“In a maidless household, a boy or girl of twelve or more years can be taught to set the table correctly and to wait on the table. Too many mothers err on this point. It will take time and patience to teach a young person to quietly leave his place at the table to perform the necessary service, but it is most essential to instill the idea that the mother is the hostess, not the servant of the household. Whenever possible, the mother should remain at the table to direct the conversation, to watch the wants of those at the table, and to insure a successful meal.”
Meal Planning and Table Service, 1923.
Right!! I can just see the young ones these days doing that.. NOT!!
ReplyDeleteYou're lucky you can get them to the table let along do something while there :-)
Amen to all. But, I particularly like the part "mother is...not the servant of the household"! (I obviously used my own interpretation.) I did my best to instill this in my husband and children. Didn't always work, but I tried.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of my friend's 12 year old son who thought that if he did a bad job of washing up then he wouldn't be asked to do it again. The solution turned out to be simple, served his next meal from the badly washed dishes. He has since shown great improvement.
ReplyDeleteMichelle, your friend is a very clever parent!
ReplyDeleteAmen! My parents thought 7 was a good age to include each of us into the household chores. I once made a kid I was babysitting wash the dishes while a tv program he wanted to watch was on. He was done before the program ended so he washed the kitchen floor too.
ReplyDeleteHis mother was amazed he would "help".