Snatch the Pebble from My Hand

“You always yell at us,” said the boy to his father.

“You think I always yell at you?” the father replied.

“Well, sometimes.” The boy was a little less sure upon cross examination.

Rather than belabor he point, the father opted for a different path. “Why do I yell at you?” he asked.

The boy hesitated, perhaps sensing there was a right answer and a not-so-right answer, perhaps actually trying to think of a good answer. Finally, he half-stated and half-asked “Because we don’t listen…” His voice trailed off at the end.

“Mmm,” the father intoned. “So what would be a logical way to not have me yell at you?” he continued.

The boy replied “By listening more…?”