June 28, 2005

Table Manners

I read this yesterday over at Tales of a Wandering Mind and made a comment over there about it. An Anonymous commenter said, basically, that table manners should be taught in the home, but that most parents these days aren't doing it, and maybe it should be taught in school.

Well, I agree with Anonymous there.

My memories of the dinner table when I was growing up are of being scowled at and told not to talk with my mouth full, or not to talk at all. My father was a man who liked things quiet, most of the time, therefore dinner was to be especially quiet. NO chewing with your mouth open, no elbows on the table, that sort of thing. Common sense stuff, really.

But he would scowl and huff when I, being only six or seven, would attempt to say Grace. Oh, Daddy didn't like that at all. I don't know why, at this point why go into that.

What this boils down to is that, despite the fact that Daddy was strict, although never poked my hand with a fork or anything, my sister and I learned table manners. To this day I'm disgusted by people who chew with their mouth open, or talk with their mouth full. I'm a stickler for no elbows on the table. Son is the one who fidgets, turns away from his plate, gets crumbs everywhere. He's almost six, so I don't get too anal with him, and Daughter is almost two, so I can't get picky about her yet.

But I do know which fork to use, I do place my napkin in my lap, I teach my son not to put his elbows on the table. I find myself being more aware of what I do at the table, such as not hunching down over my plate, which I do when I'm ravenous. After all those years of scowling and reprimands, I did learn good table manners and am really making an effort to pass that on to my kids!

Sheesh, why am I talking about table manners today? Well, I did find that post over at TWM sort of, well, gross. I mean, a toothbrush? And I don't feel like ripping into Bungholio Cruise today...and I'm tired of ranting about the Left right now.

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