Enlist Polite PigPals to Bolster Good Habits

Manners Made Easy!  More fun, less nagging

When my kids get home from school, it’s like they have forgotten all the manners that they’ve been taught and the socks and shoes go on the floor and backpacks are slung inside the door as they hunt for their before dinner snack.  My first grader and preschooler know good manners, but for some reason, in that block of time between coming home from school and dinner, it can sometimes be a mad house.  I feel like a broken record each work day and often repeat phrases like, “Pick up your shoes!” and “Hang up your backpack!” and Bob and I began to brainstorm ways to make this temporary hiccup of good manners disappear.  Sure we could ship them off to cotillion classes, but something told us that all the parenting books that suggest that teaching kids healthy habits and good manners never had a house full of active kids stuck in school all day!  There is a way to reinforce good habits without nagging, and we got some help with Manner Made Easy and the Polite PigPals.

Boys and girls forget to flush, leave dirty clothes on the floor and are the complete opposite of tidy. What’s a parent to do? One savvy mom had the idea to create the Polite PigPals ($14.99 to $19.99) to teach good manners through funny messages said aloud that make kids giggle and remind them to be neat.  As the video on website, MannersMadeEasy.com explains, Emmie and Max are sister and brother piglets.  Their family recently moved from the farm to the big city.  Emmie and Max are trying to learn all the manners of their new city as they prepare to go off to school, Piglet Prep. Max and Emmie can help your kids learn important skills to help make friends and feel comfortable in new situations and giving kids a repetitious reminder to be neat.

Check it out!  September was National Children’s Good Manners Month and here are some Lessons, Resources, and Activities to Practice Good Manners for Kids in grade K-5.

Manners Made Easy did their research and uncovered that most parents try to teach their kids to put their things away but it takes constant repetition and parents can’t be everywhere at once.  These habits are learned over time and Polite PigPals are an awesome gift of kindness to parents who need to solicit help with their sloppy kids and give them a realistic tool for kids to learn good manners. We decided to try out the Polite PigPals Cleanup Crew and Bathroom Buddy to see if our kiddos would respond to these good manner cues.  I knew our girls didn’t really mean to be sloppy, they just were excited to unwind from their busy days and were on autopilot and needed reminders to display good manners on the weekdays between the crazy hours of 5 pm – 7 pm.  The truth is, we all need a break, but our manners don’t need to take a nosedive in the process.  I’m going to tell you more about the Polite PigPal products below and talk about how they worked for us.

Choose from:

• Polite PigPals Cleanup Crew • $19.99 • Ages 3+

This welcomed crew clips onto any basket and cheers your kids on when they put things away. Great for toy boxes, dirty clothes hampers, or trashcans. Leave it to the Cleanup Crew to make youngsters giggle while they happily clean up their space. Nine funny messages rotate to keep them engaged, such as “Toss it in to win, great job my friend!”

• Polite PigPals Bathroom Buddy • $19.99 • Ages 3+

Washing hands is a lifelong habit you’ll want to instill now. Polite PigPals thank kids aloud for flushing and cleverly remind them to wash their hands. You’ll catch them giggling as they wash! Nine rotating messages keep their attention.

• Polite PigPals Hangup Helper • $14.99 • Ages 3+

Choose Emmie or Max to reinforce good manners and healthy habits. When your kids hang their things up, these piggies thank them for keeping things tidy. Almost a dozen rotating messages make kids smile or laugh aloud. For caregivers, there’s even a video online to help them install batteries.

Our Experience with the Polite PigPals Products:

My oldest daughter LOVES the Polite PigPals Bathroom Buddy and it REALLY works every time you flush.  I have to remember to remind guests we have it or they are in for quite a surprise.  It never goes off accidentally, so it seems to pick up on the flushing sounds so well.  I do think it helps Brooke to remember to wash her hands and she thinks it’s hilarious!

The Polite PigPals Cleanup Crew  has been hit or miss and it seems to be because you actually have to throw the dirty clothes (we use it on our hamper) right in front of the PigPals in order for it to make remarks.  When it works, it is fantastic.  When it doesn’t, I have Brooke telling me, “Mom, the pigs aren’t working!”  I finally figured out that you have to place the dirty clothes directly in front of the PigPals to get it to work, so mystery solved!

Overall, we are really happy with the products, but if I have to pick my favorite, it’s definitely the Polite PigPals Bathroom Buddy.  It’s great for Brie who is still in the process of potty-training on the BIG potty and it’s also perfect for our first grader who tends to hurry when using the restroom.  It’s a great reminder for all of us and I have to laugh each time I use the girls’ restroom and the pigs congratulate me for doing a great job flushing and washing my hands!  How nice!

Enlist Polite PigPals to Bolster Good Habits

http://www.mannersmadeeasy.com

List Price: $ 14.99 – $ 19.99