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Original poster

" I want a.." or "Can i have a.."..which do your children use?

28 replies

StrawberryFULLMoonOWOWOWWWWWWW · 13/10/2006 15:09

awkward as i say "what do you want for your dinner" (example) and expect dd to say "i would like"..although she actually does, but i hate it when i hear children say " I WANT....

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TheUnholyTrinity · 13/10/2006 15:10

can I have? if she says I want, I just say thats nice dear

QueenEvil · 13/10/2006 15:11

I ignore "I want" as well. I encourage Can I have or I would like.

schneebly · 13/10/2006 15:12

'My need a hot wheels/sandwich/drink' - he is only 3 and not a great talker yet!

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TwigTwoolett · 13/10/2006 15:13

I ignore I want .. I also ignore 'can I have'

My children say "Please may I have"

they are totally able to have the things they want it is whether they are allowed to that is at stake

I am of course, Queen of pedants though

Original poster
StrawberryFULLMoonOWOWOWWWWWWW · 13/10/2006 15:13

at least hes say he needs instead of he wants..like i neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeddd a bar of chocolate before lunch!!

OP posts:
NastyNemo666 · 13/10/2006 15:15

my DS is 3 and says I want..we are trying to get him to say I would like.

schneebly · 13/10/2006 15:15

Hmm - maybe he got that fom me lol!

HallgerdaLongcloak · 13/10/2006 15:16

Only "Please may I have" is allowed here.

Original poster
StrawberryFULLMoonOWOWOWWWWWWW · 13/10/2006 15:17

shneebly..you ds is gorgeous tho(memeber profiles pic) so i would give into him too

OP posts:
TwigTwoolett · 13/10/2006 15:17
indignatio · 13/10/2006 15:20

I will keep repeating "Pardon" until I get the "Please may I have X".

Agreeing (almost) with the twig again - bad habit - must stop

Happy Birthday Twig - unless that was another Cod wind up

Blu · 13/10/2006 15:25

'please may I...' in our house, or 'I would like xyz please'.

And I do tend to say 'would you like...' or 'what would you like..' rather than 'do you want'

schneebly · 13/10/2006 15:29

Thanks StrawberryFULLMoonOWOWOWWWWW!

JackieNoHeadJustABloodyStump · 13/10/2006 15:32

'Please may I...' here too - and even DD now choruses 'I want doesn't get' to DS, who often says 'I want', being not quite 3.

Gillian76 · 13/10/2006 15:45

I insist if they are asking for something they must start the sentence with "Please". Usually we get "Please can/may I have..."

flack · 13/10/2006 15:45

"May I have...", but we aren't entirely strict about it. I've been told a few times that my kids are very polite, though DS had a bad moment with teach the other day.

ediemay · 13/10/2006 15:48

Another pedant here - it's "please may I..." or I remain deaf.

robin3 · 13/10/2006 15:56

'I need' is what starts all DS1's sentences and is applied to all things so 'Mummy I need a biscuit'.

HallgerdaLongcloak · 13/10/2006 16:06

flack, I'm often told my children are very polite - they say "Excuse me" before they shove .

PrettyCandles · 13/10/2006 16:07

"I want" always gets one of the following replies: "That's nice", "Do you?" or "If you want something, ask for it". The resulting sentence from the child needs to include "please" and "may I/would you" in any appropriate order!

OTOH, if I have asked them "what do you want...etc", then I can hardly expect them to answer anything other than "want" in return. I try to remember to say "what would you...etc".

JessaJackOLantern · 13/10/2006 16:12

At the moment ds just points at whatever it may be and says "dan oo" which means thank you!!!
"

yeahinaminute · 13/10/2006 16:17

"Please may I have ...." elicits a reply from me ...

"I want" results in my reply ... " I want doesn't get "

To be fair "please may I" doesn't always get either !!

EliBoo · 13/10/2006 16:38

Tricky, with dd (not yet 3) because she's bilingual and tends to translate verbatim into 'want'. At this age, as long as there's a 'please' and 'thank you' involved I'm not too worried.

But am trying to encourage 'please can I have' and 'would like please'. And definitely trying to teach difference between want and need: cracks me up though when she says 'I NEED an icecream why because very hungry me'

Not that she gets it

WigWamBam · 13/10/2006 16:45

Dd says "Please may I have ...?".

"I want ..." elicits a raised eyebrow and an "Oh yes?" - but it isn't said very often.

lucycat · 13/10/2006 16:46

I want doesn't get. - as my gran used to say.

please may I have...... that's the way to go.