How to teach our child to be polite at the table

               Did you ever experienced or feel as if you were at the end of your rope with how he/she behaves at the table? If yes, then give your self time to read this post as I share with you simple steps that will end suppertime shenanigans once and for all.

1. Say "Please" and "Thank you"

We taught our child these words when he(she) was two or three, but maybe he(she) uses them inconsistently or only with reminders from us. So to get these words to become automatic for our child we can emphasize and enforce them at every meal. For example; "Please come to the table for breakfast." or when your child says he(she) wants juice/milk don't pour it until he(she) says "please" and wait until he(she) says "thank you" to hand him the glass.

2. Have a sit.

By the time kids are five or six, they should be able to sit at the table  and remain relatively wiggle-free for at least 20 minutes. Find a comfy yet appropriate position for your child. If you are no longer use booster seat at the table and chairs are designed for adults, a cushion or throw pillow might help. At restaurants - when you know the meal is going to last for an hour talk to your child in advance about what to do if something goes wrong, like a crayon falls or if he(she) spills a drink.

3. Make friends with spoon and fork

Five and six years old eat so many finger foods that they can legitimately be confused about what parts of their meal require utensils. Let our child know that if he's unsure, it is best to ask "mama". Another way to get our child to be more comfortable with utensils is to put him in charge of setting the table. We can say something like, "Now that you're getting older, I think you're ready for a grown-up job of getting the table ready for dinner. We'll do it together the first few days, and then you can do it by yourself." We can also talk to our child about what to expect at the restaurants. Like, its ok to wipe his mouth with a fancy cloth napkin in a restaurant. Many kids at this age thinks we will be upset with them if they get the napkin dirty.

4. Show respect...

All the "please" and "thank yous" in the world will seem insignificant if our child responds, "Eww, that looks gross" when our friend or relative asks him(her) if she'd like a tuna salad sandwich. We can teach our child that if she doesn't want to eat the food offered at someone else's house, he simply has to respond "No thank you".

Look mommies isn't It nice to have table napkins like this for our kids to remind table manners.

Image is from WildPlumEmbroidery

1) Say please and thank you
2) Use your fork not your fingers
3) Elbows off the table
4) Thank the cook
5) Chew with your mouth closed
6) Take your dishes to the sink
7) Try it you might like it
8) Put your napkin in your lap
9) Don't speak rude of the food
10) Ask to be excused from the table
11) If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy (insert last name)
12) No texting at the table

So that's about it mommies.

Thank you for your time reading my blog.

Have a nice weekend!