Raising Gentlemen: What Would Happen “If Everybody Did?”

Dec 4, 2012 | 7 comments

One of the books we’ve enjoyed this month as part of our manners focus is If Everybody Did by Jo Ann Stover.

If Everybody Did shows what happens when one person makes a poor choice, which doesn’t seem like a big deal, and then what would happen if everyone made that same poor choice! We had some good laughs at the ridiculous scenarios that resulted, but we also had some good realizations about how our bad choices can affect others!

To help emphasize the lesson of this book, I had the boys make their own If Everybody Did books.

{Big J did his own block letters, just like on the original cover!}

They each chose a “bad choice” and illustrated it, first as one person making that choice, then EVERYBODY making that choice!

{Little J wanted to write the words in his book himself! I die from how grown up he is!}

The original book ends with a wonderful summary of what would happen if each of us made even just one good choice – what a wonderful world that would be!

We wrapped up our discussion by listing choices each of us – even myself – could make every day to make our home and our world more pleasant, including using good manners!

The boys have been walking around for days saying, “This is what would happen if EVERYBODY did!”

Reading If Everybody Did and making their own illustrations was a fun and memorable way to learn more about good manners!

Do you have a favorite picture book that encourages good manners? Please share with us in the comments!

 

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7 Comments

  1. Erika Dawson
    Erika Dawson on December 4, 2012 at 8:27 pm

    Very cute! Hadn’t heard of that book but will def check it out. Seems like a fun resource for demonstrating that what we do affects others. What kind of impact will we have?

    • Erin
      Erin on December 5, 2012 at 11:19 pm

      It definitely made me think about MY actions as well! Love how kids’ books can do that!

  2. Dana
    Dana on December 5, 2012 at 7:02 am

    Thanks for the review. I love sharing good books with my children, and even though they are a little older than yours, I think they’d still get a kick out of this book, learning a great life principle in the process. I found you at The High Calling. Blessings!

    • Erin
      Erin on December 5, 2012 at 11:18 pm

      Hi Dana! Nice to meet you! I do think it is a great book for almost any age child for the exact reason you stated – a great life principle for anyone to learn! Let me know what you think of it!

  3. Kate
    Kate on December 5, 2012 at 9:57 am

    What a fun book! I will have to look into that for the girls!

  4. Sara@writinghistruth
    Sara@writinghistruth on December 5, 2012 at 3:01 pm

    I really like “The Bernstein Bears Forget Their Manners”, but this sounds like a great one too:)

    • Erin
      Erin on December 5, 2012 at 11:17 pm

      I’m doing a whole post on the Bernstein Bears books soon! We are loving them as well! Thanks for mentioning them, Sara!