Whether it's opening gifts "like a bunch of wild animals," stealing baby Jesus from their grandmother's crèche, or table manners that include ingesting a whole cupcake in one bite and turning utensils into weapons, Amy and John's four children get unruly during the holidays. John points out that they have used various methods to get their children to behave properly, but to no avail. "We've tried verbal warnings, no dessert, sending them away from the table -- nothing seems to work," he says. Not only do the kids ignore their parents' threats, but 8-year-old Mike is actually proud that he has the worst table manners! "I want to be a bachelor when I grow up!" he proclaims. Rachael laughs, "Well, you are well on your way, my friend!" Having reached the end of their rope, Amy expresses her one wish this holiday season: "All I want for Christmas is for my kids to have good manners."

Harriette reassures Amy and John that it's not too late to teach their children good manners. "It's not the end of the world though it might feel like it," she says. First and foremost, they need to support each other when it comes to instilling discipline. "In this case," she observes, "dad likes to joke and mom likes to lay down the law. You have these two different approaches and the kids are playing you. You have to be on the same page so they can't play you."

Leading by example is one method Harriette suggests for getting through to the kids. "What you need to do," she says, "is instead of telling them what to do or joking them through it, is to show them. You have to show them what manners are. Also, teach the older ones to teach the younger ones. They can also be the example. If you engage them with leadership roles, it's going to help so much."

Harriette has one final suggestion for the family if all else fails -- good old-fashioned bribery. "Make it a game, a contest. Each child could write down what their dream thing is to do with the family. They get to do it if they're the best one at the table, they help grandma in the kitchen, they open presents properly -- and then it can become a family game that you can use when you're someplace else."