Teaching good table manners to children when they are young will help establish habits and routines for when they are older. Good manners also make the kids more pleasant to be around. Grandparents, other family members and friends will be delighted to see your children behaving properly. They're more likely to get invited to parties and social events if they know how to behave during meals. Establishing rules while at the table will give your children a clear-cut set of guidelines so they know what is expected of them.
Be Prompt
Establish a rule about getting to the table on time. Being prompt at the dinner table shows respect for the host and is the first step in establishing good manners. If someone arrives late, everyone's meal is disrupted.
Eat Together as a Family
Establish a rule about the whole family eating together a certain number of times each week. If this precedent is set up early in a child's life, fewer squabbles about it will erupt later. Each family member should have a place at the table, including the babies and toddlers. In addition to showing respect for the family, it gives each person a sense of belonging.
Respect Family Traditions
Family traditions should be honored at the table. If your family is religious and prays before eating, the children should respect this habit and follow suit. Other families may join hands and express something positive about their day. Teach the children early it is important to show respect for family traditions.
Using Proper Place Settings
When a child learns where the fork goes and which side of the plate her glass is on, she's less likely to mistake someone else's for hers when she's out in public. The forks go on the left, and, in most cases, you work your way from the farthest utensils from the plate inward as each course is served. The napkin should be placed to the left of the forks, and the glasses and cups are on the right, between the twelve o'clock and two o'clock positions. The bread plate sits on the left in the ten o'clock position.
Chew With Closed Mouths
Children need to learn that anything said at the dinner table should be done after their food is swallowed. No one wants to see a mouthful of half-chewed food.
Keep Elbows off the Table
Children need to learn to keep their elbows off the table while they're eating. This rule serves a practical purpose: When a person has his elbows on the table, the additional weight is likely to rock the table and to disrupt other people's meals.
Enjoy Appropriate Dinnertime Conversation
Teach the children rules about what is or what is not open for discussion during mealtime. Because many people are squeamish, anything related to the potty and detailed medical conditions (blood, organs and diseases) need to be avoided. If you're seated in a large group that encompasses a variety of sensibilities, it's also not wise to discuss religion or politics, because these topics can cause heated debates.
Show Gratitude
After a meal, the children need to thank the hostess and cook for the meal. Even if they didn't care for any or all of it, showing gratitude will keep them in good graces with those who put the time and trouble into the meal preparation.
Request Permission to Leave
Rather than hop up from the table when they're finished, children should ask permission to leave. Otherwise, one person will be left sitting alone at the table.
