Table manners?

Question

We make it a point to sit down as a family to eat supper at the table. No one can be excused until everyone is finished eating. We make our daughter ask to be excused. We had a birthday party for our daughter this weekend and I noticed that 3 out of the 3 friends with kids that were there, didn't make their kid sit at the table to eat dinner with them. We have our daughter eat with us, no matter where we are. Other kids are running around, crawling under the table, while mine is eating. My daughter was always at the table with us when eating (after she was born) I'd feed her baby food while we ate. I feel that it's proper and a good thing to have children sitting at the dinner table as a family. My child definately eats all her food and isn't picky about what she's eating either. Do you have specific rules or anything for table manners or do you let your child run wild while eating or do you eat in shifts??

Answer 1

i've noticed this myself and i am due to deliver any day now, so i can't speak as an active mother, but i can tell you my plan...which is to always have our kids sit at the dinner table with us.
proper table manners are extremely important, plus when i was a kid dinnertime was a family thing and a time when we all sat and discussed our day.
my dad never shied away from discussing current events or any "adult" topic with us and it usually occured at dinner. i feel that dinnertime taught us more than just table manners. we learned a lot of lessons at dinnertime just by regular conversation.

i am a big fan of dinner as a family. however, when we have friends over i make a kids table for the kids and the adults sit at the big dining room table. the kids usually are pretty well behaved at their table, though. you might see someone dunk a fry in someone else's ketchup, but that's a "kid" thing.....

i commend you for teaching your daughter propriety and manners. it will only benefit her in the future!

take care!

Answer 2

Unfortunately Sunday evenings are the only times that my family and I eat together.
My husband works long hours and by the time he gets in from work, the kids are getting ready for bed. So it just isnt possible.
We did when they were younger before he has the job that he has now.
My kids have breakfast with me every morning before school, we sit on the front porch. Each day after school, they have snack before dinner if they are hungry.
At dinner we eat together, at least mots of the time. I usually eat last after everyone is thru while I am cleaning up the kitchen.
Its not so much as eating together that makes a good family or not.
My children do not crawl under the table, nor run around like a bunch of wild heathens.

Answer 3

Right now, we don't have any rules, but when she gets older I would like to. It's just me and my daughter at home, and she still sits in the high chair to eat meals. Sometimes I will sit and eat with her, or sometimes I just get her dinner. It works fine for us right now. When she is a bit older I would like to do as we did when I lived at home, which is setting the table, and sitting and eating together. I don't think it's necessary to make everyone sit at the table until everyone is done, especially if there are other kids involved, but I'm not gonna criticize you for doing it either. If that works for your family, that's fine. It seems you have done a great job implementing the rules you prefer, and that your daughter knows what to expect, and there are no fights or arguements about it. Congratulations on your family values and your well behaved child!

Answer 4

I try to have us all sit down to eat as a family, but on those occasions that we don't, I do require my boys to sit at the counter and eat. No running around. Table manners always apply, as well - elbows off the table/counter, close your mouth, ask to have things passed as opposed to reaching across someone who is eating, etc. - and the boys have to clear thier own dishes at the end of their meal.

Answer 5

We have a small amount of rules we like our son to eat at the table all the time, but as long as hes not running round like a wild animal as long as he's eating and not just ignoring his food then its ok

Answer 6

Good for you! I insist that my children be at the table when we eat, but may asked to be excused when they are done UNLESS we are at a Resturant. Also my daughter sets the table before every meal,my son clears and I wash.
Both children eat very well, and only illness will exempt them from clearing their plates.

Answer 7

We also try to sit down as a family I think it is important. I have a 1 1/2 year old we are teaching him to say please and thank you. He wipes his on try and washes his hands. When he is done eating he says done and hands up the plate. right know we let him get up out of the high chair and sit on our lap till we are done eating. but our 8 year old waits till we are all done. i think you are doing the right thing. More parents need to have manners to teach there kids.

Answer 8

We all eat together, and the same as you wait till everyone is done. I had to do it growing up and I believe it is something that all should do. I was just reading this months parents mag and it said that families who eat together their children tend to do better in school.

Answer 9

We all sit down and eat together. But, when we are at my moms house and my sons cousins are arround he won't eat. But we don't let him run wild

Answer 10

i made my son sit at the table.
i taught him please and thank yous cost nothing
i taught him how to be polite well manned
to help people if they were struggling
to give up his seat on the bus train