When I wrote this poem I enjoyed thinking about how grown ups are often very contradictory – they tell children to say ‘please’ but do they always remember themselves? We try very hard as parents to remember to say ‘please’ and model good manners – and you can be sure that our five year old will tell us if we forget!

When I read this poem I love hearing the children laugh. Afterwards they always have LOTS of ideas for additional ‘bossy’ lines to add in, which they love to share.

Have a go at writing a poem about things grown-ups say – will you make your poem funny, serious or downright baffling? Adults say a lot of very strange things now I think about it…