Need help! How to teach a sloppy eater (food ALL over the floor!) to be neater!

[A.J. at J.A.]

I have a 7yo son (he'll turn 7 next Friday) whom I completely adore. However, when it comes to eating he is a complete and utter slob! When he leaves the table there is food all over the table & floor. We repeatedly remind him to eat over his plate and yet when he leaves it looks like a 2yo has eaten there.

DH & I are really disgusted with this and can't figure out what to do about it. I've tried having him clean up after himself but that is done just as sloppily, I'm not sure if it is his age or lack of motivation. We have a rechargeable vacuum he cleans up with after breakfast and he's supposed to wipe the table when he's through eating, but that's certainly a training in process.

Any ideas on getting him to eat more neatly?

Thanks!
Angela

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

I have a 7yo son (he'll turn 7 next Friday) whom I completely adore. However, when it comes to eating he is a complete and utter slob! When he leaves the table there is food all over the table & floor. We repeatedly remind him to eat over his plate and yet when he leaves it looks like a 2yo has eaten there.

DH & I are really disgusted with this and can't figure out what to do about it. I've tried having him clean up after himself but that is done just as sloppily, I'm not sure if it is his age or lack of motivation. We have a rechargeable vacuum he cleans up with after breakfast and he's supposed to wipe the table when he's through eating, but that's certainly a training in process.

Any ideas on getting him to eat more neatly?

Thanks!
Angela


One of mine -- no names -- could not figure this one out for about 12 years. It was a running joke.

Honestly, I don't know why. It was odd. Not malicious. Just teach to clean up is my advice.

[Tracey in TX]

I have a 7yo son (he'll turn 7 next Friday) whom I completely adore. However, when it comes to eating he is a complete and utter slob! When he leaves the table there is food all over the table & floor. We repeatedly remind him to eat over his plate and yet when he leaves it looks like a 2yo has eaten there.

DH & I are really disgusted with this and can't figure out what to do about it. I've tried having him clean up after himself but that is done just as sloppily, I'm not sure if it is his age or lack of motivation. We have a rechargeable vacuum he cleans up with after breakfast and he's supposed to wipe the table when he's through eating, but that's certainly a training in process.

Any ideas on getting him to eat more neatly?

Thanks!
Angela

A few suggestions:
shower curtain under table to catch the scraps
Eat directly over plate.
Chair directly in front of plate.
Bite size pieces using fork and knife for each bite.
Maybe serving simple foods until he overcomes this.

Does he have difficulty with fine motor skills? That might be his issue.

Good luck, and in the meantime he can be your after mealtime helper.

[CookieMonster]

Maybe he needs more specific instruction. "Eat over your plate" makes sense to you, but that doesn't mean your son has processed the full weight of that adage.

Have you closely watched him eat? Is there a particular part of the process that shows poor motor planning? (I ask because it sounds like a possible motor planning type of disconnect.) If it is, he'll need direct, specific instruction on what to change in order to not make such a big mess.

If he puts too much on his spoon or fork, he'll need to be instructed to pay attention, scoop only so much, and to try again if he is getting too much.

If he is inadvertantly flinging food he'll need to be made aware of when and how this is happening. (I'm thinking here of my son who talks while making motions with his fork, thereby flinging bits of food here and there.)

Is he having trouble keeping his food on his fork? He might need some small muscle control help.

Is he having trouble keeping food in his mouth? This is an honest question. My son suffers from poor motor planning of the mouth and he is much more likely to dribble, loose food, gag, and otherwise appear impolite. He needs help learning to handle food with this mouth.

If you can pinpoint his problem area(s) you can pinpoint instruction to aid him.

These are just my first thoughts in random order. I hope they help some.

