Thanksgiving Table Reminders

Happy Thanksgiving to all! As you sit down for a lovely meal with family and friends today, here are a few reminders:
1) Make a rule that NO ONE is allowed to bring a smart phone to the table. Period. In fact the hour or so of visiting with friends before your meal should be a hands off the smart phone zone. Especially your kids - explain to them we only stop work and everything else a few times a year to gather together with loved ones, and they need to enjoy the time together and live "in the moment".
2) Remind anyone with a hat on to please remove it before sitting down to the table.
3) If you are hosting and you are eating buffet-style, remember to tell people to please go ahead and start eating while it's still warm - they don't need to wait for you.
4) If you're a guest, remember to wait for the host to either take the first bite or tell you to go ahead without her or him.
5) Kids should remember to look people in the eye when speaking to them.....not appropriate to look down or the other way and mumble.
6) An old fashioned -but still looked upon as gentlemanly - is if a man helps a lady with her seat....and stands when a lady gets up from the table or sits down.
7) If you're eating from a buffet in a restaurant, leave your plate on the table when you go for more food and the plate will be removed. You don't want the serving spoon that touches everyone's else's plate to touch yours too.....But if you're in someone's home, it's expected that you will used the one plate and go back with it for seconds. Don't know why - I guess if you know someone well enough to be in their home, you know them well enough to share germs. :)
8) When you're finished, fold your napkin lightly (don't scrunch it) and put it to the left of your plate.
9) Thank your host for a nice Thanksgiving meal. And send a thank you note the next day - even if it's family!!!

Have a happy peaceful Thanksgiving....and let's all hope for peace in the world. We can do that by being civil to every other human being you come across. Jill :)