About Us / Holly Beth Moncher

Holly Beth Moncher created Time for Mannersä and has been teaching it to children for the past 15 years. As a mother of three boys, Holly Beth knows that children learn best by watching and then doing. A long-time dance and fitness instructor, Holly Beth also developed a unique method of teaching children good manners at an early age. Not a stuffy “etiquette” course, Time for Manners involved play, music, songs … in short, letting kids have fun while they learned polite behavior and respect for others.

A few years ago, Holly Beth decided to produce video versions of her popular educational program for young children in order to spread her unique ideas and vision. She knew she wanted the videos to be liberally sprinkled with music, games, and humor – and to be in brief segments to accommodate the short attention span of today’s “Sesame Street” kids.

So she naturally turned to Sesame Street itself for a successful model. Puppets were a natural choice. Kids were used to learning from them, and easily identified with such likable characters. The designers and puppeteers had considerable experience working with Jim Henson’s Muppets, plus Nickelodeon, Universal Studios, and Walt Disney Productions – and this transferred to Time for Manners.

The main characters are Tara and Tyler, a girl and boy who are twins, and their friend, Wesley. Other characters make regular appearances such as their dog, Rudy, friend, Maya, their teacher and the school bus driver. But the signature character of the series is Merlin Manners, a fanciful guy who’s part clock, and shows up frequently to introduce segments, sing songs, and emphasize important points.

“More than ever, parents want their children to know how to behave in social situations. There are plenty of negative examples all around us, on TV, at the movies, and in everyday life. I think it’s important that our children practice some positive examples.”
                                                                           - Holly Beth Moncher

As Merlin – and Holly Beth – are fond of repeating: “It’s always time for manners!”

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HOLLY'S HELPFUL HINTS
"Learning a Happy Handshake "
By Holly Beth Moncher

A valuable social skill that is often ignored by parents is teaching their children how to greet adults. With grandparents, other relatives and family friends, the greeting situation is made easier because children are familiar with these people. A “hi” or “hello” followed by the person’s name – and often a hug! – is the usual greeting. That’s appreciated by everyone and is easy for a child to do. But meeting a stranger is hard and sometimes a little scary.

When children are introduced to an adult they don’t know, their natural tendency is to hang back in silence.But from the earliest ages, I’ve taught little ones – both boys and girls – that there’s nothing to be afraid of. A child can meet an unfamiliar adult with confidence if their parents have taught and practiced what I call a Happy Handshake.

When I teach a Time for Manners class, I always tell the children that there are five important things to remember when meeting new people –

1. Stand up tall and smile
   
2. Look the person in the eye
   
3. Reach out with your right hand
   
4. Grasp the other person’s hand in a firm grip
   
5. Shake hands so the person knows you are happy to meet them

That’s a Happy Handshake!

If you make a fun game out of the handshake and practice it, children will remember and might only need a little prompting, like “Jimmy, show Mr. Smith how you give a Happy Handshake!”  Grown-ups are often surprised that girls should shake hands just like boys do, with a firm, confident grip. But all their lives, both boys and girls will need the social confidence that a good handshake provides.

And it all starts with a Happy Handshake!

Holly's Helpful Hints Archives >