The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1898-10-28

IT IL No Easy Task 10 Teach the Lit
tie Ones How to Act Correctly
Mt the Table.

va
1t is by no means light task to
teach family Of youngsters TO com \
port themselves with decorum at the
dinner-table, but If the lessons OF po-
liteness and good breeding at meal
time are early instilled In the elder
children, the battle is half won for the
younger ones, who naturally initiate
the example set them. M
Though a somewhat fatiguing proc
ess. materfamilias should have her
brood down to dine with her as soon
as it Is at all feasible, FOR she is OBJ
yiously the best qualified person to
train them in nice habits. When there
is no baby to be looked after in the
nursery, it saves time and simplifies
matters If nurse helps to wait at the
midday meal, as she can cut up the
little ones meat while the other Is
carving. The. plates should be hot to
start with, for there Is nothing more
| unappetizing than o half-cold, greasy
dinner, aaI many little ones are very
slow in finishing what is on their
/ plates. While endeavorlng not to let
! the youngsters grow dainty, | think
| it q great mistake to attempt to force
matters of diet. To some children, for
instance, fat is absolutely repugnant,
| and to insist on their swallowing 1t
| is to render their entire dinner un-
savory If, however, there is only a
slight dislike to some food, such as
greens or rice, for example, and a
very small portion is carefully mixed
with the meat and potatoes, it is often
| eaten unnoticed by the child. Then.
too, I have frequently found, if no OPP
| position is made when certain article
of diet is rejected, after a few days,
or a few months, finding that he is
| not forced to eat it, the youngster
will forget his prejudice, or, as is some
| times the case, tastes change, and
what he formerly disliked may later
on appeal to his palate,
1t is important that each child should
have a comfortable chair, if there is
to be no fidgeting at table; cushions to
raise the height often prove insecure
and slippery, while to be seated too low
on chair is distinctly uncomfortable.
For use in the dining-room there is
nothing nicer than a bentwood chair,
the long-legged kind seen in Diapers
| shops and which for the smallest folks
can be bought with side arms and a
bar across. After dinner each child
| should be accustomed to replace the
chair in it's usual place, and before get
| ting down the seryiette or feeder
should be neatly folded in its ring.s
Talking to any extent at meal time
should be discouraged. The welding of
| the spoon or knife and fork demands
certain amount of attention from a
child, and If he or she is. to eat nice
ly, and go on steadily, SO as to be fin
ished with the grown-ups, there is no
time for chatter, and it is far better
| training to teach the little people to
| eat in silence and let the elders do
the talking
Aprivilege, such as sitting by fathers
side at dinnertime on Sunday, get
ting down to ring the bell (young peo-
pie are always glad of an excuse for
moving), or something similar, can be
given from time to time to the one
who behaves best at table-that is to
say, who eats all that is on the plate
finishes the piece of bread without
crumbling or playing with it, is care
full not to use fingers when the spoon
or fork is not quite successful in the
work Of shoveling, or other minor de
linquencies, which every mother viii
notice for herself.
Every child, whether promoted OF
not from the nursery, should be taught
from the beginning to come to table
with clean hands and face and neatly
brushed hair, and no breach of thi
rule must ever be overlooked, as moth
ing is more insidious than the ap
proach of bad habits, while steady
persevering training will soon teacl
the children to comport themselves a
,. table so that they are not troubl
to anyone or an annoyance to the oc
casional visitor at lunch.-Philadel
) phia Times.
!, Welcome Back.-She-"Are ycu on
,, Of our Seventy-frst heroes?" He
"No I amt no hero. I'm regular