue. And he's gonna get a lot of practice with that "Yes ma'am."

Addendum: We had that conversation about arguing not long after this. I laid out this whole discussion about what arguing is and why we don't do it. He looked at me with a puzzled expression and said, "I not a pirate mama." (Now Mama looked puzzled) "I not a pirate. I not go 'arrg.'"

Oy vey.