Teaching children table manners helps them learn patience, how to ask for what they need, and show respect to others. Although it's a seemingly small thing, table manners help all of us function socially as an adult. Think of all the meal times spent with friends, clients, family, coworkers, and bosses. Bad manners rub people the wrong way, making creating connections more difficult. That’s why the best time to start is when they’re young. Follow these easy tips to teach your child the table manners they'll need to be happy, healthy adults.

Studies show that children who help make dinner are more likely to try new foods, eat more veggies, and feel happy and positive about their contributions. This also teaches them to be a great kitchen helper to friends and active family members. Start by prompting your child to ask if there is any way they can help in the kitchen. Find an age-appropriate way to include them, even if it’s carrying drinks to the table or grabbing utensils.

Next, take it a step further by planning a meal with your child. Not only do they learn valuable life skills, but they will also be more engaged during mealtime and more receptive to directions. Children also learn the importance of saying thank you to the person who prepared the meal. 

To get started, make meals that are easy to include little helpers. Children learn their lifelong eating habits from their parents. Making meals with them is a great time to teach about healthy eating and getting the nutrients your body needs to grow strong.

Meals like:

• Veggie soft tacos that are easy to assemble and serve family style.
• Healthy summer berry smoothie bowls that your child can help pick out the fruit, wash, and toss in the blender.
• Creamy chicken pot pie that little hands will enjoy cutting out pie crust and layering on top of the filling.

Children are sponges when it comes to learning. Don’t be afraid to teach them to say “please” and “thank you” or to ask for what they need respectfully. After all, you are raising them to be confident and healthy adults who know how to build strong relationships. 

The key to getting your child to be patient and ask for what they need is consistency. You may find that it feels like you’re not making progress until one day, wham! They get it. Children will often be on their best behavior when at school or when talking to a non-family member. This is because they are more comfortable with you. So don’t be discouraged if you have to keep repeating yourself. Gentle reminders go a long way to reinforcing the lessons you are trying to teach.

Children are tiny balls of lightning with variable attention spans. If your kid likes to wibble wobble around while eating, remind them to stay seated until the meal is finished and they are excused. Remind them that once the food is put away, they won’t have anything to eat again until the next mealtime. 

You can start prompting older children to help with cleanup after the meal is finished. This helps to teach children that keeping the home clean is everyone’s responsibility. Plus, learning to clean up behind yourself is a valuable life skill. 

Teaching children table manners is not an overnight process. Like all lessons, you’ll have to continually reinforce what they are learning in different ways until it sticks. With some patience and a lot of humor, you can help your children become mindful, respectful, joyful adults. And that's what we here at a2 Milk® are all about! We put our families first and never compromise on our products, so your family gets all the nourishment they need and none of the fluff. Grab a2 Milk® from the dairy aisle at your local grocer.