We have lived in this home for over 6 years now and have had almost every Sunday dinner in our dining room. It is a special occasion. We get out the fancy dishes, cloth napkins, goblets and candles. We go around the table and talk about what we learned in church. And then we go over manners. 
Our goal is to teach our kids good table manners. Our hope is that by going over and over and over these manners our kids, especially the boys, will really learn and will be able to demonstrate these manners on their missions. (And the way things are going, it could possibly take 19 years to teach them) They are hopefully learning how to pass food, what is appropriate conversation, where to put their napkins, how to show respect for the hostess, how to be excused, gratitude, and how to eat all kinds of food, even if they don't like it. How is it going? Most Sundays, not well. Often we wonder why we are even doing this. Is anything sinking in? But every once in a while we will get a glimpse of some manners that have become second nature to them and that gives us the will to keep going.
Now watch, they will all go on missions where they squat around a grass mat to eat bugs and roots with their hands. Oh well!
1 comment:
We just had the missionaries over for dinner, and I just expected them to have good manners (and they did). But I realized someone's got to teach them! It doesn't just come naturally. Good idea.
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