Saved by the Book
September 22, 2008
My friend Jeanne had her granddaughters for two weeks while their parents went on vacation. She adores the girls, and their parents, but she found that the kids' table manners got on her nerves. They squirmed, purposely fell off their chairs, played with their food. Worse, Jeanne knew many kids the same ages who behaved a lot better.
So Jeanne very matter-of-factly let the girls know her expectations. But she got herself some back-up: a couple of recently re-published children's books from the '30s and '40s. Munro Leaf wrote a series of charming books that use stick figures and simple language to communicate a very basic understanding of how to live in the world.
(From How to Behave and Why: "The two biggest questions to ask ourselves in life, at any age, are: Are most of the people I know glad that I am here? And, Am I glad that I am here, myself?")
By the end of the vacation, the girls' behavior had improved. And the change came about easily.
"I could keep temperature low," Jeanne explained. "I would say, 'this is the way we do it. It's in the book."
Mealtimes Matter Video
from Miriam Weinstein
About Miriam
Miriam Weinstein is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. As a journalist, she has won several awards from the New England Press Association. Her work has appeared in Boston Magazine, the Boston Globe magazine, Hope, and ParentSource. A former staff member for North Shore Weeklies and freelancer for Essex County Newspapers, she writes restaurant reviews and food columns as well as features on a wide variety of subjects. She lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with her husband and has two grown children.
The Surprising Power of Family Meals
In her book, The Surprising Power of Family Meals, Miriam Weinstein shows how this basic human institution helps nourish and strengthen our families today. You can buy this book from our friends at Smucker's® Online Store.
