Manners Archives - The Mom Initiative

Tips for Teaching Kids Manners by Penelope Carlevato

Today, I invited my good friend and fellow author and speaker and lover of all things tea related, Penelope Carlevato, to share with us some tips on teaching our children and grandchildren manners and etiquette–not something we hear much about today. I gave my grandchildren Penelope’s book First Class Etiquette and it was quite enlightening for them. Born in England, Penelope was raised in an English home on the plains of South Dakota. Her English mother loved to have friends and family in for tea. Penelope grew up with an apron tied around her waist and continued the tradition of …

Kids, Costumes and Dressing Up for Sunday School

Are some battles reserved for Sunday mornings? Despite our best intentions and Saturday planning, it may seem the Enemy and all his minions move against us. It’s no wonder we give in on Sunday to what we would refuse on a weekday. While it’s still mid-week, let’s talk about kids, costumes, and sabotaging Sunday School. We don’t leave Sunday morning decisions in the back of the car. We bring them in and send them to Sunday School. Because of that, we can’t afford to hope for the best with costumes and kiddos at church. What healthy, costume-owning child hasn’t imagined …

Video: M.O.M. Mentor Moment ~ When Your Kids Interrupt You

When is the last time your children interrupted you? Does it drive you crazy? Frustrate you? Do you wonder if there is a way to prevent them from interrupting you? THIS M.O.M. Mentor Moment can help you not only enjoy an uninterrupted conversation, but will also help cultivate character traits like respect and patience while also establishing how much you treasure your children! 🙂 If you can’t view the video in your feeder, please click here. WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU DO TO HELP TEACH YORU CHILDREN NOT TO INTERRUPT OTHERS? DO YOU STRUGGLE WITH YOUR KIDS INTERRUPTING? Stephanie …

Discipline and Grace Finding the Balance

“They are so well behaved,” the perky saleswoman nodded at my three children. They are? I just told them to settle down three times. One nearly knocked over a shoe display and… “Thank you,” I smiled and attempted to cool my boiling blood. Where is the balance between first time obedience and grace? How do I decide what to discipline and what to talk about? As moms we are to, “Train a child up a child in the way he should go…” Proverbs 22:6 How do we train children without breaking their souls? How do we speak with kindness, but …

Gratefulness and Teaching Character

“YUMMM OOOOO EEEEEE UMMMM!” my three kids intoned while rocking side-de-to-side. “YUUUUMMMMM OOOOOOO EEEEEEE UMMMMMM…” It is the song of the porcupine. A song of gratefulness and I smiled… We have been using Character First as part of our homeschooling. It is a fun and easy way to discuss character traits with your kids. This curriculum is not Biblically based, but you can easily add Biblical principles in as you read fun stories, discuss a historical person with the trait, play games, and do fun crafts that help your children understand and develop important character traits. My kids remember the porcupine periodically …

Survival guide for taking kids to restaurants

Kids are not born knowing how to behave in public. In fact, “public” manners vary greatly depending on the culture you’re in and the setting within the culture. When I posted a recent observation on Facebook about a mom wrangling two boys at a coffee shop, it stirred up a flurry of comments. Strong feelings came out from non-kid-toting adults who feel impacted by children in public places like restaurants, church, and stores. Equally strong feelings came out from moms with fresh memories of the challenges of getting out with children. I sensed both groups asking, “Don’t they get it?” …

Flying with Mom – Airline Travel with Kids

It’s dark and quiet as hundreds around me sleep, now that the small passenger in row 35 has given in. His mother looks relieved, but cautious, slumped under a blanket beside him. Airline travel with small children is not easy, but it can be done well. Before the flight attendant closed the overhead bins, the elderly lady in row 35 found a way to move far from the little wiggling person making demands before we even pulled away from the gate. Early indications showed it would be a long overnight flight with this half sized, yet powerful, passenger. His mom, …

Say You’re Sorry

Recently I watched my daughter-in-law teaching her little girl to say, “I’m sorry!” It was a heart-wrenching but beautiful thing. She’s only 2, but in many cases, she is already well aware of what is right and wrong. She understands that saying mean things, talking back to her parents or adults, taking toys away from her friends and lying are all bad behaviors. The Bible teaches us that we are all born with a conscience (Romans 2:14-15) and so we naturally know some things are just wrong. Understanding the scope and gravity of other behaviors and attitudes comes with time. That’s …

Stop Interrupting Me!

Have you ever been in the middle of a conversation with someone and your child began to constantly interrupt you? “Mommy! I need you! Mommy! Moooommmy! Mom!” as they relentlessly tug on your shirt.” It’s not only frustrating and aggravating – it’s a little embarrassing. What do you do? How can you teach your children to respect you and your time with others? Is it possible to teach them how not to be rude without making them feel as though they are unimportant or that you’re ignoring them? When my children were younger I had that problem and I had …