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Manners
Aug 21, 2006 23:30:59 GMT -5
Post by INaBOX on Aug 21, 2006 23:30:59 GMT -5
My son has the habit of talking with his mouth full of food. He never used to do this and in fact, I've noticed it since we've moved into our new place. We now have a kitchen table to sit at LOL.. anyhow, his teachers (daycare) use to say how well mannered he was at the lunch table in comparison to the other kids. Lately? all out the window.
Sound familiar? How do you get your child to STOP TALKING during dinner time? lol
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Manners
Aug 21, 2006 23:36:30 GMT -5
Post by misty on Aug 21, 2006 23:36:30 GMT -5
Hmmm.....this is a good topic! we talk at the dinner table, in fact I encourage it. I do try & deter Shannon from talking with her mouth ful & smacking her lips. UGH! I can't stand sloppy eating noises. I guess I just keep reminding her. Shes 12 now & getting better with time so I suppose its working. Funny, other people always tell me how well mannered my child is too! LOL! I'm usually thinking inside "HUH? Are you sure you are talking about MY kid"! But I don't say that aloud!
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Manners
Aug 21, 2006 23:45:29 GMT -5
Post by INaBOX on Aug 21, 2006 23:45:29 GMT -5
Well I'd like to encourage talking at the dinner table because that's a great time to bond as a family .. however, he's doing all the talking with or without food in his mouth. I really shouldn't be telling him not to speak at all (which I've done) but my reminders are not working.
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Manners
Aug 21, 2006 23:52:38 GMT -5
Post by misty on Aug 21, 2006 23:52:38 GMT -5
I dont know what else to suggest. I'd love to hear what others have done to cure this problem though!
I just remind over & over & over & over. It took YEARS, but its way better than it used to be. Now when she starts talking with a mouthful, I just shoot her "that look" and she knows to stop, chew & swallow, and THEN talk.
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annem
Founding Member
Posts: 138
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Manners
Aug 22, 2006 13:24:59 GMT -5
Post by annem on Aug 22, 2006 13:24:59 GMT -5
Hmmm ... this is interesting ... My 18 year old always does and always has eaten everything tooooo quickly!! It is very disconcerting having a meal with him because he has finished it in record-fast time ... always has and still does !! However (and I know I am digressing here a little!) one thing that he has always done at the dinner table and still does to this day is hold his knife and fork the OPPOSITE way around .... in other words although he is RIGHT HANDED in ALL other respects, he holds his knife in his left hand and his fork in his right !! I just don't "understand" that !! ... He says it feels much more natural that way around ... you are right handed!! I would understand if you were left handed!!
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Manners
Aug 22, 2006 14:37:25 GMT -5
Post by Charlie Girl on Aug 22, 2006 14:37:25 GMT -5
One thing that helped my son get the message is to not understand a word he says if he is trying to talk with something in his mouth. If he really wants you to understand him, he'll stop. Try refusing to understand a word he is saying until he swallows and then says it. If that doesn't work, you can always turn a little sideways and tell him he is so disgusting to watch that you would prefer to not have to look at him. You could also refuse to allow him to have a friend over to eat until he learns to not talk with his mouth full. Tell him you are not going to be embarassed by the way he eats in his own home. I've used all of those and not understanding him was the most effective for me. Something I used on my daughter that worked was to stuff my mouth full and look her in the eye and talk, making sure I opened wide so she got a good view. She didn't want to look like that so she was more concientious about how she ate.
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Manners
Aug 22, 2006 17:04:02 GMT -5
Post by INaBOX on Aug 22, 2006 17:04:02 GMT -5
I've told him before that I can't understand his words because he's talking with his mouth full of food but after reading your post, I think I'll elaborate on that and see what happens. Good idea!
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Manners
Aug 22, 2006 17:07:48 GMT -5
Post by misty on Aug 22, 2006 17:07:48 GMT -5
Something I used on my daughter that worked was to stuff my mouth full and look her in the eye and talk, making sure I opened wide so she got a good view. She didn't want to look like that so she was more concientious about how she ate. Be careful with that trick...it doesn't work on ALL kids! I tried it with my daughter & she just laughed & laughed & then for the next few weeks everytime I looked in her direction at the dinner table she'd open HER mouth wide at ME & laugh some more! I think she was around 8 or 9 at the time.
