Table manners!

[LaDiDaDi]

I would love it if someone could help me get some perspective on dd (4.2)'s behaviour at mealtimes. She has a good appetite and is not at all picky but she generally gets on my nerves by not cutting up her food, using her fingers and shoving food in her mouth. She also tends to wriggle and get down off her seat lots.

Now I've just started blw ds and I can't decide if her meal time behaviour has got worse because of this or if it just irritates me more because of all of the other mess that I've now got to deal with at mealtimes.

I'd love it if she would just sit at the table and use her cutlery properly!

Just writing this has made me think that actually I need to cut her some slack and just ignore it all, model good manners etc etc but it is driving me mad and I'm not sure that I can actually ignore it iyswim.

Thoughts anyone?

I have just intriduced a sticker chart for my 4yo daughter. I chose 3 things that were important to me and we're working on those for now.

I would just remind her to use her fork and not her fingers
and if she gets down assume she's finished unless she sits nicely

the rest I'd let go

meal times should be fun, socialable times not nagging times

You are expecting too much I tihnk.

She's very young to be expected to cut up her food.

if she's a springtime child, she'll be quite young when she starts school, right ?
now is the time to encourage, but not too forcibly. most children struggle with cutting, even as they start school. just encourage, show her, when you have the time, and ds1 isn't driving you mad with his mess. and ask her to sit nicely, until she's ready to get down. maybe get her to ask to leave the table. all these things. gentle occassional reminders, every few days or so. firmly. no nonsense. be firm but not nagging.not telling off, every day. then this will come, over the next 6 months or so.

maybe cutting food is not that important for school. bottom wiping, and being able to dress oneself are more important ones. get yourself onto the threads for starting school for helpful hints on what others are slowly and surely trying to get their children to do.

maybe cutting food is not that important for school. bottom wiping, and being able to dress oneself are more important ones. get yourself onto the threads for starting school for helpful hints on what others are slowly and surely trying to get their children to do.