Henry Aronofsky is an impolite trick-or-treater

Rachel Weisz may be starring in Fred Claus this holiday season, but she still hasn’t gotten over the most recent celebration. The 36-year-old actress jokes to People that her son Henry Chance, 17 months, wasn’t exactly a testament to good manners over Halloween.

He did go trick-or-treating for the first time last week as a dog. He can’t say ‘please’ or ‘thank you,’ so he just put out his basket and said, ‘More!’ It was quite rude.

Source: People, November 19th issue, p. 32

Comments

Cutie! Curly-Blond and Blue-Eyed – just like his mom! ;o)

- Jude on November 12th, 2007

if he can say “more”, at that age surely he can say “pwease” or “ta” or something. maybe she doesn’t say it herself, so he hasn’t picked up on it….*shrugs*

- ang on November 12th, 2007

Although I understand that kids learn different words at different times, why can’t he have learned please or thank you? I worked in a grocery store, and I was amazed at how little some of the kids were that have GREAT manners, yes parents often have to remind, and there is nothing wrong with that, but they knew the words…but besides that fact he is SO cute haha

- Lucia on November 12th, 2007

I disagree. I totally relate to Rachel joking about it because my son’s first few actual words were ‘No,’ ‘More,’ ‘Mine’ and ‘Give.’ It’s not anything I taught him, it was just the best way he could figure out to express his needs/wants. I’m sure you guys would have thought I was raising a savage!

He could SIGN please, thank you, all done, etc (and he did) but myself, my mom, and his sitter were the only ones who knew what he meant, for the most part, which didn’t help at Target, the grocery store, at a restaurant! At about 21 months he finally got some verbal manners.

The whole thing is funny! People need to stop expecting so much from babies, IMO. Rachel seems level-headed and realizes that her son is only 17 months, and CBB makes it clear that she was being sarcastic and joking. I don’t understand the twisted panties ladies…

- Pam on November 12th, 2007

Oh please, the kid’s not even 2 years old! Get over it.

What a gorgeous little boy he is.

- Nausicaa on November 12th, 2007

Oh Come on he is a baby .. he has the right to be not polite. in my book.

- nina on November 12th, 2007

Although I would never consider a child who at 17 months doesn’t say please a Savage…I do believe that it is never too young to teach a toddler manners. I have seen many rude KIDS, and therefore really appreciate that if your kid can say More, you can also teach him/her please or thank you…in whatever cute little, lispy way they will say it.

- Lucia on November 12th, 2007

If she is pointing even in a joking way that she noticed this, it is because she probably tried, with no success, for him to use more commands than his desire for more. And probably she knows that a well educated baby should say please and thank you, but her baby didn’t go for it.

Honestly, I cant believe this is being discussed,how polite a baby can be. I am serious here. I think this shows people expect too much of kids.

- nina on November 12th, 2007

Wow, he is a baby. I think even discussing teaching a 17 month old to say thank you is ridiculous. My kids were both very polite at an early age, but at 17 months? I was lucky if they said momma if they were in an off mood.

- tdevol on November 12th, 2007

wow he’s a cutie pie!! love the curls!

I don’t think many kids can say “please” and “thanks” at that age but some do. All kids learn at different times. I know 3 year olds that barely say please and thanks yet I know some 1 year olds that can!

- J.M. on November 12th, 2007

I think the important thing is that the child’s mother knows the importance of saying thank you and please. Obviously, she plans on teaching him to be polite if she recognizes rudeness.

- terri on November 12th, 2007

maybe she was joking? chill out people…

- Claudia on November 12th, 2007

Our two daughters are 3 and 6. They have impeccable manners. Yet at Halloween, they turn into heathens. This year, after getting candy and running off to the next house about 5 times, they were told we were going straight home if they couldn’t start using their manners. Then, it became a sibling contest to tell on each other when the other one didn’t say thank you.

Henry is adorable! I can’t believe he is that old already!

