Good Old Fashioned Table Manners

What has happened to “Table Manners”? I have noticed that more and more adults and children have no concept of acceptable table manners. People are hovering over their plates/bowls shoveling food in their mouths as if it were their last meal or they act as if they are starving to death. Chewing with mouths open and talking while their mouths are full. I blame modern day society and the fact that the family table is becoming obsolete. 

While dining out in restaurants I have noticed more electronics at the dinner table being used by adults and children. So tell me this…what is the point of going to dinner with your family at a nice restaurant if you are buried in electronics?

Things to remember and practice at the table:

1. Sit up straight.
2. Napkin in lap and use it.
3. Elbows off the table.
4. Do not start eating until everyone is seated and the head of the household starts or grace has been said.
5.  Hands in lap while chewing your food.
6. Chew food with your mouth closed.
7. No talking while you have food in your mouth.
8. Wait until you are done chewing before you sip or swallow a drink.
9. Ask for food to be passed to you rather than reaching across the table.
10. Always asked to be excused when you are finished.

Growing up our parents always sat and ate dinner with us. They were the examples and taught us how to behave at the table. We learned dinner conversation and what was and was not appropriate dinner conversation. Dinner was a social event it was the time of day when we all sat together and discussed our day. There was no watching television. We didn’t have cell phones back in the day, so there was no distraction at the table and everyone was an active participant in the meal.

Dinner was the same way when my children were at home and remains the same today with the grandchildren. We work with our grandchildren on manners and acceptable behavior at the table. The dinner table is a “No Electronics Allowed Zone!”

I think it is time that everyone gets back to the family dinner table without television and electronics and learn to socialize with each other.