The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners

by Stan and Jan Berenstain

Why we liked this book:  I liked how this book pointed out bad manners first of all, and how grouchy a household can be with bad manners.  Then it emphasized the importance of good manners and how much more pleasant things can be when we are polite!

Activity:  Talk to your kids about some bad manners that may be going on in your family.  Make sure you generalize this and not point anyone out specifically.  Then talk about how you can have good manners.  Have your kids try it all day and praise them when they are showing good manners.  When a bad manner slips out make sure you tell them and ask them how they can turn it around.  After a day, try it for a week and at the end of the week reward them with a treat or some other prize!  This helps to show them how much more rewarding good manners can be!  My kids had a blast with this and would point out, "Mom!  Was that good manners?!"  or "Mom, that was good manners wasn't it?!"  Try it out!  A polite home is a happy home!

The Berenstain Bears Count Their Blessings

by: Stan and Jan Berenstain

 

Why we liked this book:  It was a good book to help my kids understand what it means to be grateful for what they have. 

Activity:  To help make sure they understood what blessings are I had them come up with as many things they were grateful for that they could.  It was hard for them to write out sentences for first I had them draw pictures of things they were grateful for.  When they were done I had them come show me and we wrote down what they were grateful for and I made them tell me why.  Then I talked to them about several other things we should be grateful for and why.  It was a really good lesson!

We did this when my daughter was 3 so you really can do this with young kids!!!