Mealtime Rules

Before dinner yesterday I found myself giving my daughters a pre-meal pep talk on dining etiquette. This has been a constant battle during mealtimes in our house, which has often left both parents and children exasperated. During dinner, the girls and I (Jake was at a meeting) started to brainstorm some "house rules" that we should establish, and afterwards Bella and I came up with the following:

Family Mealtime Rules

Clear off the table.* 

Wash your hands before eating.

Wait for the family.

Pray first.

Eat clean.

Eat slowly.

Eat over your plate.

Sit on your bottom.

Use the right silverware.

Use your napkin.

Chew with your mouth closed.

Do not talk with food in your mouth.

Do not shout, yell, or scream.

Do not play games.

Do not play with your food.

Do not whine.

Talk.

Laugh.

Enjoy your food.

Be polite.

Take your dishes to the sink when finished.

Wash your hands after the meal.

*This refers to the kids' papers/crayons/pencils/etc. that usually clutter our dining table on a daily basis.

Since Bella is a beginning reader, I tried to word the rules so that she could read them by herself. She really liked the font and layout of the rules, "Wow, Mom! That really looks like what you see at a restaurant!" I believe she was thinking of a menu. ;)

Today, Jake read the rules out loud before both lunch and dinner, and we focused on really having nice, enjoyable mealtimes. And guess what? It worked! Now to see if we can turn these rules into habits!