Grrr... teenage table manners...

[Bonsoir]

DSS1's (15) table manners have deteriorated to a point that he puts me right off my food. Any ideas about how to get through to him? I've got to the point that I am seriously thinking of requiring him to eat at a different time to the rest of the family.

What is he doing and what have you asked of him so far?

He is holding his knife and fork in a vice-like grip with both elbows on the table or sort of lying on the table on one arm, and shovelling food into a never-closed mouth. Oh, and serving himself more food before finishing what's on his plate and it goes straight from serving dish to mouth.

And lots of food lands around the plate and on the floor.

Grrrrrr. Much worse than any weaning scenario I've ever witnessed!

We ask him for normal table manners (which have been instilled quite rigorously since early childhood).

Pick your battles and don't sit opposite him.

My DS(15 yrs) drives me nuts with the serving-dish-to-mouth feeding. He doesn't do it in restaurants or when we have visitors thankfully.

I point out to ds that no-one is going to steal his food, and keep repeating, fork to mouth, not mouth to plate. I am astounded by the amount of crumbs left in the morning, and he is equally amazed at the parental ability of eating toast without making a mess on the floor.

We have shredded paper napkin on the floor in among the crumbs. And far too much food projects out of his mouth onto other people's plates.

Beyond gross...

DD1 is a bit like this, she has to be reminded as often as her 4yo brother about eating with her fingers, helping herself to more without asking... and the mess...

In her defence, she isn't like this all the time, generally only when she's overtired, or excessively hungry, or trying to pick a fight!

I have been known to confiscate her plate, if it all gets too chimp-like.

I really wouldn't worry about table manners at that age that is the least of your worries trust me...

We have an ongoing battle with DD2 about her (lack of) table manners.

I find it best not to sit opposite her when we eat. DH has a higher tolerance level.

She came back from a friend's house last week saying that her friends had eaten with their mouths open.

Pot and kettle came to mind.

Is he troughing like a pig purposefully to annoy you? It sounds like it.

I'd be mad if one of the dds was being revolting just to annoy me. I'd refuse to make any more meals for unappreciative people.

Not sure if that would be the best tactic but I can be a bit militant if someone is taking the mick like that.

I am no stickler for taBLE manners but

1.lying across the table shovelling food into a never-closed mouth
2.shredded napkins all over the floor for someone else to tidy

1. food spraying out of his mouth onto other people's plates

and some of you wouldn't bother doing anything about this? I am surprised.

How he olds his knife and fork wouldn't bother me. Neither would putting elbows on the table, I would not ask him to eat at a different time then the rest of the family.