Have good table manners become a thing of the past?  I personally don’t think so, but as I look around at the hectic lives that most of us are living these days, I have to wonder if anyone has the time to teach them anymore.  More andmore of us are eating at staggered times, eating on the go, or are just so busy and frazzled we are happy the kids are getting anything nutritous into their bodies at all, we aren’t about to start a war over how they are shoveling it in.

But then a holiday happens.  Or maybe you take your children out to a restaurant.  Suddenly you find yourself cringing.  Did my child really just spear his meat with a knife, hold it up in the air and bite hunks off of it… like a caveman.   Is my preschooler blowing bubbles in his glass?  Did that child just wipe his face with the neck of his shirt?

And you realize it is time for an intervention before great aunt martha tells all the relatives what wile helions you are raising.

Where to begin:

Start with the basics, if your children don’t already know them. 

Napkin in lap. 

Butt in chair. 

Feet under table.

Utensils to eat.

Use your napkin, and only your napkin, to wipe your face.

Chew with your mouth closed.

Don’t talk with your mouth full.

Say please and thank-you.

If you don’t have anything nice to say about the food, don’t say anything at all.

Ask for something to be passed to you that is outof your reach, i.e. no climbing on the table.

Teach your children how to properly set the table.  It drives me batty when I ask one of my kids to do this and they throw the silverware into a pile.

After you have  mastered these you can fine tune your attention and teach your children what to do with all those extra spoons and forks at the table!  Many times I am not even sure.