Everyone to the table.

[Lilly]

Following on from comments on another thread I am interested to see how many of us on here sit together at the table to eat their meals.

We do in our house...I give the children 5 mins warning to give them time to go to the loo, wash hands etc.

Television is turned off, everyone has a chance to talk one at a time about their day and, when they've finished, the children ask permission to leave the table.

I think table manners are very important...the thought of eating our meals on our knees in front of the television fills me with horror.

It seems that more and more people are doing the meals on knees thing though. I read in the paper the other day about children starting school unable to use a knife and fork....this must be down to eating pizza out of boxes and suchlike. It's not a teacher's job to teach these things.

What goes on at meal times in your house?

[MargaretR]

I eat at table even though I eat alone - it is essential for good digestion.

[Neil]

Put us down for a yes Lilly.

[cashman]

yes always did when kids were young n i was on the right shift, otherwise late wife n kids without me. even now me n paris always eat at the table, never on lap. as you said, i think its very important fer a childs education about good manners.

[West Ender]

No one in this house eats anywhere except the dining table - or the breakfast bar in the kitchen when necessary. Mealtimes are for eating and for socialising. I happen to think it's quite important.

[Lilly]

Originally Posted by Neil

Put us down for a yes Lilly.

Glad to see that standards are high at Neil and Romps Towers.

[blazey]

To break the mould, I haven't had the luxury of owning a dining table at uni and our living was full of boys and mess so I ate at my desk at my laptop or on my bed. I imagine many of you will cringe at this!

At home I eat with food on my knee but this seems like nothing compared to my uni habits. This year I'll have a dining table though depending on what my housemates are like I cant say yet whether I will or wont use it, but I'd much prefer to.

[shakermaker]

Originally Posted by Lilly

Glad to see that standards are high at Neil and Romps Towers.

Just curious; why does it equate to high standards?

We do whatever's comfortable for the respective meal/day.

[BERNADETTE]

When eating here I sit at my desk, having said that eat at my Mums or my Sisters most of the time these days and we always sit at the table

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Lilly

Glad to see that standards are high at Neil and Romps Towers.

Any one leaving the table without permission will be shot before they get to the door

[lancsdave]

Count us in, strictly applied. TV doesn't go back on until slave labour is completed at the kitchen sink afterwards as well

[Bonnyboy]

Good table manners are fine in my book.

As a child I always had to ask to leave the table “ please may I leave the table” we always ate at the table too although it was only a card table ( when I was a toddler )

I lounge these days, I make all the grub and we eat it watching the telly on tea trays…lazy ****** I know.

I never passed on my mothers teachings to my own offspring either…shoddy isn’t it.

[accyman]

i live alone so i eat either at my pc or on the sofa if watching tv but if the kids are over then i clear the table and we eat our meal there also switching off the tv

if i go to the trouble of cooking a meal it dam well gets eaten in peace and appreciated , even if it is only beans on toast lol

[BERNADETTE]

My niece was visiting Mum the other week and it was a pleasure to sit at the table for a meal with her, her hubby and their three young daughters. Even though the girls had finished eating they sat there so politely, an unusual sight these days but an enjoyable experience.

[Lilly]

Originally Posted by shakermaker

Just curious; why does it equate to high standards?

We do whatever's comfortable for the respective meal/day.

It doesn't matter so much if you are on your own or a young student living at uni but when you are setting an example to children it is very important.

We need to start them off on the right path with table manners otherwise we end up with a generation of people who haven't a clue how to behave at a table because they've never been shown.

We need to set the standards for the children to follow.