Let’s face it, being a kid is HARD! Sure, little ones can play and nap away to their hearts’ desire, but being young brings with it a heck of a lot of rules.
As a kid, I remember the absolute trickiest ones for me to grasp were those that had to do with the dinner table—chewing with my mouth closed was just not a concept that came easily to me!
And though most families these days don’t dine with separate salad forks and soup spoons, it’s safe to say that parents are still focused on raising conscientious kiddos. Take William’s dad, for instance. He’s the off-camera voice in today’s video who is trying to teach his son all about removing himself from a table setting gracefully.
It all starts when the patient papa asks his boy to say one simple phrase before going about his business. “Say, ‘May I please be excused?’” the dad says. Amazingly, the tot does a pretty good job of mimicking his parent. The little guy turns his adorable baby blues to the camera and (somewhat) echoes, “May I excuse?”
Ok, so William forgot the “please”—i.e. the most important word in the phrase—but we don’t think it’s too bad for a first attempt. His dad keeps on trying by emphasizing that magic word, but every time William hears the word “please” out of the context of the sentence, he gets a bit jumbled up.
You see, it seems as though the little guy has not quite realized that table manners and begging do not necessarily go hand in hand. Honestly, we don’t really blame him—all of these traditional rehearsed responses are pretty arbitrary!
When to teach your kids about table manners
If you have children, then you are already well aware of the fact that you cannot teach them all about social etiquette in one day; in fact, most children cannot quite comprehend certain societal norms until they hit specific milestones.
Luckily for little William, his daddy is right on point when it comes to introducing the toddler to these concepts. According to Family Education, kids aged 1 to 2 are ready to be exposed to those classic “magic words”, like “may I”, “please”, “thank you” and “you’re welcome”.
It goes without saying that your tyke will probably need some (or a lot!) of positive reinforcement when it comes to remembering the terms. Nevertheless, if they are taught at a young enough age, rest assured in knowing that you will be helping to instill life-long, good habits. Good for you!
To see baby William’s table manner trials and tribulations for yourself, be sure to click on the video below. With a smile like that, the kid can get away with anything!
What do you think of this toddler’s lesson in manners? Are there any special meal-time rules that you follow in your home? How did you teach your little ones to act around the dinner table? Tell us all about your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below!