Licking dinner plates

[Endlessblueskieswhatsnottolove]

Recently my 8 year old has started licking her dinner plate when she's finished. Whilst I appreciate it when she says it's because it was delicious, I've told her not to do it as it's yucky and bad manners.
Dh thinks I'm being harsh on her for getting cross with her

Aibu to not want my child to think it's ok to lick plates after finishing their food?!

If she is picking the plate perhaps she is still hungry and needs a bigger portion

If she is picking the plate perhaps she is still hungry and needs a bigger portion

An ad just genuinely popped up here showing 2 kids happily licking their plates, because the product was so delicious. Yeah, don't lick plates in front of other people. If you must do it, lick the plate in solitary circumstances

I always lick my plate if I've made a delicious meal with sauce. Obviously I wouldn't do it in a restaurant or at a friend's house. My kids tell me off! (Self righteous teens).

I am not really sure what's wrong with it. Would you also not lick the lid of a yoghurt?

I've just had a lovely bowl of homemade soup. I dipped the bread and wiped the bowl with it. Of course I lick yoghurt lids I wouldn't want to waste it.

I honestly wouldn’t let this bother me. As long as she understands she’s not to do it when she’s anywhere else, or if anyone else is visiting I say let her.

If she doesn’t stop when you ask her to then that’s another discussion, but my kids would totally understand the difference.

She’s In her own home not a Michelin star restaurant for Christ sake 🤣

In our family we have selectively bad manners. At home we're ok with using a finger to wipe up last bits of sauce from the plate. Obviously this is bad manners. None of us do it when we're guests in others' homes or eating out. We all seem well able to cope with this level of nuance.

For the avoidance of doubt, we wouldn't be ok with directly licking the plate with your tongue even at home.

My ex fil used to do this. It’s fucking grim and I would say not to be encouraged

This was a contentious issue in my house as a child. My dad used to do it for certain meals and of course I'd copy him!
My mum would get very cross with us and we thought it was hilarious.
I knew perfectly well that it wasn't acceptable conduct outside of the home, it was more a bit of fun!

If you don’t want her to that’s your choice. Growing up we were allowed to do it at home (same with drinking our cereal milk) but with the caveat that we only do it in our own home and never when we have guests. I concur with others…if it’s grossing you out then give her a slice of bread.

In my experience the posher people are, the worse the table manners at home are. It’s a bit gauche or aspirational to care about these things in private.

Tell her she can do it at home, but not when out or when you have guests. At 8 she’s old enough to understand that.

I'm sorry but if you can't see or aren't aware of the negativity on several levels associated with the 'licking' of one's plate then there's obviously very little point in attempting to explain it to you. 🙄
Let's just say that it's an unpleasant and unnecessary thing to do even 'in your own home' but who's to say that OP's daughter will not then do the same thing in a restaurant for instance or at a family gathering, a wedding for instance or birthday party? 😦
The licking of plates is most definitely and without question not socially acceptable and I would be unhappy if any of my children/grandchildren had attempted to do this anywhere at any time!! 😡

I’m entrigued what she is eating to enjoy so much the sauce /juice @Endlessblueskieswhatsnottolove

gravy - cheese sauce - etc ?

yes it’s not good manners and us as parents need to teach children nice manners

but sometimes a lot of liquid left - I have occasionally used my finger and got some of the left over sauce that way

is that allowed ?

At home obv - never in public

agree with the bread and it’s like lasagne /spag bol and garlic bread at the end and nice to mop it up

Since this is new, maybe she's going through a growth spurt OP. Try giving a larger portion of dinner and make sure she's getting a healthy mix of protein, fruit, veg, fibre and efas each day, so she's getting all the nutrients she needs.

FGS. It’s disgusting. She’s not a dog.

I used to lick the ice cream bowl when I was a child and now if I am on my own at home I use my finger to wipe yoghurt or ice cream. I don’t ever do it in public.

At 8 she should be old enough to know that it’s not really something that should be done, but it’s okay sometimes in the privacy of your own home.

There was a thread on this recently (think it was OP's husband who was the plate licker). There were a surprising number of people who thought it was perfectly fine.

Your DH is setting her up for failure. If this becomes a habit there will come the day when she is mocked and made fun of for her feral behaviour.

I have just seen Tom Parker-Bowles on Masterchef saying that he eats lamb cutlets in his fingers holding the bone. Really posh people don't care.

Ffs I’m a stickler for table manners and 8 she is old enough to understand that is disgusting!

This is only the correct etiquette for very particular dishes in old money circles. Asparagus is another food that is traditionally eaten with the fingers.They very much do care.

My very well to do ‘old money’ grandparents, father, uncles and aunts, old family friends etc followed impeccable etiquette when it came to formal meals and eating publicly. For any informal meals plates were scraped clean and sometimes licked, and knives were eaten off etc etc.

Fucking grim and I would not tolerate it in any circumstances. The bread mopping thing is also gross. It gives off an air of greediness.

You sound nice.............not