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Successful Kids Making Faux Pas Fun
Does it really matter if children have proper table manners, answer the phone correctly, and say, “It’s nice to meet you,” when being introduced? It matters because polite children are more liked by peers and adults, and therefore more likely to be given opportunities throughout their lives. Manners teach us the rules of the game of life and make it easier for us to play.  As a parent of 7- and 4-year-olds, I know that teaching children nice behavior isn’t easy! I decided to draw on my 15 years of corporate experience in training and development and read every book on children’s etiquette I could find. First, I created a 100-page children’s etiquette manual and instructor’s guide. Within a couple of months, I was delivering my “Successful Kids” children’s etiquette workshops. NEED FOR “HOMEWORK” Parents and educators asked me what they could do at home to reinforce what I had taught their children. I looked for something at the 2007 New York Toy Fair but didn’t find anything that I thought kids ages 5 to10 would like! I left determined to develop the most fun and interesting board game to teach children manners and be at the Toy Fair in 2008! My husband and I raided our retirement, children’s college and emergency funds to invest in this dream of mine. BIRTH OF A BUNGLING FAMILY Blunders™ would be a board game about four children: Becky (age 5), Brenda and Bobby (twins, age 7), and their brother Billy Blunder (age 9). Each child would be endearing and talented but would also have some bad manners.  The Blunder children would not understand how their actions caused others to judge them adversely. They would not understand how they could have more friends, do better in school, and have more opportunities if they would only have nicer manners and follow proper etiquette. The object of the game would be for players to help the Blunders improve their social and dining etiquette skills as they interact with their family and people in their town, go to school, and play at the park. As a full-time mom, I stole moments anywhere I could to work on the game. I wrote questions (wet ones) when my kids were in the pool, and late at night when they were in bed. INSPIRATION HELPED Progress was slow. Just as I was wondering if I could really pull this off, I read the book “The Secret.” I learned that we can achieve anything we truly believe in, and imagined myself talking about Blunders on “Oprah.” My positive attitude would be needed for the struggles ahead! First, we realized our funds weren’t sufficient to produce enough games to make a profit. In three days, I put in 55 hours writing a business plan to attract investors and, thanks to my husband George’s enthusiastic salesmanship, two acquaintances signed on.  I created a prototype at the beginning of October and conducted several focus groups. The teachers and parents thought the game was amazing and the kids loved it, too!Despite garbled electronic artwork that almost caused us to miss our printing deadline and the initial denial of our trademark on the name “Blunders,” we made all of our deadlines! Toy Fair is now 33 days away. I don’t know what’s in store for us and for Blunders, but I still visualize myself talking to Oprah about my game being a success. As a bonus, I am happy to report that even though I only have a small temporary page on TDmonthly’s website, I have already received several orders for Blunders. A New York toy-store retailer called me to say that after looking at all of the new products on the TDmonthly site, Blunders is the only game she feels that she “has to have” in her store! If I can help even 100 children do better in school, have more friends, and learn the social graces and lessons that will help them for a lifetime, then my journey will have been worth it. My team consists of: – Graphic Designer and Illustrator – David Aspenlieder, friend – Editor – Sarah Picot, friend – Story Booklet Co-author – Larissa Vesdrevanis, sister-in-law – Lawyer – Andrew Tolomizenko, friend – Accountant – James Symington, father – Public Relations Consultant – Cynthia Symington, mother – My “Bit of Everything” Consultant – George Husk, husband
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