General Chat

One other thing about tables and table manners.When I was a Child,I had to ask if I could leave the Table,not just get up and go.**M**.

Ooops.
I'm very sorry if I have offended - I've been proved wrong, then, in saying that a dining table is necessary ;-) as it seems others have been taught perfectly well without!! Which, I guess, goes to prove that the basic manners and discipline count for everything.

I agree - neither can I stand it when I see little ones running around a cafe or restaurant, my first thought is what would happen if someone is carrying hot tea/coffee and the youngster collides with them, my second thought turns to anger, as it seems many of the parents don't appear to care. Neither do they seem to care that other people in the cafe/restaurant just might NOT want to hear their darling little monster running and screeching around the tables!

I know I'm in danger of sounding like I'm spouting off now, with the old "when I was young...." saying, but actually, when i was young we didn't dare behave like that when we were taken out. We sat at the table and hardly said boo! We were taught that running about and shouting was for outdoors.

And yes, we had to ASK if we could leave the table, and were granted permission only when everyone at the table had finished! Imagine that!!!!

K

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official CCTV of an attempted murder of two PC's on Monday 8th August. Royston Ave E4

Someone somewhere knows who was in this car....details in text below the footage x

Karen, you haven't offended :-)

I agree with you about children running around screeching and I'm not that old, not that I'm saying you are lol My cousin used to wait on tables in a local pub restaurant, in the holidays, when she was at uni. It used to annoy her too having to avoid kids running round because you could guarantee if something had happened the parents would have been up in arms, even though it would have been their fault.

Karen, I completely agree with you re. the dining table.

We as a family sat together at the dining table to eat, the TV was in the other room, so that was the time when we had our family half-hour, where we all sat together and talked.

For me that was so important. I had a kind of double upbringing, in that with my parents, it was a bit fragmented and unsettled (understatement), and was often fostered out to my grandparents, a whole world apart. There my upbringing was more structured. All meals were eaten up at the table, you didn't put your elbows on the table, didn't speak with a mouthful, waited until everyone had finished eating before you dared ask to leave the table, and you took your plate out and helped with the washing up. TV was always switched off, and only at lunchtimes, the 1.00 news was put on the radio (wireless actually), and even that was turned off after the weather forecast.

All meals were also at the same time each day, and woe betide you if you were late.

What's wrong with that?

Cat, re children running around seemingly uncontrolled. I had the same experience in the 90s when I was a waitress in a cafe. It was sooo dangerous when you have your hands full of hot cups of coffee, yet the parents took offence when I asked them if they could ask their children to sit down for their own safety. I felt like saying 'this isn't a playground, it'll be your fault if one of them causes an accident and gets scalded.', but of course you can't say that.

Just dropping in to this part of the conversation. Our son, when he grew to the age when he wanted to go out in the evening, still asked to leave the table after the evening meal, and was allowed to go early because he needed to get to the bathroom for a wash before his father!! His Dad was rether insensitive about it and couldnt see that the boy wanted some evening left with his friends!!

i was taught to ask to leave the table when i wasgrowing up in the last 60s early 70s it was just basic table manners,my own children were taught the same growing up in the 80s,i and my sisters and brothers were not allowed to talk at the table,but my own children where,it wasan opportunity for everyone to talk about their day.......my children are grown up now,but when we get together almost everywk for sunday dinner we always talk about our wk.basic manners plus a lot of other basic needs aremissing with todays children,parents are to blame.x

ThankgodformygooddinnerandpleasemayIleavethetable.thanks....before we scarpered off to play. :-D

Yes BC. you can go out and play, As long as its Not behind the Bike Sheds or Doctors and Nurses :-D.PMSL. ;-) **M**.

so that's what you got up to Merlin!!!!

TV was never a problem at mealtimes when I was a child - no one had TV, in fact we didn't even have electricity!!!