messy eaters

[jenny2998]

My son is 3 1/2 and a very messy eater. Any tips for teaching him some table manners???

jenny- does he eat with you or mainly on his own? By this, i mean does he have an example to follow about how food is sposed to (mainly )stay on the plate / table / kitchen vicinity?

We (my children and I) eat our breakfast and lunch together sat up to the table. We don't have tea together as I eat later in the evenings.

Help, please, someone must have some ideas!!!

Get a new son. Wait another 40 years. Have a daughter. At xmas I was visting my cousin in switzerland and we all had dinner together with our kids. They served spaghetti with tomato sauce. Their daughter (13 months) ate an entire bowlfull with her spoon spilling not a drop and not even smudging a bit of sauce on her face. Our son (13 months) managed to cover his entire face, hair, tray and hands with the sauce. The only thing that was clean was his spoon which he didn't touch. Then again daddy is 40 and makes a mess when he eats.

Jenny, is he a good eater or a picky one. I only ask because eldest dd loved her food, but was very messy, whereas youngest dd is very picky but doesn't make a mess anywhere. I think its because eldest dd is more concerned with actually tasting the food and less with how it gets there! If its any consolation, shes 6 now and some days you can't even tell what she's had for dinner from her clothes. Seriously, she's generally ok now, so just keep repeating the same words again & again & it will get there eventually.

Thanks Sofia...I'll bear that in mind...!
My little girl also seems to be a messy eater, but she is only 12 months so it's a little more excusable.

Berries - he is a very good eater...eats anything. But he's not that interested in food...