Table manners are a valuable skill you can teach in your foster care home. Children are better prepared for the adult world when they understand what’s expected dining at home or in a restaurant. Here are some tips for making meal times happier and healthier.
Table Manners in your Foster Care Home:
Your foster care children will learn from your example, so provide a positive role model. Focus on being kind and thoughtful to each other. Discuss house rules for washing up before meals, saying please and thanks, closing your mouth when you chew, and offering to help the cook. Be patient if they need reminders to put their napkin in their laps, and wait until everyone is served before eating. Remember to turn off your phones and other devices, and keep the conversation flowing. While all this may sound simple, it can make a big difference in improving your family life, and helping kids to socialize.
Table Manners for Dining Out:
Due to COVID-19, your foster care family may have put off eating at restaurants for a long time. Maybe this will even be a first time experience for some little ones. Naturally, all that home training will come in handy in making kids feel confident because they’ll already know the basics. It’s probably still a good idea to pick a family friendly place where you’ll feel less pressured, and your kids will have more menu options geared toward them. Be realistic about how long they can sit still comfortably. You want them to look forward to dining out again, instead of remembering how they couldn’t wait to leave the table.
Contact us at TFI Oklahoma to learn more about how you can help kids who need a home. We can help you discover a variety of options for making donations to support foster care services, as well as information and training for becoming a foster parent.