table manners

[world hero]

should i correct my step son at the table  13.5 years old he eats like an animal fingers , mouth open , hand under table , slouched , e t c

[Kingaroo]

Yes, SOMEbody should be correcting him. Are you enough of a real dad to do other kinds of guidance and discipline? Or is his mother in charge of all that, and you just smile and stay out of trouble? That's a hard age to correct, and some teens might eat sloppily just to annoy you. But you might want to suggest in a friendly way that, if he is invited to a girlfriend's house or taking a girl out for a nice dinner, he will want to know nice manners, and home is a good place to practice so the nice manners feel natural when he wants to use them. Good luck!

[smudge]

It's such a shame that some children aren't taught good table manners from a very early age, along with please &  thank you, etc. To me they all go hand in hand!

 

I would certainly correct your step son when eating at the table, but in an encouraging way of course. If he does gets stroppy, just quietly ask him this: "When you're old enough to take a girlfriend out for a meal - is this how you would like to impress her - by eating like an animal"?!

 

 

[georgit79]

YES!!

[EssJay1]

YES.  No question really.  What's mum's excuse for his bad manners?

[georgit79]

NO 13 year old should be allowed to get away with this. By the age of 13, you should be able to take your son to a nice restaurant and not be ashamed of him...

[woofgang]

Does he know what to do and not do it (Typical of 13) or has he never been taught? Might be an idea to discuss it with his Mum first so that you have a "management line" on this

[bernardo]

YES but I'm not sure what you mean by "hand under table"  WVNBIVDB

[smudge]

bernardo, I think perhaps world hero means that his/her stepson only eats with one hand & slouches with the other hand 'under the table' rather than resting on it on the table.

[xxlizziexx]

yes i think you should. my step dad corrects me if i have bad table manners, he might find it rude and get in a strop but how else is he going ot learn? but dont tell him like he is your direct son, just say please dont eat like that then say dont eat like that! in a firm way. my mum corrects my step brothers when they have bad talbe manners! he should understand that even tho your not a blood realected mum your still a guardian. hope this helps xx xx

[PurplePixie]

In a little while, as he goes thro puberty...I'm sure that at some point a gorgeous young girl will catch his eye while he's shoving food into his mouth like a baboon & that will be enough motivation for him to improve his table manners!  

Trouble with having a go at him about it, is that he might just do it all the more...but there's nothing like a bit of public humiliation from one of his female friends saying  "you eat like a baboon" while he's munching thro a Big Mac with his mates, that might do the trick. 

[smudge]

so what do you think then world hero?

[bernardo]

I don't know anything about parenting, but I reckon that if he's 13 then he's young enough to be responsive if you ask him nicely to sit up etc., but old enough to react nastily if you criticise him or snap at him - it's definitely something which he is not doing consciously or as a form of being rebellious.

[Tha-Flash]

I'm 16, I eat with my fingers... I still have table manners wherever i'm at, weather its with my mates or in my own house, its no big deal. I'll probaly have to start using a knife and fork though.

[link2]

First ask his mom to correct him - it will be better received from her.  If she does not take action, then it is your job.  You will be doing him a tremendous favour.