Badly behaved grandchildren

And are they ever taught how to correctly use a knife and fork now? Children seem to either eat with their hands, or pick up an item and bite it off the fork, and it's not considered necessary to cut the food on the plate and place it in the mouth correctly. Eating is altogether so casual now, table rules seem to have gone.

I’ve often noticed that French children for example are capable of behaving in restaurants and don’t necessarily need to have mobile phones or iPads (my pet peeve.....). Mainly because they always eat at a table at home as a family and I am not sure that always happens here nowadays. However parents need to lead by example and chat to the children to involve them. I can’t bear seeing young children glued to a device at a restaurant table sorry.

Aveline

We quite often have barbecues in DDs garden. The boys usually disappear inside to watch TV or play on their devices. There's nothing I can do really.

You don’t have to do anything, my brother and 2 csisters along with their 8 children plus 4 of mine get together about 4 times a year children have a lot to catch up on, so do the adults. As the children have got older they have joined the adults even bringing girl/boyfriends with them, they are lovely relaxed parties that everyone enjoys.

That would be lovely Katie59 but we are a very small family. There's just us which makes it matter all the more somehow.
I'm resigned to the fact that we obviously bore the chikdren despite our best efforts. Will just leave it a while with the ball in DDs court as to the next meet up.

A lot is said about teaching children “table manners”, all I can say is when the kids got to 16 or 18 and sat with us, their table manners were normal and acceptable.

Yes, Katie59, that is true, but why should we have to suffer 15 years of family meals out made difficult, other guests meals out spoiled and staff put at risk, because someone could not be bothered to teach their children how to behave in public?

It is only a relatively small minority of parents who let children run wild in restaurants but that small minority lead to some restaurants refusing to serve children and generally make everyone else miserable.

Chestnut - spot on.

Oh Aveline I sympathise! We have 5 sons and did on occasion eat out. At times it was a nightmare and embarassing! On one occasion all was going well and everyone was behaving. Someone came over to comment on our sons' good behaviour. The eldest then started banging his cutlery on the table saying 'The public say we are exceptionally well behaved ' repeatedly in a louder and louder voice!
We often played a game of top trumps or cards altogether until the food arrived. But eating out with children is not easy ( especially lively boys!) and picnics have a lot to recommend them!!

I taught my children from weaning how to behave at the table and correct use of cutlery as did DIL.
GC have attended family meals since being in the highchair and certainly know how to behave.
I think DH took GD for a walk once after several hours in a restaurant in France, it was Sunday lunch and after three hours it was asking a lot of a toddler.

Aveline, try to see it from their point of view. A meal out with granny? Boring!

A picnic would be better - or any opportunity to use up their energy rather than be tethered to a table. It's just torture being expected to sit still at their ages!

Hetty 58. I agree meals out with granny must be boring, but is it that often and how many things (sometimes boring) do grannies have to attend or do to please or support the GC?

I hasten to add that my kids were taught how to behave - but really disliked eating out. I remember well one dinner with a good friend - and my two daughters sitting quietly, looking miserable, sulking and refusing to eat a thing!

I suppose it depends on how old your grandchildren are, but I cannot remember ever finding meals, in or out, with my grandparents boring, nor did my children and my own DGC have never given an impression that meals out with us are boring. DC & DGC have been eating out regularly since they were about 6 months old and just take it in their stride. Mind you we are a family that talk an awful lot, so the children are so busy talking they do not have time to be bored.