Everytime before Ben takes his meals, we always go through the following routines:
1. Ben will push his high chair towards the dining table.
2. We carry Ben up and put him in his high chair.
3. Ben put on the safety belt for his high chair by himself.
** Video above taken when Ben started learning to put on the high chair's safety belt by himself.
4. Get ready with Ben's food and drinks.
* (If eating out, Ben would be either waiting patiently for his food, or busy wiping the table or his high chair with a wet tissue or tissue paper)
5. Ben prays before he starts his meal.
It takes a while but it's worth the perseverance to follow through and keep up with the routines. It's satisfying when I see Ben doing all this during his meal times.
I'm not sure at what age a child supposed to do all this, but I feel good manners starts from young. In time when he's tall enough or when I'm confident he can manage it, I'm going to teach him to put his plate and utensils into the kitchen sink after meal times. (of course, I'm not going to make him wash it.. yet.. heheheh...)
So what about your child? What routines do you guys practise when it comes to meal times?