Table manners, what 'irks' you?

Everyone says start young! I dont think it helps that much my son is 2 I am trying to teach him not to reach into other peoples plates and to sit down and eat and not make a mess HAHA I must be crazy

Petty? No - I think manners of all kind are important out in the Real World. The reality is that your kids will be judged according to what manners they do (or do not) display. You care enough to try and send them out in style. But honestly? I think all your reminding is in vain. What will do it for them is to hear how unattractive and gross it is from someone whose opinion holds more weight than yours does - a family friend? girlfriend/boyfriend? peer? Someone who will mortify them. Have a dinner party :) go from there!

we were taught to not eat with our mouth open by my dad pretty much since we were little. now if we accidently do it now all he has to do is give us the eye! we know he will not hesitate to smack us even though we range in ages 24 to 18! I think alot of times when people get relaxed they tend to forget their manners. I also think when kids start hanging out with other people who may not have manners taht are as good, they tend to pick up those peoples' bad habits!

Oh! I hear you! Bad table manners drive me crazy!!! I'm forever telling my kids to not talk with food in their mouth and to not play with their silverware and not to scrape the forks on the plates, and on and on and on. My children are 12, 8 and 7 and I still have to remind them ALL the time, the fact that you have a 16 year old and you're still doing it doesn't give me much hope for the future, lol. Good luck, we'll just have to keep at it and hope that eventually it will sink in.

Oh my gosh. People who blow their nose on their nampkins. How rude, who wants to handle that????, People who snort, cough up phlem, belch, chewing with the mouth open, talk with their mouth full, playing with their silverware.

Hi there shaz6611, You are not being petty, you are being a concerned parent. My "irk" at the table is one of yours. Teeth being dragged on the fork. It is like fingernails down the chalkboard. They will grow out of it, mine did. And they are 29 and 31 now, going through the same with their children...and I just smile...hmmmm

Believe it or not one day they will have table manners. It will take a girlfriend to make it happen though. LOL My son is 19 and now he has better manners than he ever had when he lived at home. You can only set the foundation and try to show them the correct way to act. It is up to them to use the information you give them. You are just their first teacher and can not make them do anything, you can only make them wish they had. LOL They are kids and there are so many more important things for them right now, this is just a stepping stone on the things they must do daily. It all comes together with that first Love, so hang in there you will be proud of them one day.

I do not care to see someone eating across the table from me and seeing their food being chewed. Nor do I like to hear someone chewing their food as if they are a cow chewing a cud.

I know how you feel.I have 5 children that I constantly nag....2 are out on their own and it just flabbergasts me when I go to their home and there are no table manners....my biggest pet peeve is when they eat with their fingers.....I don't mind if they are having french fries,every kid has to have that time with the fries but please do NOT pick up your fish,pork chop,steak or any other meat with your fingers.....that drives me NUTS!

I hate it when my kids speak with their mouths full. I hate it when they put their elbows on the table. I hate it when they chew with their mouths open (gross!). I hate it when their utensils grate on the plates. So yes, I've got issues for table manners, hehehe. It'll sink in. I've screamed and shouted and given the kids "the eye".....and it works out in the end :) Good luck!

No you are not, I don't like it when people chew with their mouth open, my daughter just started this and I can't stand it. She will be eating something and come sit down right next to me. I have to tell her to go sit somewhere else so I don't have to listen to her chewing her food. I think kids need table manners, you don't want to go to dinner with them when they are older and have them acting like pigs =) My daughter will use her finders to eat corn...she is in kindergarden this year and it has gotten really bad. I told her she better not eat like that at school because it is embarassing!!

people makin noise with spoon and teeth while eatin,this sets me off alot

You are not being petty. One of my pet peaves is people chewing with their mouth open. I have a few relatives who do this and I hate eating with them. For your sake I hope that these manners will just sink in soon. I think that you should ask them what table manners bother them when people don't follow them. Then video tape them eating without them knowing and sit down and watch it with them. It really sinks in for some people when they see what they look like on camera. The best of luck to you.

my children r 6 & 3 yrs old i have 2 constantly teach them manners while eating food .they r always running around while eatin or they eat with their hands or dont close their mouth while eating .all this spoils my lunch or dinner but they dont seem 2 learn

Hai, table manners cannot change in a single day. Please tell some related stories how should behave. This gives them interesting in the reality of thoughts. And other techniques, Let them suffer what are the problems they facing, just note it from the distance. After few days discuss with him, and try to realize the mistake what he has done. I hope this will be useful.

having proper table manners is not petty. i support you on this one and it is really important that this sink in to them, as they are the ones who will feel bad about it anyway wen other people will try to correct them. im sure they would'nt want that to happen to them

I don't like people who talk with their mouths full. Those who spill food most of the time and don't seem careful. I don't like it when my daughter watches tv while she eats on the dining room table.

The fork on the teeth thing is a real pet peeve of mine as well. You may want to tell your children too, that if they continue to do that they will wear the enamel off of their teeth and end up with cavities right in the front of their mouth. This worked for my daughter. Girls are very concerned about their appearance so this is a good way to make them realize what they may be facing after years of running metal across their front teeth. Good Luck...

I'm 16 and do have to say i have really good table manners. My parents enforced them since i was old enough to eat by myself, so yeh they do stick eventually. My mummy always taught me not to chew with my mouth open, no elbows on the table and finish all your food. Also to put your dish in the sink and always ask to be excused...im so annoying tho cos i try to enforce these onto my friends and they get so annoyed...But don't give up manners are important

the thing that absolutely makes me want to screme at the table is when people smuck and smack their food like a horse its rude and makes me sick, its not that hard to chew with your mouth closed..