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Manners
Aug 22, 2006 17:14:45 GMT -5
Post by INaBOX on Aug 22, 2006 17:14:45 GMT -5
Something I used on my daughter that worked was to stuff my mouth full and look her in the eye and talk, making sure I opened wide so she got a good view. She didn't want to look like that so she was more concientious about how she ate. Be careful with that trick...it doesn't work on ALL kids! I tried it with my daughter & she just laughed & laughed & then for the next few weeks everytime I looked in her direction at the dinner table she'd open HER mouth wide at ME & laugh some more! I think she was around 8 or 9 at the time. I actually thought it was funny too. It wouldn't work with my son though. He would take it too far with that. I would just bet he'd end up spitting food at me for an extended laugh. Then I would only have myself to blame. LOL
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Manners
Aug 22, 2006 17:42:20 GMT -5
Post by jj on Aug 22, 2006 17:42:20 GMT -5
How about sort of making it a game to start with. Like he gets to say something, then you get to say something, etc...If it is anyones turn and they have food in their mouth they get skipped. Maybe if you play that "game" enough, eventually he won't have to occupy the whole conversation. You could even add a little silliness in there when it is your turn and just say something off the wall. Just a thought?
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Manners
Aug 22, 2006 17:44:19 GMT -5
Post by misty on Aug 22, 2006 17:44:19 GMT -5
THAT is a really NEAT suggestion, JJ. I bet it would be FUN too!
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Manners
Aug 22, 2006 18:19:34 GMT -5
Post by unicorn-tiff'smom on Aug 22, 2006 18:19:34 GMT -5
Ugh!!!! Food in the mouth. I am in the same boat as everyone here. Tiff inhales her food. Puts too much in at a time. Chews like a cow, because there is too much food in her mouth and she talks with food in her mouth. During dinner I must say what feels like 100 times, "cow" and then she chews with her mouth shut. I cut her meat so small now that she can't take such huge portions, but she still fills her fork up or just uses a spoon to get maximum amounts.
We love to talk at dinner, but we haven't either figured out how to get her table manners to be better.
I like JJ's game idea too.
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Manners
Aug 22, 2006 20:30:11 GMT -5
Post by INaBOX on Aug 22, 2006 20:30:11 GMT -5
but she still fills her fork up or just uses a spoon to get maximum amounts. Give her a baby fork. LOL Seriously though..
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Manners
Aug 22, 2006 21:37:11 GMT -5
Post by jj on Aug 22, 2006 21:37:11 GMT -5
but she still fills her fork up or just uses a spoon to get maximum amounts. Give her a baby fork. LOL Seriously though.. Hey thats a good idea.
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Manners
Aug 22, 2006 23:28:18 GMT -5
Post by misty on Aug 22, 2006 23:28:18 GMT -5
I agree. The kid might not like it, but it sure would help with portion control!
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Manners
Aug 23, 2006 8:43:55 GMT -5
Post by unicorn-tiff'smom on Aug 23, 2006 8:43:55 GMT -5
She already uses a small fork. But boy can she pack a lot on that for. When she gets back from the beach today, she will not have a spoon at her place. We don't get them, so neither will she.
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Manners
Aug 23, 2006 11:57:37 GMT -5
Post by John on Aug 23, 2006 11:57:37 GMT -5
This may not be fesable for many people, but try VideoTaping them with there mouth full as they are trying to talk. Annem, is it a problem that your son reverses his knife/fork ? Does it really make a difference besides it buggin' you ?
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annem
Founding Member
Posts: 138
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Manners
Aug 23, 2006 15:19:49 GMT -5
Post by annem on Aug 23, 2006 15:19:49 GMT -5
There are some GREAT suggestions here !! The baby forks and spoons ... YES!! Brilliant !! ... and Charlie Girl I am still laughing over your open mouth with food in it putting your dd off EVER wanting to look that way!! John ... no .. you are right .. the reversed cutlery isn't a big deal at all ... except for the fact (right again!! ) that I just don't "get it" !!
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Manners
Aug 23, 2006 15:35:33 GMT -5
Post by misty on Aug 23, 2006 15:35:33 GMT -5
Anne, I'm left handed & I do alot of things reversed. Not sure why, some things are just more comfortable to do with my right hand. I guess I'm ambidextrous. I can't use things made for lefties either, like left-handed scissors.
