Teaching children to behave at the table has been one of the first and constant tasks of parents . Because of the restless and playful nature of the little ones, the meal time also represents for them a moment of happiness and fun in their own way. Having a child changes your life completely . From the moment you know you are going to have a baby, there are many things you should start thinking about. So, you should be prepared to get all those supplements that the child will require for their well-being, both for the sake of their comfort and their health.

During the first months and years of life the expenses will be high. You should pay close attention to your child , since it will be a baby that will depend on you for almost everything, so all the time you spend with him or her will be key to your future. Remember that children copy all the attitudes and behaviors of people around you almost from the first day, so you will be a constant example for him or her of how to behave, both at home and away from home.

THE IMPORTANCE OF DEDICATING TIME TO YOUR CHILDREN FOR THEIR GOOD EDUCATION

The time you dedicate to your children will be as important as being able to cover their basic needs. For them it will be essential that you play together, but also that you know how to set some guidelines which you must follow in order to get an adequate education . A house without limits may involve chaos for the child, who surely wants to know what is right and what is not and how he should behave according to the situation.

This behavior mode must be correct both inside and outside the home . When you educate your children you do it so that they have a good behavior at home, but also so that they know how to relate and integrate properly with the rest of the world and in all the situations they may encounter. Therefore, it is important that you pay special attention to education in certain environments, such as in a restaurant.

If your children do not know how to behave properly at the table, they may put you through more than one uncomfortable situation, either in a restaurant or when you go to lunch with some friends or relatives, or they come to eat at your home So, if you want your children to behave appropriately around the table, you should dedicate the time necessary to give them a good education and always preach by example .

TRICKS FOR YOUR CHILDREN TO BEHAVE AT THE TABLE

From the first day you must teach your son to have good manners at the table. The earlier you begin to teach him what is right and what is not, it will be easier for you to correct these possible lack of education . There are parents who think that perhaps when they are a couple of years old they are too small and they will thank them or ignore certain behaviors that are not correct at the table, making it more difficult when the child is older. that what he is doing is not polite and remove a habit so ingrained.

Therefore, it is essential that parents always remain firm in their opinions . Both must always agree when it comes to educating their children. Education is important to be consensual , otherwise children will see that their parents do not agree and can not understand what is the right behavior and what can and can not do. In the same way, each adult must always be consistent with their corrections. It will not be good that sometimes you accept certain behaviors and sometimes not. If you want your child to behave correctly at the table both at home and outside, it is best to be consistent with your teaching and not let them behave badly or have bad habits at home.

Do not let the child get used to playing with food, since it is a habit that you may acquire and do not stop doing until you are very old. Therefore, you can help him eat when he is smaller, but it will be key that you help him to have autonomy and learn to eat only as soon as possible. In this way you can learn to eat by copying the adults and having a good behavior and a good education at the table.

IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING CHILDREN TO BEHAVE AT THE TABLE

Why teach children to behave at the table

For centuries, the level of education and character of a person has been judged from their manners at the table. The act of eating has always represented a moment of respect and reverence for all the civilizations of the world, which has even touched the margins of the religious and sacred.

Hence, to this day, sitting down to eat as a family and thank for food is one of the acts that help define a functional family. With this in mind, it is clear why it is fundamental for everyone to have good manners at the table, and, in turn, that the children reflect that good behavior at home and at the time of eating on the street or with guests.

What defines a child with good manners at the table?

Undoubtedly, the rules of etiquette that must be applied to eat at the table and at social events are multiple. Many of us even ignore, or simply ignore, such rigorous rules as the exact way in which we must drink the glasses, how the silverware should be placed after each bite in the breaks or at the end of eating, and even, what are the exact cutlery for special dishes .

Although we are not masters on etiquette, there are definitely universal behaviors that will make the diner show their good education and respect.

A child with good manners at the table is defined as one who develops calmly , takes his food calmly, asks permission to take something or asks politely what he needs, does not play with food or with cutlery and gives Thank you when you are attended.

If your little one can not remember all the rules to work at the table because of his young age, smiling, asking permission and apologies and always being calm will have already won much of the route when it comes to showing his courtesy.

What the child should know about courtesy

From the age of 4, children can learn the basic rules of courtesy at the table. The ones shown below reflect the simplest steps to execute and remember for the little ones.

• Wash your hands before eating: this action is important to keep the child’s health in good condition.
• Offer help to parents to serve the table, or wait calmly to be called to eat.
• Once seated at the table, the child must wait for the parents and guests to start eating so they can start.
• Ask for food saying please and thank you
• Do not put your elbows on the table.
• From an early age, children can be taught to behave at the table.
• When chewing food, keep your mouth closed and chew slowly.
• The napkin should be used frequently.
• You should not sip the soup.
• The child should not play with the cutlery , he should use them only to eat and, at the end, he should leave them parallel to his plate.
• When finished eating, the child should not leave the table if the adults have not done so , or without requesting authorization.
• When getting up, you should thank for the food and offer your help to pick it up.

Finally, remember that as parents you constantly preach with the example, so you can not expect your children to behave at the table if you do not. So, it is important that you have a good education whenever you sit down to eat with them, because that way they will understand why you are correcting them when they do something wrong and they will want to copy the proper behavior of their parents, something that will be very beneficial to achieve a good education for the future and as it grows older.

However, when children stop paying attention to the act of eating and start to get distracted or argue with their siblings, sitting at the table can be a headache for parents . For that reason, next we want to give you some advice so that you teach your little one the respect and the correct behavior at the time of sitting at the table.