A few weeks ago our Pray n' Play devotional was on teaching your children table manners. The lesson suggested using a little plastic pig to play a game during each meal to remind kids of their manners. I found a little pig at the local dollar store and wrote some of our family's table etiquette rules on it with a permanent marker. He sits on the dining table and whenever someone is caught breaking one of our family rules, the "Manners Pig" as my little ones call it, gets put in front of the offender's plate. The last person to end up with the pig has to clear the table. My kids love this game and I'm loving how it is helping their manners tremendously! But I will say that if you implement this in your home, be prepared to be caught forgetting your own manners by your children!
What rules do we have for our children at the table?
*Say please and thank you
*Sit up with your feet in front of you
*No elbows on the table
*Chew with your mouth closed
*Speak quietly, no shouting.
*Ask to be excused when you are done.
*Stay in your chair for the whole meal unless you are asked to get something or have permission to leave the table
*Don't speak with food in your mouth
*Don't throw food on the floor
What rules do we have for our children at the table?
*Say please and thank you
*Sit up with your feet in front of you
*No elbows on the table
*Chew with your mouth closed
*Speak quietly, no shouting.
*Ask to be excused when you are done.
*Stay in your chair for the whole meal unless you are asked to get something or have permission to leave the table
*Don't speak with food in your mouth
*Don't throw food on the floor
That is such a great idea! Thanks for sharing. We have been needing a more positive way (other than nagging and mom and dad getting frustrated) to get bad manners turned around at our house... We have gotten into the habit of interrupting and being loud and silly at the table. A little pig might help us break those habits!
ReplyDeleteOh how brilliant! I need to do this one with my children!
ReplyDeleteI found your blog through Money Saving Mom, I am definitely trying this one! We struggle on a constant basis to get our children to 'mind their manners' at the dinner table, this is one idea that might actually work really well. Thanks so much for the fantastic idea!
ReplyDeleteI'm loving this idea!
ReplyDelete