Teaching kids at an early age is a process that continues until they grow, of all the etiquette they should be taught, table morals must be among them. It is very embarrassing for a visitor to notice the weird behaviour of your child at the dining table.
It is for this reason,therefore, that children are trained proper hygiene, how to chew, when to eat, what to say and what not to say while eating. Below are tips to instruct your child’s table morals.
Keep hands clean.Before sitting on the table, children should wash their hands with clean water and soap to kill the germs. This helps them to comfortably hold their piece of chicken or meat without worrying of getting sick. And after eating, they should again wash their hands clean. Monitor them as they wash their hands so that they even wash in between their fingers.
Chew with your mouth closed.Children love jazzing about anything they feel like especially what has happened throughout the day, train them to talk when they don’t have food in the mouth. They should take in little food in the mouth which they can chew, to avoid food particles dropping out of their mouth. Let your child know that eating is not a race, they should take their time, chew properly until they finish, whether they are the last on the table, it is okay. Teaching your child to use a fork and knife correctly may also prevent them from playing with their food.
Cell phones and play toys don’t come at the table. When it is time to eat, let your child pose with the playing tools and focus on eating. They should respect meal time. If possible, the TV should also be switched off to avoid destruction, remember anything can destruct a kid.
Ask for things that are far from you. It is important for kids to be taught how to ask someone to pass them the fork, table spoon or bowl if they are a distance from them. This helps them not to stretch their hands over food to get whatever they want.
Do as I do.Kids mimic table etiquette from parents. Put down some etiquette rules and practice as a family. It is advisable for kids to drink water or any drink after food to enable easy digestion of food. Explain to kids why they should follow table rules.
"Thank you” and "please” should be used where possible.After a child being served with food, it is kind to say thank you to whoever prepared or served the food. They should say "please, "if they need something for example, "please pass me tooth picks.”
Leave the table when everyone is done eating. Preschoolers should wait until everyone finishes eating so that they leave the table. Those aged five years and above can help clear the table after having dinner or lunch. This trains them to help out on house duties and feel involved.
Start eating after everyone is served and seated.Preschoolers should know that it is a good habit to start serving themselves when everyone is settled. They can be asked to pray for the food before they start serving.
Focus your eyes on your plate. While eating, a child must look in their plate but not in the neighbors’ plates, as this stops bad habits of asking for what is on the other person’s plate. However, let them feel free to kindly ask for more food if they are not satisfied.