Table Manners of Young Boys

Table Manners and the 7 year old boy… “ When Charles was a baby he had better manners than he has at 7 years. He was clean and could eat like a grown person, but of late he spills, slops, and upsets everything on the table cloth and is always in haste…”

More “Tuning in With Our Children”

“HOW SOON can we expect children to have good table manners? When Charles was a baby he had better manners than he has at 7 years. He was clean and could eat like a grown person, but of late he spills, slops, and upsets everything on the table cloth and is always in haste. 

“We don't let him go anywhere after dinner so there is no need for his shoving his food down, forgetting to use his napkin, and messing up the table. What would you do?” Being a boy, I would make so much allowance for his wobbly movements, his rapidly developing muscles and take so much pride in his fine appetite, that I would do nothing about it.

Dull Edge of Appetite

However, it isn't a wise health precaution to allow a child to bolt
his food so I would offer him an apple or glass of milk about four o’clock in the afternoon so that the keen edge of his appetite might be somewhat appeased. When dinner hour arrives try to about the day's happenings or tomorrow’s plans.

In any event, one thing I wouldn’t engage him in conversation at table do, mother, and that is nag him about his habits until he was made nervous, uncomfortable and self-conscious.

Wink at Mistakes 

Compliment him when he has eaten leisurely, been thoughtful to pass food or remarks to you and father at table and wink at a lot of etiquette until his muscular development is more stable.

Of course you can’t wink at big weekly laundry problems, but there are excellent substitutes for table cloths that can be wiped off after each meal.

You might try that type of cover with the suggestion that everyone will clean around his own plate. And since he will not like the idea of cleaning up he may become more careful.

Change Will Come

Don't worry, mother, when Charles grows up and goes a-courting, he will develop a table technique soon enough. Just now his mind and body are centered on 2 million more interesting things than table manners.

You could encourage him by suggesting taking him out to dine in public places as soon as he has learned to eat carefully. Suggest that to do so would be embarrassing to you until he improves.– By James Samuel Lacy, 1932

 🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia