Your hands are clean. Now it is time to sit down to eat. How we sit at the table matters too.
Key idea
Sit on your bottom, with your chair pulled in and feet down. Stay in your seat until the meal is over.
Why it works
Sitting well is safe: chairs stay on the floor and cups stay on the table. Staying in your seat keeps your family company.
Worked example: Let's practice
Omar has eaten some dinner. He wants to look out the window. What should he do?
- The meal is not over yet.
- Getting up and down leaves the others.
- Omar stays in his seat and talks with his family.
Answer: Omar stays seated until the meal is over.
Common mistake
Kneeling on the chair, tipping back on two legs, or wandering away and coming back. Staying seated is a way of keeping others company.
For the grown-up. A chair your child's feet can rest on (or a box under the feet) makes sitting still much easier. Keep meals short for young children, and end the meal when they are done rather than making them wait a long time.