We all wish our kids would sit up straight and eat their dinner nicely… as in use silverware, don’t burp, and say please and thank you. However, teaching them takes patience on our part and for parents of children with special needs, it may take even longer than we can imagine.
When teaching table manners, consider your child’s ability level first and for most. Just because your child is a certain age, doesn’t mean his maturity level is right for certain behaviors. In addition, if your child has developmental delays or deals with a sensory condition, he will probably struggle more with table manners than other children will. Set your expectations at a level your child can understand and stick to them.
Is your child interested in learning table manners? Rewards can go far in getting your child to sit still at the table. If he knows that something great is waiting for him as long as he sits and eats without making a scene, he may be more willing to cooperate. If you are consistent in your rewarding and punishing of certain behaviors, he will learn that his behavior has a consequence whether good or bad.
Make sure your child has time to practice his table manners. If you rarely sit down to eat together, than your child won’t know what is expected of him on Thanksgiving or Christmas. Practice proper table manners through pretend play with a tea party, or through real life experiences such as eating together as a family whether at home or in a restaurant.
Each child deserves the chance to show off some table manner skills. It is up to us as parents to know what to expect and when to expect it. Understand your child and his abilities and work from there to start enjoying dinner together.