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Manners
Aug 23, 2006 15:40:55 GMT -5
Post by unicorn-tiff'smom on Aug 23, 2006 15:40:55 GMT -5
I am a lefty too and also do a lot right handed.
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Manners
Aug 23, 2006 18:28:44 GMT -5
Post by jj on Aug 23, 2006 18:28:44 GMT -5
I'm a righty but I hold my cutlery just like your son, Annem. Knife in left, fork in right. I should think that is the right way for a righty??? Isn't it???
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Manners
Aug 23, 2006 20:09:47 GMT -5
Post by Charlie Girl on Aug 23, 2006 20:09:47 GMT -5
I'm a righty and the few times I tried to hold my fork in my left hand and eat, I ended up wearing my food. I switch and hold the knife in my right hand when I am cutting but that is the only time. My brother was right handed but always held his guns and bows as a left hander. Dad tried to teach him to shoot right handed and he was terrible, so he tried the way that felt natural to him, which was as a lefty. He was quite a good marksman that way. Strange, aren't we?
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Manners
Aug 24, 2006 0:16:12 GMT -5
Post by INaBOX on Aug 24, 2006 0:16:12 GMT -5
(ok, I just wanted to use this one .. it's for you charlie girl. LOL)
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Manners
Aug 24, 2006 0:53:00 GMT -5
Post by jj on Aug 24, 2006 0:53:00 GMT -5
I'm a righty and the few times I tried to hold my fork in my left hand and eat, I ended up wearing my food. I switch and hold the knife in my right hand when I am cutting but that is the only time. My brother was right handed but always held his guns and bows as a left hander. Dad tried to teach him to shoot right handed and he was terrible, so he tried the way that felt natural to him, which was as a lefty. He was quite a good marksman that way. Strange, aren't we? Now that I think about it I switch to cut and then switch back again. I think we American's can get away with it since our custom is to sit the knife on the back of the plate after cutting but since Europeans hold the fork and knife while eating it may be a bit difficult to do the switcharoo. LOL Now, what was the original question.....Oh, yes kids with motor mouths and chewing with their mouths full. Well, another thought...how about getting them preoccupied. Have them chew each bite 20 times and maybe you can get a word in edgewise.
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Manners
Aug 24, 2006 8:37:53 GMT -5
Post by unicorn-tiff'smom on Aug 24, 2006 8:37:53 GMT -5
I was always told to chew 50 times for each bite. I am lucky if Tiff chews 2 times lol. But I didn't give her a spoon last night. She tried to pile her fork up with mashed potoatoes and I made her empty her fork and try again. I did that several times.
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Manners
Aug 24, 2006 10:09:02 GMT -5
Post by Charlie Girl on Aug 24, 2006 10:09:02 GMT -5
(ok, I just wanted to use this one .. it's for you charlie girl. LOL) Were we in school together Inabox? How did you know that was me if we weren't? I read somewhere that you had to chew your food at least 32 times a bite for it to digest properly and I still eat slower than everyone else I know
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annem
Founding Member
Posts: 138
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Manners
Aug 24, 2006 13:13:16 GMT -5
Post by annem on Aug 24, 2006 13:13:16 GMT -5
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Manners
Aug 24, 2006 13:30:09 GMT -5
Post by misty on Aug 24, 2006 13:30:09 GMT -5
But moving onto the chewing for 32-50 times per mouthful ... I have tried hard to do this but my "mouthful" has completely disappeared thoroughly by this time and I am chewing NOTHING!! !! I was thinking this same thing! By the time you chew that much, you'd have nothing left!
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Manners
Aug 24, 2006 15:25:37 GMT -5
Post by jj on Aug 24, 2006 15:25:37 GMT -5
Actually, I think 20 times is a bit much unless it is celery. In fact I start getting grossed out if it gets too mushy in my mouth. (The texture thing I have going on...)
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Manners
Aug 24, 2006 21:52:34 GMT -5
Post by INaBOX on Aug 24, 2006 21:52:34 GMT -5
Actually, I think 20 times is a bit much unless it is celery. In fact I start getting grossed out if it gets too mushy in my mouth. (The texture thing I have going on...) re No doubt! What are we .. BIRDS?!
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