Manners Candles

Sometimes at the end of the day my children morph into little wild circus creatures.  They can't sit still, and are too loud.  This is usually a good time for me to say "OUTSIDE" and let them get on with their acrobatics, wrestling routines and shouting on the trampoline.  That way they don't wreck the house or get murdered by their mother.  Unfortunately they eventually need to come inside and sit down at the table to eat in a civilised manner (waiting their turn and using inside voices).

The other night I looked at my little monkeys, started to psych myself up for a horrible bossy mum dinner time torture session, and then had a brainwave:

Manners candles!

I put two candles on the table (now I use three because Hannah wants one too) and said "these are manners candles.  If you are sitting beautifully and using your inside voices, I will light your candle, but if you are then boisterous or use bad manners your candle will get blown out"

Magic!

We even had reasonable dinner time conversation, and they loved it!

I don't use this technique every night, just when I think we need a little help, or would benefit from the novelty.  When there is a slip up and I have to blow out a candle, it is lit again after about 1 minute to give the child another chance.  At the end of the meal they get to blow out their own candle (and help clear the table of course).