Do You Teach Your Children To Eat With Their Mouths Closed?

[Bathsheba]

.... and does the sight of seeing a person eat with their mouth open and making lots of moist eating sounds turn your tummy?

I remember being taught by my aunty... it must have been aboutwhen i was 5yo. my aunty would have been in her teens. She was kind about it and showed me what it looked like to watch someone eat with food rolling around in their mouth like a tumble drier. It instantly clicked with me and I kept my lips firmly shut from that point on! LOL But that means my own parents musn't have minded how embarrassing.

My own teen DD gets very 'funny' when she sees people eating with mouths open... she'll stop eating herself! Even my 6yo tells me about kids at school who eat with mouths open and I have to remind him that it's because their parents haven't taught them yet and not to be mean about it.

I know it can also be a cultural thing so i probably should be more tolerant... what are your thoughts?

[Cupcake]

Cannot stand listening to people eat with their mouths open/talk with mouths full of food.

Definately trying to teach DSD but feels like an uphill battle as its obviously not enforced at her mothers house.

[alioops]

I'm trying to. I remember teaching a friends DD when I was about 11.

[Rouge]

Absolutely. It grosses me out big time!

[*TripleJ*]

Jamie is only 10 months but he already eats with his mouth closed so i have no idea lol but i hate it i used to yell at my sister for doing it

[Bathsheba]

When I worked in childcare all the teachers helped the children understand that it was more socially acceptable to eat with a closed mouth. I would imagine if a child grew up not realising that it could break some friendships... or even careers. DH has said that the bankers that talk with full mouths etc definitely lose the respect of colleagues and clients. Can you believe that this is one thing they are teaching in Business Etiquette classes!?

[BellyBelly]

Same here eck!!!

It's one of the very important reasons to have dinner as a family. They learn table manners when they see you eat, otherwise they learn it off each other as kids. I think this is becoming more common, sadly...

[Cupcake]

I love watching Nigella Lawson's cooking shows but cringe at the end of the episode where she eats her food, takes huge mouthfuls and continues talking to the camera...aahh!!

[Lolli]

Bath, you would hope it something most adults already know

This is something I already drum into ds. I'm such a stickler for manners- the tiny little gestures that make life more pleasent for everyone. I remember my mu telling me that having good manners is a way of showing people you respect them, without saying a word.

[Bathsheba]

Ditto regarding Nigella... it is such a bad look. We all sneak food direct from the fridge etc but you dont do it publically... it's like all bodily functions and lazy habits... keep them to yourself you dont need to share!

[Lolli]

I love watching Nigella Lawson's cooking shows but cringe at the end of the episode where she eats her food, takes huge mouthfuls and continues talking to the camera...aahh!!

Funny... you think she's trying to be sexy?

[Bathsheba]

Maybe she (Nigella) is (trying to be sexy) but it's a kind of intimacy that doesn't do her any favours when she shares it publically IMO. It's like farting infront of your partner... keep it between yourselves please!

[Cupcake]

Maybe she (Nigella) is (trying to be sexy) but it's a kind of intimacy that doesn't do her any favours when she shares it publically IMO. It's like farting infront of your partner... keep it between yourselves please!

LOL.

[Pandora]

We're trying to. DS is pretty good though he doesn't do it all the time, he has to concentrate.

[shellbell3]

I am bit naughty myself in this area. I'm prolly the one you hear eating loudly and slurping.
I do try teach DD but not the best teacher if I forget myself.

[~Kim~]

lol I am a manners nazi. My 3yo knows not to, and she's quite happy to point out to us that talking with our mouthes full is rude.

I wouldn't say it grosses me out....but not much does.

[sneakysparkle]

I used to talk with my mouth full all the time - until DH pulled me up - then I realised that my mother does it all the time!
Now eating/talking with a full mouth grosses me out big time!
I will definately be teaching my kids not to do it!

[Bathsheba]

My mother has become worse as she has grown older... now i watch her and it's like she actually waits until she has food in her mouth to talk so that she can multi-task. She kind of pushes it to the side of her mouth (you can see the bulge) and she goes for it... hardly even stopping if a piece of food comes flying out... it's like what she is saying is of such vital importance that it just cant wait. She doesnt "get" the rhythm that you get into over a meal... you listen to the other person talk while you eat a mouthful and then they listen to you when you have swallowed. It's just unspoken etiquette. A meal isnt the time to launch into a soapbox moment LOL you talk in snippets to allow the meal to be eaten at a good pace but maintain interesting conversation. I'm such a Grumpy Old Lady today though.