I agree with the middle ground approach. I certainly would not be able to pass in high class posh victorian era society for example, and I dont think i should have to. Whats wrong with being able to be relaxed and ourselves? Why should people sit there silently judging you because your elbow is resting comfortably on the table? Its not hurting anyone.
BUT, on the other hand, lets keep our half chewed food in our mouths and out of sight and not be disgusting pigs.
I know what you mean man when i was a kid my mom would knock us with a wooden spoon if we weren’t in correct posture with the best of manners. It kinda sucks when you see people who weren’t brought up with that kinda dicipline
The worst? Well I hate watching some kids eat. Like they dont even know what to do with the food, they just smear it all over their faces, and the parts that actually make it into their mouths, they chew it up with open mouths so half of it drools out… God I hate kids….
Same can be said of many things that we found to be a pain when we were little. I’ll go out to pretty much anywhere and there’s always at least one crying, kicking, and screaming child making a scene while the mother is just all ‘meh’ about it. I tend to call my Dad up later in the day and thank him for always keeping me in line any time I’d start to become fussy.
Frankly, I don’t mind elbows on the table for anything less than a posh-posh restaurant. However, there’s nothing that bothers me more than people who smack with their mouths open and noisily slurp everything from salad to yogurt. When I turned 5, my father decided it was time to get my act in line for school and did not let me finish a meal if I chewed with my mouth open. I resented it for about a week and loudly smacked while he was out of the room, but I ended up shaping up anyway. This is probably why now I have to leave the room if someone insists on smacking and slurping…
Man, every time! You hit the childhood nail on the head and I end up spouting out something from my own childhood. Hope you don’t mind haha
This is completely unrelated but I once threw up an entire bowl of Spaghetti O’s at my babysitter’s house. She was a mean person anyways, serves her right!
To this day I do not find it comfortable to sit on my butt at the table, and perfer sitting on my knees. I always have, and its always drove my mother absolutly mad.
Oh god, table manners were never hammered into me as a child but I was anal about them on my own….I was so disgusted by messy eating that I couldn’t STAND eating around other kids, and often went hungry at school after they would ruin my appetite.
I once had an elbow hit my face while eating. My brother was trying to cut some meat on his plate and my head just so happened to be in the right spot to get hit smack right on the nose! If your elbow is higher than your shoulder when eating, you’re doing it wrong.
I always find it amazing how the things we sometimes resent most in our parents when we’re young is what we’re most grateful for when we’re older, given time and perspective.
I like to think there’s a good middle ground, where we can relax and enjoy ourselves without ejecting half the meal on one another. :P
I agree, but then when would you learn manners?
I agree with the middle ground approach. I certainly would not be able to pass in high class posh victorian era society for example, and I dont think i should have to. Whats wrong with being able to be relaxed and ourselves? Why should people sit there silently judging you because your elbow is resting comfortably on the table? Its not hurting anyone.
BUT, on the other hand, lets keep our half chewed food in our mouths and out of sight and not be disgusting pigs.
I know what you mean man when i was a kid my mom would knock us with a wooden spoon if we weren’t in correct posture with the best of manners. It kinda sucks when you see people who weren’t brought up with that kinda dicipline
Man, we used to get paddled with the wooden spoon!
when my grandmother was little, she had to eat with books under her upper arms. if one of the books fell, she didnt get to finish the meal.
but yeah, makes me sad that people dont know any table manners these days….
What was the worst table manners you have ever witnessed?
The worst? Well I hate watching some kids eat. Like they dont even know what to do with the food, they just smear it all over their faces, and the parts that actually make it into their mouths, they chew it up with open mouths so half of it drools out… God I hate kids….
Sometimes adults are like that too :)
Same can be said of many things that we found to be a pain when we were little. I’ll go out to pretty much anywhere and there’s always at least one crying, kicking, and screaming child making a scene while the mother is just all ‘meh’ about it. I tend to call my Dad up later in the day and thank him for always keeping me in line any time I’d start to become fussy.
Agreed. They need to give that kid a swat or something. We would get a “Talking to” before we went into a place or restaurant.
Elbows belong on the table. It’s why we have elbows. And tables.
I always said that. Now I have callus on my elbows. It ain’t pretty, but I never hurt my elbows anymore.
The table isn’t for the food?!
Nope! Food off the table! Make way for elbows! Vive la revolution!
Frankly, I don’t mind elbows on the table for anything less than a posh-posh restaurant. However, there’s nothing that bothers me more than people who smack with their mouths open and noisily slurp everything from salad to yogurt. When I turned 5, my father decided it was time to get my act in line for school and did not let me finish a meal if I chewed with my mouth open. I resented it for about a week and loudly smacked while he was out of the room, but I ended up shaping up anyway. This is probably why now I have to leave the room if someone insists on smacking and slurping…
Man, every time! You hit the childhood nail on the head and I end up spouting out something from my own childhood. Hope you don’t mind haha
Ha! Ha! Spout away!
What about talking with your mouth full? That’s the worst too huh?
Agreed.
This is completely unrelated but I once threw up an entire bowl of Spaghetti O’s at my babysitter’s house. She was a mean person anyways, serves her right!
Ha! Ha! Did it look the same? :)
To this day I do not find it comfortable to sit on my butt at the table, and perfer sitting on my knees. I always have, and its always drove my mother absolutly mad.
Aw! That’s kinda cute! :)
Oh god, table manners were never hammered into me as a child but I was anal about them on my own….I was so disgusted by messy eating that I couldn’t STAND eating around other kids, and often went hungry at school after they would ruin my appetite.
Yikes! I still managed to eat even if there were slobby kids around. I remember being ravenous at school for some reason…
MANNERS 4 LIFE!
I once had an elbow hit my face while eating. My brother was trying to cut some meat on his plate and my head just so happened to be in the right spot to get hit smack right on the nose! If your elbow is higher than your shoulder when eating, you’re doing it wrong.
Ha! That’s hilarious! Yeah, I think if you are in danger of getting beat up at dinner, there’s something just not right :)
I always find it amazing how the things we sometimes resent most in our parents when we’re young is what we’re most grateful for when we’re older, given time and perspective.
Agreed. I think you kinda realize the reasons why they did what they did :)
napkin on your seat? were you and your little bro the poopy-pants kids?
No, napkins on our laps :)
I AM ERROR. And if it was MY childhood house, you’d get the tugged sideburns!!
Yikes! That seems like it might hurt a lot! We did have fork hand stabbing…