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A Mouthful of Peas
Teaching the Bad Manners Game
By Lisa Cohn
Travis grinned, then stood up and pantomimed a scene that even I objected to.
"Gross," said Emily.
"That's really bad," said Allison. "Gramma would send you to your room."
"That's right," I told Allison. "When Gramma comes to visit, you need to practice good manners."
After Allison's introduction to the Bad Manners Game that night, she begged to play it over and over. After about a half-dozen rounds of the game, she clearly understood the rules.
Now, she likes to follow Travis around the house and remind him about proper etiquette. "You shouldn't talk to your friends on the phone while you're sitting on the potty," she says.
"Why not?" he asks.
"If they hear you flush, that would be bad," she says.
"You've got a point there," he says.
"You shouldn't put your finger in your nose," she says. "You're supposed to use a Kleenex."
"Tattletale," he says.
Thanks to the Bad Manners Game, Allison now knows what's expected of her when she's eating at restaurants, when guests are visiting and when Bill's boss comes to dinner. However, thanks to the Bad Manners Game, she also understands when it's OK to have a little fun and break the rules.
On my birthday, when Travis belted out a soul song and began break-dancing during dinner, Allison simply laughed and joined him. "It's not bad manners to sing and dance tonight," she said. "It's Mom's birthday, and she loves it when Travis sings and dances."
