My husband and I have recently been trying to teach our 3-year-old daughter to use her manners, with a strong emphasis on those magic words: Please and thank you. Because this has been a constant point of conversation (and contention) in our household, I find myself thinking about all the times I fail to use my own manners when other people are doing things for me.

For most working or stay-at-home parents, it is a constant struggle to balance the demands of work, relationships with our spouses and family members, and – dare I say it – a social life with friends. During the day-to-day grind, I catch myself barking orders instead of making polite requests. Instead of saying to my husband “Please stop to grab milk on the way home from work,” my words come out as, “Stop and get milk.” Whether I mean it to be or not, the tone I take is demanding instead of obliging. To me there is no excuse for it, but there is also no stopping it once I hit autopilot mode, which typically kicks in around 5:15pm.

Once the duty is performed, I feel thankful for the work that was completed because it gave me a small reprieve from the daily grind, but I am unaware if I actually said the magic words “thank you.” To me, these two simple words say so much. They signify to the person who helped me that I am aware of his or her efforts, sacrifices, and use of precious time. If we can all slow down, take a deep breath, alter our tones to reflect more appreciation than stress, and remember to use those magic words a little more, then I think the world would be a much simpler and sweeter place to live.