[Doran]

None of us can eat properly even now! :lol:

One thought for you is to offer your son fewer items on his plate at a time and to possibly choose dinnerware (dishes/utensils) that will faciliate him eating more neatly. Ever notice how some plates are just a pain in the tushie to get things off of because there's no slope to the sides? Ever notice how some forks and spoons are so poorly designed that you can't "get" food onto them very easily. Not sure if your son is eating with the same equipment everyone else in the family uses or not, but you might experiment with different options to see if anything makes a dent in his messiness. Shop yard sales and thrift stores for cheap ideas.

The other thought is the height of his chair. Is he sitting high enough to reach the table easily?

Just my $.03 :confused:

[charlotteb]

Queen's Homeschool has a product called "Manners for Mealtimes" Its actually a game! I just purchased it second hand from another hs-er and it should arrive very soon. My ds is almost 11 and still has the worst table manners.
Maybe it can be the miracle we both need? :)

[Tammyla]

:iagree: with Doran and Pam. Some kids are messier than others. Eating over his plate may not be easy if the table or plate is too high. A good full set of utensils can help with small bite sizes and getting things on the fork and into his mouth. Slowing down, and using big linen or cotton lap napkins might be another thing to try.

My ds was messy as a youngster, but is neater than most of us now at 11. It gets better with time and gentle reminders.;)

[JFS in IL]

Stand over him and, if needed, hand-over-hand instruct him how to clean up his mess. Do not show emotion - just be straightforward about it, and insist that EVERYONE has to clean up his or her own dining area post-meal. Make sure he has to clean up his plate/table area, chair, floor after EVERY meal (so don't plan a meal for just before a fav. tv show or needing to leave the hose, etc. for a couple weeks until he either gets the hand of cleaning up himself or learns how to be neater.) If he was being this messy at school the lunch ladies would be on top of him and kids teasing him. Someday he will need to date - you don't want to loose a potential daughter-in-law over his mealtime mess, do you ? :D

You are teaching him a life skill (and trying to make your own life a tad more pleasant.)

Good luck. Our son (with autism) was a total SLOB about food - he has vastly improved with not only age but also being make to clean up his own messes.

Having a large dog also helps keep floors clean, btw :D

[Part-Time Homeschooler]

My 7-year-old son is exactly the same -- he makes a huge mess whenever he eats. If we have Chinese food, I am picking up rice for the next week!

My ds has fine motor issues, for which he was going to OT. The therapy helped a little bit, but he's still a messy eater. I'm hoping he grows out of it soon!

[~Tara~]

sounds like my soon to be 9 yr old
you should see his face and shirt after eating a pb sandwich .... son, do you *not* feel the pb plastered from mouth to ear? he says no *sigh*
sorry, no advice
we have ours cleaning up as well

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

I have a 7yo son (he'll turn 7 next Friday) whom I completely adore. However, when it comes to eating he is a complete and utter slob! When he leaves the table there is food all over the table & floor. We repeatedly remind him to eat over his plate and yet when he leaves it looks like a 2yo has eaten there.

DH & I are really disgusted with this and can't figure out what to do about it. I've tried having him clean up after himself but that is done just as sloppily, I'm not sure if it is his age or lack of motivation. We have a rechargeable vacuum he cleans up with after breakfast and he's supposed to wipe the table when he's through eating, but that's certainly a training in process.

Any ideas on getting him to eat more neatly?

Thanks!
Angela

Oh, and I meant to tell you -- the pets are always very excited when this particular child sits down at the table. Even now. And it's been eight years since she was seven. :D

She does try. But this is such a difficult thing for her for some unknown reason. We just laugh about it now, and she does clean up.

[A.J. at J.A.]

You guys are awesome! Thanks so much for the great suggestions and the encouragement!

Just for more info:
He eats at the table in a taller chair so reaching shouldn't be a problem. I'll have to think on the other suggestions, it isn't just sloppy food he makes messes with, he had a huge mess after popcorn last night eaten at the table. Perhaps focusing on smaller bites would make a big improvement as well as helping clean up after every meal.

Thanks again!
Angela