What do you know...my kids really DO have manners!

Last week was our "Manners Week" and I can't even begin to tell you what an improvement I have already seen in their manners. Did you know that (until last week) my kids are out to humiliate me in public by behaving like wild animals dressed in kids clothing? Well, they typically do. I get all the stares. I am so embarrassed.

Last week, I was actually able to take them, without embarrassment, up the street to this adorable little bakery for a fancy cupcake. I was nervous because the cupcakes were served on real plates- you know, breakable ones! I wasn't sure if my kids could handle it. But they did alright. Nothing broke. My son even asked for some napkins in a polite way. And, not wanting to press my luck, as soon as the cupcakes were devoured I rounded the four of us up and left before anything did break.

As you can see, the little one decided to scribble all over it!

Even though we were reading about manners and discussing manners last week, I think the real reason for their turnaround has been our manners chart. Complete with incentives. aka rewards. OK, bribes...whatever, it is working!

You see, my older two kids are always asking to eat at a restaurant. I don't like to because it ends up being an embarrassing disaster. Nobody listens. Kids everywhere. I would rather just avoid it right now. So during their last week of school I started a star reward chart. They can earn a trip to a restaurant (of their choice) by having good manners at dinner. It was an instant turnaround! Now, they are not perfect. But improvements I have seen are: not yelling, not playing peek-a-boo with the baby, sitting up straight in seat, using napkins, asking to be excused from the table...just to list a few. Funny thing is, these are not "new" concepts for them. We have been teaching them table manners from day one! But for some reason, they have slipped and I don't think an occasional trip to Chuck E. Cheese will hurt anyone. That is where we went this week. Their manners even continued there. I really could gush all day about them, but who wants to hear that? I am just so proud of them. And glad I finally found something that is working around here. Maybe a Good-Manners-for-a-Restaurant bribe reward chart will help you too.