- Dana on November 12th, 2007

Ang–Getting dressed up in a costume and having people throw candy would excite me to the point I’d forget my manners..and I’m 27. I’m sure a 17-month-old would have even more problems with the concept. Kids of all ages can forget their manners when excited…

- Stef on November 12th, 2007

I cant believe some people take her words very seriously. I think she was just joking.

- liza on November 13th, 2007

Henry is adorable! Brit’s have a very good sense of humour (we currently are living in the UK) and I am sure she was joking, we joke about these thing all the time at my local group!

And while toddlers do learn their P’s and Q’s by listening to parents, I think most young children developmentally resort to one word commands when they really want something! Totally age appropriate!

To be honest, we’ve found most children here for polite than adults at home. People help you with your stroller, bags, you are greeted with a big smile and “hello love” when you go to shops, the library etc.

- Lola on November 13th, 2007

What happened to this blog? The last 2 posts I read had extremely judgemental comments…
You can’t say that someone’s looking weird in a photo, but we can judge a 17-month-old and his mother for not being polite and a good example?

Are people really complaining about a BABY not having good manners? Jeez…

- Luciana (Brazil) on November 13th, 2007

To the people that are criticizing–Have you ever had any contact with a normal 17 month old child? Let me tell you, most of them do and say what they will when THEY WANT TO. It’s not an age where you can do anything but model behaviour. If they mimic you saying please or thank you, that’s great, but often times they end up saying the things you least expect them to….i.e., “Dog” instead of “Dada” or something like that. My daughters both went through a stage where they called their dad “Sam” instead of “Dada” or “Daddy”, for whatever reason, and the more we tried to get them to do it the right way, the more often they did the opposite.
As for Halloween, she’s lucky she got him to say anything at that age. My daughter at that age just got these HUGE eyes and STARED at the people who gave her candy while I tried my best to coax her into saying something. Think about how weird that day must be for a small child! All of a sudden, everyone has candy and they want to give it to you, and your parents are the ones taking you to get it! It’s GOT to be a bit surreal. My oldest looked pretty freaked out, like she was in the Twilight Zone, for at least two years worth of Halloween. My second daughter took a completely different approach, pointing at something in the house, and when the occupant turned to look, reaching into the bowl for another go at the candy. Kids are kids! They aren’t little automatons! That’s the great thing about them, they are one of life’s great entertainments!

- aaronisagirl on November 13th, 2007

I had a very similar situation with my son who was 17 months @ the time. We worked on truck or treat and he wouldn’t say anything close so we worked on please, which came out peas. We went to the first house and he held out his bucket and said peas and the lady put candy in it. He looked at what he had just gotten and looked at the lady. Out came another peas! I said, we have to go to the next house honey. He jumped out of my arms and RAN to the next house. Very cute.

- Bethie on November 13th, 2007

I think it’s important to realize that kids aren’t automatons that will always deliver the desired output. My daughter is almost 2 and very verbal – she can communicate in complete sentences. We’ve always modeled saying “please” and “thank you”. But she hates it when we insist on her saying “please” – even going as far as telling me “Please is yucky.” Then, on the other hand, when you least expect it, she suddenly says “please” and “thank you”. I’ve stopped trying to force her – I’m sure she’ll get there in the end if she keeps hearing it from us.

- mousseauchocolat on November 13th, 2007

I am really surprised at how strong some people’s reactions were to this. He is only 17 months old. I truly don’t think this warrants any criticism of Rachel’s parenting. My 19 month old can only say very random words and I have been working on please and thank you for ages. Every kid learns at his or her own pace. I think this story is very cute and the perfect example of a typical toddler

- IG on November 13th, 2007

I agree with the other posters who have said Rachel is clearly joking. I don’t understand why people are even talking about manners for a 17 month old. Many kids that age don’t even speak more than a few words. She was obviously making a joke based on the fact that it would be absurd to expect a toddler that young to say these things on cue.

- PSB on November 13th, 2007