When are table rules important for children?
Babies:
Von einem Baby, das gerade die erste Beikost bekommt, könnt ihr noch keine Tischmanieren erwarten und müsst es auch nicht. Trotzdem könnt ihr hier schon gewisse Grundsteine legen. Wenn gegessen werden soll, beugt jeglicher Ablenkungen vor: räumt Bilderbücher weg, schaltet Musik und Fernsehen aus und schaut nicht auf euer Handy.\r
Toddlers:
Ab etwa einem Jahr will euer Kind wahrscheinlich schon vieles selbst machen. Wenn es das erste Mal nach dem Löffel greift, anstatt die Finger in den Brei zu stecken, könnt ihr es auch ab und zu mit seinem eigenen Löffel essen lassen. Bleibt geduldig, am Anfang wird noch\rviel daneben gehen und ihr müsst wahrscheinlich irgendwann übernehmen, damit genug Essen im Mund landet. Mit ca. zwei Jahren kann euer Kind bereits besser alleine essen und auch schon warten, bis alle am Tisch sitzen, bevor es mit dem Essen anfängt.\r
From about 3 years:
Gradually you can now introduce more and more table manners and insist that your child follows them. However, children often still forget the rules at first. The only solution is to remain patient and calm, to remind them often and to praise them when your child has done something right.\r
Table manners for children
\rWash hands before and after eating
\rWipe your mouth after eating
\rSmacking, burping, and picking your nose are unappetizing and taboo
During meals, cars, coloring books and other toys do not belong on the table
\rFood is not thrown around, spread on the table, or smeared
\rSit up straight, both hands on the table and elbows off the table
\rDon't speak with a full mouth
\rSaying 'please' and 'thank you' is polite and shows respect for others
\rStart eating together and remain seated until everyone is finished. Toddlers may ask if they can get up when they are full before the parents.
\rOnly put as much on the plate as you can eat. A second helping is always allowed.
\rYou don't have to finish everything.
Together at the dining table – it's easiest this way
\r\nEven if everyone is busy and things are hectic, find at least once a day the time to sit and eat together with the whole family. Take the opportunity and put your phone aside to fully focus on your meal. In the process, family members can talk about their day, tell funny stories and enjoy the time together. In company, every meal tastes much better and your child can learn table manners from you.
Tips for relaxed meals – How your child can learn table manners playfully
Small games to motivate: Who eats the cleanest? Start a small competition to see who spills the least while eating. The winner may choose the dish for the next day. Another way to encourage your child to follow the rules is to make them the table boss, who is allowed to point out mistakes in table manners to parents and older siblings.\r
Explain the rules: Whoever licks the knife can cut their tongue. When rocking the chair, the chair can tip over and you can hurt yourself. If you explain to your children the reason for the table rules, it's easier for them to understand them.\r
Praise instead of scolding: A child who is always told only what they do wrong will eventually lose interest in eating. Instead, praise your child generously when they have done something right. That gives pride and a real motivational boost.
Exceptions are allowed: As adults, table manners are so ingrained that you don't even think about them anymore. But learning is quite tiring for children. So up to about their fourth birthday it's okay to have a day without cutlery or to sometimes eat cozily on the sofa.\r
Stay patient: Table manners don't come overnight and after the tenth admonition you may sometimes feel like a preacher. Stay consistent but calm when your child sometimes cannot manage eating with knife and fork or rests their elbows on the table.\r
Be a role model: Make sure you also follow all the table manners you want to teach your child. Only then can they learn best and be motivated to follow the table manners.
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Image credits
Girl with a braid, licks the rim of a bowl © troyanphoto - stock.adobe.com
Family sitting together at a set dining table © Krakenimages.com - stock.adobe.com
haba_TableManners_03_AdobeStock_509424063.jpg (Linas T - stock.adobe.com
Boy has a butter croissant at his mouth, sitting at the dining table © Halfpoint - stock.adobe.com
Child eats spaghetti from the plate with finger and fork © Tomsickova - stock.adobe.com
Boy eats spaghetti with hands from the plate © Tatyana A. - tataks - stock.adobe.com