Who had the worse manners?

Question

I had friends over for dinner recently and made pot roast and home made bread.  Their young son loved it so much he ate a ton and put some meat and veg on a piece of bread and was eating it like a fold over sandwich.  The mom went nuts for playing with his food then sent him away from the table.  Was that bad manners and playing with your food?  It didn't seem like it to me.

Foofa · Answer

Doesn't really matter what it seemed like to you. Parents are allowed to raise their kids as they see fit and if the rule in their home is that you don't touch your food with your hands then she was right to be consistent on this. It's not your place to raise anyone else's kid.

? · Answer

I think the mom was jealous her son liked your cooking so much!!  I don't think he was rude--he was obviously enjoying it and making a little sandwich--what's the harm in that?  I don't think the mom should have banished him from the table--esp. since it was your table.

Pearl · Answer

i dont think he was doing anything wrong

Toby · Answer

You did. You should have slapped the mother.!

Anonymous · Answer

I'd need to see it to decide.

How young is "young"?

Was the child making a mess of the floor, table or himself?

What exactly does "go nuts" mean?

Was the child sent away because of the sandwich or was the child sent away because he mouthed off or refused when his mother corrected him?

When I was young, if I had tried eating pot roast and vegetables with my fingers, my mom would have just whispered "not with your fingers" in my ear and I would have known there would be consequences if I disobeyed.    Problem solved and dinner not interrupted.

It sounds like this may be a case of a parent who needs some parent effectiveness training.

Anne Arkey · Answer

That wasn't bad manners, it was atrocious manners.  Mom did the right thing.  There are two things that get you everywhere in life: Good manners and good grammar.  At least mom was addressing one of them although a stern reprimand might have been preferable.

Cogito · Answer

It depends what the customs/manners are in your country.
In the UK it would be considered bad manners to make a sandwich out of a meal like that - so it was really the parents' fault for not teaching their son good table manners.  However, making a big issue of it and sending him away from the table was also bad manners.  I certainly wouldn't call that 'playing with food' though.

choko_canyon · Answer

The mother sounds overly-sensitive and was perhaps embarrassed. Seems to be she over-reacted and her son was behaving fine.

Who had the worse manners?

8 Answers