We went visiting this weekend and I explained to the girls the importance of having good manners when we were guests in someone’s home.

Ellie: Mommy, I’m going to show my good manners by saying excuse me every time I fart.

Excellent, that’s the spirit.

Ellie: Excuse me………..excuse me……………………..excuse me.

She was really practicing her excuse me’s to the point it was becoming annoying.

I suggested she wait until we arrived at our destination and only when necessary did she excuse herself for any questionable behaviour.

Ellie: What? I’m farting!

I realized she saw the act of forcing herself to pass gas a necessary piece of the excuse me puzzle and without the tooting there would be no other way to prove how refined and committed to the task at hand she really was.

In the silent but deadly lesson, I probably should have opted for silent.