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MannerIsms was developed by parents and kids, for parents and kids. Tell us how we can improve. Are there other manners you'd like to see included? Did your family come up with a new way of scoring or tracking your childrens' progress? Please send us your feedback.

 

"Manners are about showing consideration and using empathy. But they are also about being connected to the common good; they are about being better."

— Lynne Truss describes the importance of manners beautifully in her new book about the decline of manners, Talk to the Hand.

 

One night in 2004, Roz Heintzman was at her good friend Gillian Deacon’s house for dinner, it was here that the inspiration for Mannerisms came.

Roz, Theodore & Molly

Gillian had been at a Parenting course, where the leader had suggested teaching manners by working on one a night. Gillian had her kids taking manners out of an envelope and doing just that.

Later that week, Roz took an empty Keen’s Mustard tin and put her own manners into the tin. Her kids, like Gillian’s, loved them. An idea for a business was born.

Later that year at another family-friendly dinner party, Roz told Carolyn Hyland about this great idea for a small business. Carolyn quickly got to work researching manners and games, putting to use all her skills lying dormant since her days at PBS.

In one week, Carolyn had done a stay-at-home mom’s version of a feasibility study. There wasn’t another manners game out there and there is a market for things related to manners, especially teaching manners to children. Two weeks later, Carolyn had put a full business plan together. She is the queen of action.

Organically, MannerIsms took shape. With the support and sage advice of family, friends, and many moms, we managed to make things happen.
Carolyn’s neighbor Ruthanne Corman, a mom-cum-marketing specialist, came up with the name “MannerIsms” during a classic Toronto front-porch conversation. It stuck.Of course we all remember "Mabel, Mabel if you’re able…" so Roz, formerly of ACE Bakery and Dish, knew if we could make our manners rhyme, children would be able to remember them when they need them most.

We started with a few quirky rhymes and limericks. Over time we introduced new ones and tweaked the old ones, then, Carolyn took them to a party hosted by novelist/mom Goldberry Long who, over a bottle of red, gave them the charm and decorum they needed. And who better than your jogging buddy to listen to all of your brilliant and not so brilliant ideas? Nathalie Niddam was that sounding board and she was also the source for many brilliant ideas herself. Nathalie even managed to tear herself away from her family to help us put together all of our tins.

Carolyn & Alexandra

And how would we be reminded of the importance of manners without mothers-in-laws? Mary Jane Heintzman and Barbara Hyland have been essential to making this happen. They both know about manners, they know about raising good kids (after all, we married their sons) and they both know about business. Not bad for mother-in-laws!!!

A few months ago two angels left their coop in Washington DC, married in Nova Scotia, and decided to set up shop in Toronto. Her name is Lauren Arens, and his name is Graham MacDougall. Lauren helped us rhyme, package, and get excited about all things related to Mannerisms. As importantly, she minded Alexandra while Carolyn and Graham consulted. Then Graham laboured over logo designs, mannerism card designs and our website. Quite frankly we couldn’t have done all this without them.

Alexandra Hyland, Molly Heintzman and Theodore Heintzman – we did this for and because of you guys. We think manners play an important part of making people better people.

Lastly, of course our husbands, Andy Heintzman and Mark Hyland listened to two women (one of us pregnant) talk about manners until they were blue in the ears. For sharing their business wisdom, and drawing on their own experiences as business partners, we thank them.

There are many more people to thank – all of our family and friends have been so helpful to us in making this happen.

We would love to hear from you and keep in touch with you. Contact us to give us your thoughts.