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!

[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...

[*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!?

[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!!

[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!

[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.

[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.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

My FiL eats with his mouth open and refuses to close it, even when asked.

I do hate being asked a question as soon as someone sees I have put something in my mouth! So rude, I feel obliged to speak with my hand over my mouth to answer.

As for DS - yes, I do tell him to close his mouth as he eats. We need to neither hear nor see food in the process of being eaten. BUT... when he has a cold, I tell him to take smaller bites and worry less. I had a perpetual runny nose as a child (food intolerance) and eating with my mouth shut was SO hard. I did my best but my dad just ridiculed me if I had to open my mouth to breathe, no matter what I said to explain it. I'm not going to be that draconian!

We also don't put elbows on the table.

[Lulu]

Course I do...I just have to start on being SUBTLE now.

xh nearly died on the train the other day when DD loudly announced how the people sitting opposite were ALL PIGLETS because they were all chewing and talking at the same time...

[CrazyLady]

xh nearly died on the train the other day when DD loudly announced how the people sitting opposite were ALL PIGLETS because they were all chewing and talking at the same time...

LOL! I'm sure she said it all innocently.

I was thinking about this while giving DD lunch today. She chews with her mouth open yet she is only 10 months old and does have a sniffle at the moment. I am making sure I brush up on table manners before she can use cutlery properly. And no, I don't chew with my mouth open nor with it full of food. It's vulgar!!

I hate eating at MIL's place because she asks me a question as soon as I put something in my mouth and then will try answer it for me while I finish mouthful. She's damn nasty with the open mouth chewing/ talking with mouthful too!

[Bumperstump Cummerbund]

Lulu, oh the innocence of children

I don't remember actually being taught, but I chew with my mouth closed. It doesn't usualyy bother me TOO much if someone has their mouth open - having said that, my best friends sister growing up had the whole mouth open chewing like a cow thing going on...I went absolutely BANANAS one day when she was sitting next to me in the cinema eating popcorn. 'HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO MAKE SO MUCH NOISE WHEN YOU'RE EATING!!! SHUT YOUR FLAMING MOUTH!!!'

I think I was possibly more embarrassed than she was for having lost it so badly - but she was so loud I couldn't hear the movie! I saw her not long ago, and she eats with her mouth closed now