Smacking--A Debate?

[Bichon Barb]

First of all, let me state that I'm not a Miss Manners type at all. But I was brought up to chew with my mouth closed, so from the time my kids were old enough to understand, I taught them to eat without smacking.

I've noticed that many of my sons' friends eat like neanderthals. One is eating pizza as I type this. I can hear "SMACK SMACK CLACK SMACK CLACK". It's like a dog eating a cup of peanut butter. I should probably hit "submit" pretty quickly before I get caught.

I know this can be a cultural thing. I think some cultures think it's a compliment if a man eats like this, but I just think it's gross.

Thoughts?

 

[Stepharoonie!]

Ugh. I correct my daughter to eat with her mouth closed, because the sound is just gross! Luckily, she doesn't do it much anymore.

 

[jbthi]

If there's anything worse than "smacking" when you eat, it's the way most people chew gum. Drives me crazy!!

June

 

[Cool-Beans]

First of all, let me state that I'm not a Miss Manners type at all. But I was brought up to chew with my mouth closed, so from the time my kids were old enough to understand, I taught them to eat without smacking.

I've noticed that many of my sons' friends eat like neanderthals. One is eating pizza as I type this. I can hear "SMACK SMACK CLACK SMACK CLACK". It's like a dog eating a cup of peanut butter. I should probably hit "submit" pretty quickly before I get caught.

I know this can be a cultural thing. I think some cultures think it's a compliment if a man eats like this, but I just think it's gross.

Thoughts?

I try not to look. I know their parents are trying to teach them table manners, but kids sometimes let fly when Mom isn't around. I can only pray nobody saw my kids do this...but I'm sure they did. I had to remind them 1000x not to talk or open their mouths while eating!

...and newbies think potty training is hard.

 

[mantysk8coach]

Maybe they have nasal/sinus issues? I only say that because I have a perpetually blocked nose due to sinus stuff (partially inherited from my dad) that sometimes if I try to chew with my mouth closed, I can't breathe. So there are times that I need to chew with my mouth open in order to breathe. But I try to be discreet about it!

My dad ended up having to have major nasal/sinus reconstruction (everyone thought he had a vanity nose job!) and I am trying to avoid that. It looked awful!

So that could be a reason that people chew with their mouth open. But probably not in most cases!

 

[momrek06]

OMG...one of our employees eats like that...everyday he brings a sandwich and chips...the guys are all out surveying and they return to the office for lunch where we have it nice and cool. They go into the lunchroom and all you hear is this one dude...crunch, crunch, crunch all the time with his chips and it is sooo incredibly loud...I want to so bad say something but I know I cannot...I said to DH, doesn't his own family HEAR that and ask him to "tone it down" a bit...but we are guessing NOT!!

I will just have to deal with it...

 

[WDWfan36]

Ugh. I correct my daughter to eat with her mouth closed, because the sound is just gross! Luckily, she doesn't do it much anymore.

I know It drives me Nuts!!!

 

[pearlieq]

I can't listen to smacking! I have to leave the room or turn up the TV when DH comes in wth a snack!

I also can't stand open mouth chewers. My MIL cannot chew with her mouth closed. I've had to get up from the table more than once because I was so disgusted!

How hard is it to keep your mouth closed while chewing!!!

 

[momrek06]

My MIL's BF chews all his food but ALLOWS it to flow down his mouth and FORM around his lips and down to his chin...YUCK ...my DH and our DS' cannot stand seeing that and when we have plans w/them for dinner....NO ONE and I mean no one wants to sit near poor ole "RAY".. Last week he was eating salad with blue cheese dressing...OMG...there was MORE on his mouth than IN his mouth or IN the dish...it was GROSSSSS...

 

[Bichon Barb]

Oh good. It's not just me.

First of all, I understand about sinus problems. There is no way that many kids can have sinus problems. Seriously, my neighbor's kid has them. He has a hard time breathing through his nose.

And with regards to husbands, although my husband is not a smacker, he is a loud eater. There is something about the way he takes a tortilla chip and makes that first bite (which probably can be measured in decibles) that drives me NUTS!!!

 

[Nancy]

My husband is a noisy eater and he makes the worst noise when he swallows a drink too! He wasn't always like this, it seems to get worse as he gets older. There are times that I will leave the room or table it gets so bad. If we say something he gets all defensive about it. He does have sinus problems and the doctor prescribed a nasal spray, but he won't use it! He tried it once and it didn't work (after just 1 time) so it is a waste of time and money and he's not using it (his words not mine!)

Luckily my girls eat quiet and so do I.

 

[robertsmom]

Maybe they have nasal/sinus issues? I only say that because I have a perpetually blocked nose due to sinus stuff (partially inherited from my dad) that sometimes if I try to chew with my mouth closed, I can't breathe. So there are times that I need to chew with my mouth open in order to breathe. But I try to be discreet about it!

I was just going to say this. I try not to do it, but sometimes I have to in order to be able to breathe.

 

[taximomfor4]

DD8 is my ONE child that just cannot keep her mouth closed while eating. The other 3 are pretty good at it (although maybe that's only when I am around??) Sinus issues could be the cause of dd's trouble, she has always been unable to breathe well through her nose, it was first noticed when she was a newborn.

So yes, sinus problems can be a reason to chew with mouth not closed all the way. Another possible reason: every parent has their own things they focus on vs. let slide. Among my own siblings. They are strict about things, but not always the same things that we are strict on.

Oh, and for the record, open-mouth eating and smacking bug me too!! We don't make dd feel bad, but we do continue to remind her in quiet ways.

 

[Chattyaholic]

I'm a waitress and some of the customers I wait on are loud smackers, and even worse is when I'm walking by and someone wants something (napkins, ketchup or whatever...) and they ask me for it all the while still chewing and smacking and and some even have food dribbling down their chin...it's so gross!! Can't they at least put the napkin in front of their mouth so I don't have to see all that?! Yuck! It's so nasty!!

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

One should never smack when they eat. It's just bad manners. If one is in a culture where it is ok, well then it's ok. But it's bad manners here.


BURRRRRRRRRRRRRP. Wow that was deep.

 

[barkley]

i get on my kids about it and dd will occasionaly throw the 'cultural' comment at me. i then point out that in some cultures it is the accepted practice of the 'elder women' to go topless and for young boys up to a certain age to go bottemless-and then inquire if she would like 'grandma' (in her late 80's) and i to adopt that along with little brother the next time we come to a school event. (as ds is saying 'yeah mom let's do it to her, when can we-huh???')- (dd) 'eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwww' don't you dare-thats grooooooooooooooooooooooss'!!!! (me) 'so is having to see your half chewed food'!!!!

can you tell family meals are a load of fun in the 'barkley' household.

 

[irisbud]

I used to be a nanny for two kids who were basically out of control. The older child (12) would chew and smack so loudly, as well as talking with her mouth open and letting food fly everywhere, that I was surprised the neighbord couldn't hear us having dinner. I would politely remind her that this was bad manners (Long story: according to parents children could do no wrong and therefor there was no need to ever scold or discipline them; EVER). One day, her mother informed me that I was no longer to say anything to her, as her mouth must be deformed in some way that keeps her from being able to chew properly, because she would never just have, you know, bad manners. She must have told the children that she would be telling me this, because that evening the youngest (10) started doing it too, and toild me that HIS mouth was deformed as well.

I'm sure this could happen, but believe me it was NOT true in this case.