Kim_Carrigan's Blog

What can I do to teach my kids better manners?
Eating with mouth open, sitting at table properly, etc. Is there a class that I can enroll them in? It seems kids these days do not have a lot of manners and I do not want my children to be like that. My children are 10 and 12!

Also, What do you do if you pick something up for a friend and they do not offer to pay you for that item?

Why do certain people when dining put food in their mouth with the fork upside down. I've tried this when dining out or in the company of other's doing it and it feels so totally unnatural

Personally these kids today think they are privileged an think becuase they are privileged they think its all for their benefit and their Advantage and dont have to say thank you or even appreciate what we do for them or others do for them or dont think they are required to be polite or have manners...I have no question but a comment an and a lesson and how i was taught manners an etiquette at the table...My good friends mom worked laying out her food creations an meals for STOP AN SHOP adds and A PBS show so when i went to eat over at his house it was amazing how i saw ethique an manners were displayed at the evening dinner table even in the kitchen the professionalism in the Kitchen I loved going there to have her creations an displayed of the meal an how everything was laid out an the display of the proper etiquette....yet very fun! I was gutter snipe who thought I was in heaven with the fine smells of coming from the Kitchen an the Dinner table an the rooms atmosphere its has stayed in mind all my life....Like they say Learn by example... display it and they will learn.....My impressions of what had been so lucky to experience was a lesson in life...an fine dinning an cuisine....and the wine was a beautiful thing not a drunken thing....It was taught correctly to me by some a very fine Italian Family and being half Sicilian i loved the whole cultural experience.

I'm very disappointed in our own family dinner experiences at the nightly table...My wife will read talk on the phone to her sisters I TAKE NO CALLS AT DINNER...my kid has no clue no matter how much i explain

When I was growing up, we were not allowed to make a sound at the dinner table when my father was home. God forbid your fork hit the plate, or you made a mouth noise while chewing. No talking allowed, and oh, my God--no laughing! When my kids were growing up, dinner time was fun! We talked and laughed--it was the best part of the day re-hashing the events of the day. To this very day, my husband and I continue to do the same, and it's even more fun when the grandchildren are eating with us!!! We have no problem combining table manners with fun!!!

Cindy--There is nothing cuter than that which comes from the mouths of a two year old! My two youngest grandchildren are both 2, and I can't think of anything funnier! The timing isn't always the best, but that's what makes it so funny. Enjoy--they grow up way too fast!

Jovanone--I agree-If someone has enough ***** to think he/she can skip out on paying at least his/her portion of the bill, I certainly wouldn't hesitate to put my hand out and ask for his/her money! They deserve to be embarrassed!!! I wouldn't be too quick to want to go out to dinner with that person again, for sure!!!

As more same sex couples get married - how do you address the happy couple?

I go out for dinner with friends on Sunday nights. It's always the same place. Every now and then an other group comes in, same people every time. They get loud and have fun, I have no problem with people having a good time when dining out. But one of the girls in that group is constantly laughing at nothing and it is more than just a laugh. It is top-of-the-lung shrieking and it is very rude. Everyone stares, you can hear this obnoxious persons shrieks in the mens room which is located at the other side of the restaurant. Sunday we were there watching the Celts and everyone was cheering and excited which was fine, except the brain piercing hi pitch of the rude patron. When the game came down to the wire I said "everybody calm down, we're sending Labron home tonight!" After the game was over a woman in that group (not the rude one)said to me" why did you tell me to be quiet?" I replied " I said EVERYBODY calm down, and you're not everybody, but your friend in the corners screaches are going right through my head. Their are other people in the room you know." They both looked at me with guilt, especially the rude one. Was I out of line?

You know what I find to be annoying when my family go out to eat? Parents not being in charge of their children. One time my two girls were about four and seven years old. Well, there's this adorable little girl sitting at the table next to ours. She gets off of her seat and tease my girls , I guess she wanted to play with them. For me I make sure my girls sits down and be on their best behaver when we go out in public. Anyway, it was cute the first two times, then when our meal come. The little girl continue to bother my kids. I did nothing and said nothing because working with children I guess I'm immune to them, so basically the only thing I did was smile at the little girl and parents hoping that they get the hint of we are trying to eat.

Cindy... I have to relate to you a story I have been told that happened when I was probably about 2 years old.

When I was little, the neighborhood I grew up in was filled with predominantly white families. There was, however, one very nice black family who lived a few doors down, and my sister was friend with the son in the family whose name was Albert. Now having never gone to preschool, and at that age having limited interaction with anyone other than my close family (who were all white)and their friends, it should have been little surprise to my poor red faced mother the day we were out shopping at Zayre (remember Zayre?) and I pointed to a black man at the checkout and shouted "Look mum... another Albert!"

Cindy, great story! How embarrassed do you get when you 2 and 1/2 year old says some of those things in public? LOL

In all seriousness, that is great. As June said, it just shows the innocence of youth and that is a wonderful thing.