Good News Tucson - A Family Values Publication

10 Table Manners Every Child Should Use by Ann Ziegler

Have you noticed lately that children with good manners are few and far between?

My 12 year-old daughter recently had some of her friends spend the night, and I was quite surprised. In days gone by, good manners used to be considered essential. Manners spoke of your character. But today, many children seem to be clueless when it comes to good manners.

Emily Post, the famous author who penned many books surrounding the topic of etiquette, wrote, “Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use.”

For some reason, our society has shifted from caring from others to pleasing ourselves. And even though we as parents try to instill good manners in our children, it seems as if they still live like slobs and are not mindful or aware of the feelings of others.

Good manners are essential for our children’s success in the world. If it is true that good manners show others that they care, then that alone is good reason enough to make sure basic etiquette is taught to our children.

Here are 10 table manners that every child should have a good grasp of well before they reach their teenage years:

1. They should wash their hands before sitting down to the table. At some point, they need to learn how to do this without being asked.

2. They should wait to begin eating until everyone is seated and has been served.

3. If they need to leave the table, they should say, “Excuse me,” and ask permission to leave the table.

4. They should not put their elbows on the table.

5. They should eat with their mouths closed and should not talk with food in their mouths.

6. They should use “May I please have the ____” when children would like food; they should never reach across the table.

7. They should never sing or hum or make mouth noises at the table. Needless to say, burping should never happen at the table.

8. They should always ask, “May I please be excused?” before getting up at the end of a meal.

9. Some parents like their children to clear their dinner plate from the table. If that’s the tradition in your home, children should pick up their plates after they ask to be excused.

10. They should be trained to always thank the cook for the meal.

And just like all of our parenting skills, we as parents must model good manners if our children are to use them!