Please don't talk with food in your mouth!

I'm going to start a new thing here. ( I know, my whole blog is new) 

MANNERS MONDAY

I truly detest bad manners. I'm sure it stems from them being pounded into my head as a child from parents who were detesters as well.( Is detesters a word? I didn't say that I detest bad grammar or spelling) My children will be the first to tell you how much I remind them to say their Yes ma'am/yes sir, no ma'am/no sir. Mr. Man thinks it's silly...I do not. I believe, for the most part, younger generations of adults are the ones killing the manners in children. Do not be offended if someone calls you ma'am or sir...they really could be calling you something a whole lot worse, your choice! 

I guess I'm getting off track (a little bit)...

chewing with your mouth open...

closely related to:

talking with food in your mouth...

HOW GROSS! Were you born in a barn? Hehehe...I'm a mother, I can say that now!

Growing up, we had quite a few family dinners with a few of my dad's siblings. Uncle Bob. HE WAS THE PERSON. The "talker with food in his mouth-er" Ewwww. I remember one time, the table was set, the kids (we were all pretty close in age, maybe 10-12) were told to wash their hands. We all jammed in the bathroom together to wash our hands debate who had to sit across from Uncle Bob. Looking back, I'm not sure if the other adults ever knew this happened...either that, or they did and just thought it was really funny. LOL. I really don't remember which kid lost this particular time.

Uncle Bob was an 'ol fisherman. Who loved to tell stories. Of the last great catch that was caught. It always seemed to grow as he was talking. I know you all know someone like that.

Anyways, back to the dinner...

We all sat down and started eating. Uncle Bob ALWAYS seamed to pick the chair set right in the middle of the table, I guess he wanted to make sure everyone heard him. I just remember us kids eating as fast as we could while watching him like a hawk...we KNEW what was going to happen...THE FISH. He started telling about the fish he last caught, and as the story grew, the fish grew with it...Then,(Que the "Jaws" music) the inevitable happened...THE CORN. A single kernel of corn, that had previously taken up residence in Uncle Bob's mouth, was viciously being evicted...the corn came flying out of his open, story-telling mouth, and landed on the plate of my pour cousin sitting across from him. EWWWWWW!!!!!

Man! The clan of cousins were done eating so fast! We must have thought it was contagious!

So really, my detesting-of-bad-manners doesn't come from "detester-of-bad-manner-parents", maybe it comes from fish and corn.

Chew with your mouth closed. Do not talk with food in your mouth. If you are talking during the meal, take smaller bites. Honestly, if you are talking so much that you can't eat, you're talking too much. Hush up for a minute while you eat, and allow someone else to talk!

Set up a video camera while you're eating.

Do you really think that looks good?

Smacking lips and flying food, mixed with saliva spewing out of your mouth...if you think this is a socially acceptable thing, I think you're hanging out with the wrong people.

Now, on the other hand, maybe you're trying to alienate everyone around you with the slurping and chomping noises coming from your mouth...and for the people around you who are blessed to be deaf, you throw in the horrible visual of a cow eating cud. You will have succeeded. Thank you for being a participating member of society!

-------------------------------------

Play a game!

This is a game my parents played with us, and I now play with my children (sometimes).

The Penny Game

(I know, we should think of a much cooler name than that) 

Play this while sitting down to dinner...at a table.

Everyone starts out with seven pennies. During the meal you watch each other for bad manners (chewing with your mouth open, elbows on the table, reaching for something instead of asking someone to pass it, etc.) If you "catch" someone using a bad manner, they have to pay you a penny. The person with the most pennies at the end of dinner, WINS!

This game seems to be a big hit with kids, and really helps teach them some of those important manners!

Hope you have enjoyed my first installment of 

MANNERS MONDAYS!