Lucas was six years old and full of energy. He loved building forts, pretending to be a superhero, and asking a million questions. But lately, something new had shown up—attitude.
"Time to brush your teeth," said Mom. "I don't want to!" Lucas snapped.
"Let's clean up the toys," said Dad. "You're not the boss of me!" Lucas replied, arms crossed.
There were sighs, eye rolls, and lots of "Ugh!" coming from Lucas. His parents knew he was a good kid, but something needed to change.
So one evening, after Lucas shouted "This dinner is yucky!" and stormed off, his parents sat down with him.
"Hey, buddy," said Dad, "did you know there are magic words you can use to say how you feel—and people actually listen better?"