Michael the Toddler (almost 3!) has learned many lessons in his brief life so far. One of them is that when you sneeze, people say either “bless you” or “Gesundheit.” So he responds in kind, politely.
He has also absorbed the lesson that something similar happens when you cough. The response to a cough is a little different, although just as dependable as what follows a sneeze.
It’s “Cover your mouth!”
So, when Michael coughs, if no one else chimes in, he says to himself and for himself, “Cover your mouth!”
Which is kind of cute.
Today, we were walking through the library, past tables (and tables…) of computer users. A man coughed. From his stroller, Michael piped up, quite audibly in the library quiet:
“Cover your mouth!”
Move along…faster, guys…