it, back of the hand up,
thumb closed over fist. The pusher (a small flat piece of silver at right
angles to a handle) is held in the same way, in the left hand. Also in the
first eating lessons, a baby must be allowed to put a spoon in its mouth,
pointed end foremost. Its first lessons must be to take small mouthfuls,
to eat very slowly, to spill nothing, to keep the mouth shut while chewing
and not smear its face over. In drinking, a child should use both hands to
hold a mug or glass until its hand is big enough so it can easily hold a
glass in one. When it can eat without spilling anything or smearing its
lips, and drink without making grease "moons" on its mug or tumbler (by
always wiping its mouth before drinking), it may be allowed to come to
table in the dining-room as a treat, for Sunday lunch or breakfast. Or if
it has been taught by its mother at table, she can relax her attention
somewhat from its progress. Girls are usually daintier and more easily
taught than boys, but most children will behave badly at table if left to
their own devices. Even though they may commit no serious offenses, such
as making a mess of their food or themselves, or talking with their mouths
full, all children love to crumb bread, flop this way and that in their
chairs, knock spoons and forks together, dawdle over their food, feed
animals--if any are allowed in the room--or become restless and noisy.

Once graduated to the dining-room, any reversion to such tactics must be
firmly reprehended, and the child should understand that continued offense
means a return to the nursery. But before company it is best to say as
little as possible, since too much nagging in the presence of strangers
lessens a child's incentive to good behavior before them. If it refuses to
behave nicely, much the best thing to do is to say nothing, but get up and
quietly lead it from the table back to the nursery. It is not only bad for
the child but annoying to a guest to continue instructions before
"company," and the child learns much more quickly to be well-behaved if it
understands that good behavior is the price of admission to grown-up
society. A word or two such as, "Don't lean on the table, darling," or
"pay attention to what you are doing, dear," should suffice. But a child
that is noisy, that reaches out to help itself to candy or cake, that
interrupts the conversation, that eats untidily has been allowed to leave
the nursery before it has been properly