Smart Home: Table Manners, Do you or don’t you?

Elbows, elbows off the table; this is not a horses table! Ever hear that one? Ha. I can’t even count with all the fingers and toes in the world the times my mother recited that to me. Ok, so fast forward a few years and here I am, reciting the darn chant to my 4 year old (my 2 month old is allowed to do what she wants at this point!)

Elbows on table, eating with your mouth full, playing with your food…table manners are important, or are they? Sitting the kids down for dinner usually brings about a few goals…eating and behaving. Picking your battles is the strategy employed by most. If your child will finally have a bite of the brussel sprouts do you annoy him that his elbows are on the table while he’s trying the vegetable he swore he would never put in his mouth? I wouldn’t.

Manners are important, don’t get me wrong. It drives me crazy that my husband holds his knife like he’s going to stab someone, or the fact that his napkin rarely makes it on his lap. I strongly believe that Smart Mamas can prevent adulthood dining embarrassment by introducing some basic manners early on. My recommendation is to care about dining manners only when the food on the plate isn’t an issue. So, on pizza night, go ahead and insist that they get the elbows where they need to be. On liver and onions night, let them hang from the chandelier if they even consider opening their mouth.

Ragú, makers of the yummy sauce loved by all, is asking mom’s: What are your do’s and don’ts at the dinner table?