Why I Shouldn't Encourage Jack To Read...

So I am obsessed with this new (old but new to me) blog I found and also tired and not wanting to get up from the couch and do really much of anything. Well, Jack got bored of me reading comics to him so we decided he should find something to read himself. His literature of choice was the Reader's Digest. Which at first sounds like a great idea and seems harmless enough.

The cover story was "How To Say No To People". I should have seen some trouble coming. What resulted went along the lines of this:

He Says "What would you do if you asked me to do the dishes and I said, 'No, but thanks for asking.'"

Me *Blank stare.* ------long pause---- "wait, what?"

He continues with a strew of, "I'd love to help you but I simply can't take that on right now. Is there another way I can help you?" I try to be tricky and say, "Yeah, how about sweeping the floor?" *brief pause* He says "No, but thanks for asking."

FAIL

He's now practicing these phrases as if he's dutifully trying to learn another language like Russian or something. I see unhappy days in my near future.