Manners, Children!

Table manners are a good subject this holiday time of year, so when I found this article about teaching kids manners, I was hooked! Here's a small snip:

The following is a list of table manners that your child should have a good grasp of by age six.

• Wash their hands and face before sitting down to the table.
• Sit down in their proper seat and put their napkin in their lap.
• Wait to begin eating until everyone is seated and has been served. Many families wait until an adult gives permission to start eating.
• Stay seated in their seats without wiggling in their chairs, going under the table, or getting up and down.
• Say, "Excuse Me," and ask permission to leave the table.
• Elbows do not belong on the table.
• Mouths should stay closed while chewing and pieces should be bite sized.
• "May I please" and "Thank you" should be used when children would like food and never reach across the table.
• Participate in the conversation during dinner and no interruptions when other people are talking.
• Slurping, burping, squealing, singing, humming are all sounds that are not to be made at the table.
• It is never kind or polite to make negative comments about what is being served for dinner.
• Before getting up at the end of the meal say, "May I please be excused?"
• Ask if adults would like them to clear their dinner plate.
• Thank the cook.

Preparing children for adulthood starts the moment the baby is placed in the arms of the mother. Teaching children to use good table manners is a wonderful gift that will serve them well throughout their entire lives. Parents will be proud that their children are using the good manners that they have taught them, and more importantly children will be polished and refined and capable of being comfortable in any situation.

More details about teaching children manners here. Elena Neitlich is the owner and CEO of Moms on Edge, LLC.

You can see the full article here: ChristianParent.com

I have a serious lot of work to do with mine. They're okay on basics, but others show my own lack of teaching manners. Do you think Hubbers will learn, too? Somehow he skipped that section in school.

Sadly, I didn't win anything in the Five Minutes for Mom giveaway, but lots of others did! Check it out.

But we hit the JACKPOT with Grampa visiting. Here's a pic from this morning. I call it: "Grampa and the mullet with kids + cat."


See little CurlyGirl on the left side, peeking out?