WWYD?

[Anonymous]

Here's the situation: my ILs don't have even minimal table manners. In fact, ILs are so bad, I avoid looking at them during shared meals. The last time, my 4 y.o. DC said something like: "Look, grandma chews with her mouth open!". I said that we don't correct adults, but then DC went to explain (basically repeated what I taught him) the importance of table manners, and I distracted him with something else. ILs don't care, but DH was irritated by me the whole evening. How would handle this situation?

[Anonymous]

Probably the same way you did. Kids are by nature rude, I mean, Observant and lacking a filter. Later you explain to him that pointing out others bad habits is rude and part of having good manners is gracefully interacting with others who don't have good manners.

[Anonymous]

Encourage your DH to teach your DC not to correct people. Why should he be mad at you about it, it's not like you told DC to say it. DC is DH's child too and if he wants DC to behave in a certain way, DH can step up and deal with it.

If your DH is like mine, he probably thinks table manners are for uptight snobs. That's why I don't sit across from my DH at home. We have talked about it many times and he never improves. And he wonders why I don't feel like sex after going out to dinner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's the situation: my ILs don't have even minimal table manners. In fact, ILs are so bad, I avoid looking at them during shared meals. The last time, my 4 y.o. DC said something like: "Look, grandma chews with her mouth open!". I said that we don't correct adults, but then DC went to explain (basically repeated what I taught him) the importance of table manners, and I distracted him with something else. ILs don't care, but DH was irritated by me the whole evening. How would handle this situation?

Why was your DH mad at you? You didn't do anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the situation: my ILs don't have even minimal table manners. In fact, ILs are so bad, I avoid looking at them during shared meals. The last time, my 4 y.o. DC said something like: "Look, grandma chews with her mouth open!". I said that we don't correct adults, but then DC went to explain (basically repeated what I taught him) the importance of table manners, and I distracted him with something else. ILs don't care, but DH was irritated by me the whole evening. How would handle this situation?

Why was your DH mad at you? You didn't do anything.

I did not ask but sensed he felt I indirectly humiliated his parents through DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the situation: my ILs don't have even minimal table manners. In fact, ILs are so bad, I avoid looking at them during shared meals. The last time, my 4 y.o. DC said something like: "Look, grandma chews with her mouth open!". I said that we don't correct adults, but then DC went to explain (basically repeated what I taught him) the importance of table manners, and I distracted him with something else. ILs don't care, but DH was irritated by me the whole evening. How would handle this situation?

Why was your DH mad at you? You didn't do anything.

I did not ask but sensed he felt I indirectly humiliated his parents through DC.

Then your husband is a dick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the situation: my ILs don't have even minimal table manners. In fact, ILs are so bad, I avoid looking at them during shared meals. The last time, my 4 y.o. DC said something like: "Look, grandma chews with her mouth open!". I said that we don't correct adults, but then DC went to explain (basically repeated what I taught him) the importance of table manners, and I distracted him with something else. ILs don't care, but DH was irritated by me the whole evening. How would handle this situation?

Why was your DH mad at you? You didn't do anything.

I did not ask but sensed he felt I indirectly humiliated his parents through DC.

Then your husband is a dick.

I don't think he's a dick, he was probably just embarrassed for his parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Probably the same way you did. Kids are by nature rude, I mean, Observant and lacking a filter. Later you explain to him that pointing out others bad habits is rude and part of having good manners is gracefully interacting with others who don't have good manners.

This.

OP, you don't have good manners by making others feel inferior. Toughen up. You sound too sensitive and a little bit controlling. Think of yourself as a "good will ambassador" toward your in-laws.

[Anonymous]

I don't think you did anything wrong. My FIL is like this. He talks and spots out food. It's quite gross. I love when my 5 year old calls him out on it. I always giro he will stop. My DS will also tell him no phones at the table.

Why is your DH annoyed at you?

[Anonymous]

Your child needs to understand that he's not to comment or correct adults, unless he's telling someone to avoid walking into oncoming traffic they don't notice or something equally lethal.

Sit NEXT to the in-laws rather than across from them, so you don't have to look at them.

[Anonymous]

Your in-laws sounds like fooul, Low-class pigs and your husband sounds like a jackass. Why did you marry him?? Ugh. Nothing excuses poor table manners. Nothing. And nothing says low class trash like poor table manners. Ugh. You should tell your husband that the only people he has a right to be mad at are his parents. They are setting a terrible example for his kid and ruining other people's meals. You should refuse flat out to eat with them.

[Anonymous]

DH can correct his own children

[Anonymous]

Out of the mouths of babes ...

[Anonymous]

Why did you marry someone whose parents have such atrocious table manners because his cannot be any better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why did you marry someone whose parents have such atrocious table manners because his cannot be any better.

That's not true. My parents are mild racists (they'd never drop the N-word but my mom would wipe her hand on her pants after shaking a black man's hand without realizing she did it).