Polite and Rude

Polite and Right and Rude and Crude

Sometimes the easiest way to teach a child table manners is to have fun materials that they can play with that remind them what to do and not do. For the table manners lesson in our Tanner's Manners: Be a "Cool Kind Kid" Social Skills and Character Values Curriculum, we developed a fun laminated placemat. This placemat is white with black printing, so it can be colored over and over with washable markers.

The titles are "Do you live in the Rude and Crude World?" or "Do you live in the Polite and Right World?" The Polite and Right side shows the correct place setting, which teaches a child where the utensils go. The Rude and Crude side shows a crazy mixed-up, wrong place setting. There is text around each place setting; table manners do's on the Polite and Right side, and table manners don'ts on the Rude and Crude side.

I thought it would be fun to offer the two lists of do's and don'ts here so you can share them with your children.

Rude : 
Reaches across the table, Chews with mouth open, Plays with food, Rocks the chair, Talks on cell phone, Lowers head to plate, Slouches, Talks with mouth full, Burps, Slurps, Grosses others out, Elbows on the table, Says "yuk! I don't like that!"

Polite and Right:
"May I be excused?" "Please pass the _________." "Thank you," Passes left to right, Sips soup quietly, Raises utensils to mouth, Washes hands first, Takes small bites (able to chew with mouth closed), Napkin in lap, Helps clean up, Participates in conversation, Compliments the cook, Sits up straight, Elbows off the table.

You might want to make a placemat of your own with your child. Art projects are a fun way to teach kids manners.