Continuing with the topic of manners, I began to consider table manners.
I believe that the best manners are habits, so, for the most part, we try to practice good manners at home in the hope that the kids will not totally embarrass us in public. :) Though I have never taken the time to write them down before now, we do have a few rules in our house regarding the dinner table.
Here they are in no particular order:
1) Everyone MUST wear a shirt to the table, even if you are a boy and you're hot. duh! (actually this goes for the entire kitchen area, but I am really adamant about it at the table.) No exceptions.
2) Absolutely no intentional expelling of anything. period. (you get my drift.)
3) Absolutely NO FEET on the table, even babies.
4) General manners apply, such as inside voice, no interrupting, no singing while others are trying to have a conversation and say "excuse me" if you make a mistake.
5) No THROWING ANYTHING, unless it's by me. (kidding)
6) All four legs of each chair must be on the floor at all times.
7) Give thanks before you eat. This includes blessing the cook and saying thank you.
8) Use a napkin! No wiping hands on the table, top or bottom.
9) Clear your own dishes. (even the little man helps with this one!)
10) Wait to eat until everyone is here and we have prayed.
11) No dogs in the kitchen AND no dogs in the eating area when food is present.
12) Swallow your food before you speak.The only other things I can think of are not really rules, like "if you stick your hand inside your cup, you lose your drink." and "wipe your mouth/chin, for pete's sake!" :)
Here are a few rules I'd like to work on:
1) Use good posture at the table.
2) Put your napkin in your lap before you begin to eat.
3) Always begin your request with "please pass the..." or "would you please pass the.."
4) Wait your turn to speak. (The noise level can be quite deafening some times.)
What are your rules at the table?
9 comments:
I know what you mean about the noise level. Waiting your turn to speak is one of the hardest for everyone in our family to learn. :)
No hats. (mostly me)
No toys at the table. (goes for babies too)
Clean your area after you clear your plate.
Ask the person who is already up to bring it from the kitchen, not me, and especially not mom. (work in progress)
-Superman
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Nice list, some of them made me laugh only to imagine them. I would add a couple of things:
No licking of plates and no bathroom related nor other gross talk at the table!
And a rule for me: no nagging!
One of our table rules is to either 1. Wait until everyone is done eating before leaving the table or 2. Ask to be excused.
We work on passing food clockwise.
Our biggest rule is "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit!" I'm so one of those mean moms who makes my kids eat a little bit of everything (whether they like it or not). As long as there are people starving we will eat what is provided and be grateful. However, I do let my kids choose their portions so if they don't like something, they take enough for a polite bit or two and that's it.
That is a great list. People ask us often why we are so adament about our little man saying "please" and "thank you" even just around us. And its exactly like you say, b/c good manners are learned habits. If he isn't polite at home, I sure can't expect that he would be polite outside of it.
WOW I could have written this post.
Excellent rules/manners, sadly a huge percentage of the population has no idea or doesn't care about manners.
Ask to be excused! I hate when people just get up and leave.
Oh table manners...my kids are so resistant. I was never really taught proper table manners - I mean we were not heathens. #6 and #8 are the killers here (over and over again I repeat it). Like blueviolet, you must asked to be excused - this they seem to remember. UGH!
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