Noticed my kids eating with their elbows on the table last week. Had to have a conversation about respect at the dinner table. No phones, wait for others to finish, napkin on your lap. My wife thinks I'm old fashioned but I'm seeing the difference already. We're actually talking as a family again instead of everyone just shoveling food.
Elbows on the table is our battle too. I've learned it's less about being strict and more about making them understand why it matters. What approach worked for your kids?
Good call having that conversation. Dinner table manners are becoming a lost art honestly. We do family dinner every night specifically to keep that tradition alive.
Did you have to explain WHY the elbows thing matters or did they just accept it? Mine always want the reasoning behind the rules.
This is so important. My kids roll their eyes when I correct them but I remind them this stuff matters when they're eating at someone else's house or on a date someday.
I let mine know that table manners are basically showing respect to the people eating with you. Once they understood it that way instead of just rules, it clicked better.
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The elbows on the table thing is a tough sell with kids but it's worth the battle. My daughter finally stopped doing it after like a year of reminders. Now it's just habit for her.