At what point can kids eat w/o getting crumbs all over the floor?

[Cool-Beans]

Kelley's Crumb Axiom:
The amount of crumbage is directly proportional to the amount of time that has passed since the last mop/vacuum.

There is a 90% certainty that cleaning within the last 30 minutes will result in a spill large enough to make you late for ______.

So true!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I know the answer to this!!!!

When you eat out not a crumb hits your floor.

 

[Jen_in_NH]

Well, my husband is 34, and he certainly hasn't figured it out. I finally decided to giveup worrying about it, and get a dog who would love to follow him around and eat whatever hits the floor. Gotta love my Newfie-vac system!

Jen

 

[ducklite]

When all you serve for dinner is candy. They won't let a drop of that hit the floor.

Or ice cream.

 

[RobInBigKC]

The answer seems to be some age older than 14 in my home.

-- Rob

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I'm 46yo and I'm still a mess. Most of it lands on my shirt, though. Stain Stick is my friend.

Around menopause

Yay, there's hope for me yet!

 

[Caropooh]

Oldest DD is 13 and she still manages to get crumbs everywhere!

 

[Anewman]

My two high schoolers make more mess now than when they were younger.

Imo it is not about being able to eat neatly, it is that they just dont care.

 

[darlak]

My 4 kids are 29, 23, 20 and 13. I believe that I can answer this question. The 13, 20 and 23 year olds still drop crumbs when eating. The 29 year old only stopped 6 years ago when she became a mother herself. So I believe the answer is when you become responsible for cleaning up someone else's crumbs.

 

[mtblujeans]

I have 2 teenage boys and a husband....I don't think they will ever get to the point that they get all the food to its appropriate destination!

 

[mickeyboat]

Thanks, everyone. Now I know I have many many more years of chasing my family around with the vacuum cleaner!

Denae

 

[Keli]

I think it just depends on how many kids your Mama had and how much time she had on her hands, lol.
My Mama had eight kids and she didn't have time to be cleaning up the dining room floor after every meal. She instilled in us the necessity of not making a mess (and made us clean it up if we did). After age 2 we pretty good at not spilling our drinks or dropping stuff on the floor.
I just had one dd and I wasn't nearly as strict. As a result dd was older before the floor was usually clean under her seat after meals. Helps that we have a dog too I think, lol. Maggie's not allowed in the kitchen until after we eat but I've noticed she makes a beeline there while I'm doing dishes. I don't think she's just wanting to spend time with me

 

[tigerdragon]

I think my DH makes more of a mess than my DS who is almost 7. I think it's a genetic thing with DH, though. His sister is even messier than he is.

 

[nskjerven]

we have dogs and no crumbs stay on the floor....the kids are 7 & 10. My 10 year old reminds me of herself at 2 every time she eats.