The Munchkin recently went out to dinner with his grandparents (my parents) and when they came back, it was remarked upon by my mother than my son resembled a hungry wolf while eating his spaghetti and meatballs.

And here I thought it was a problem confined just to our house. 

Er, at least I guess I was hoping that like many other fairly undesirable behaviors, when out with other people, kids tend to put on their best behavior.

So either my son’s table manners are horrendous, or I am immersed in some very deep waters of denial.

You see, it is true that for some reason, my son will lower his head down to his plate and not so much lift his fork to his mouth, but rather shovel in whatever food he has on there.  He is also a very sloppy eater, leaving a ring of detritus around his plate. He is also not what you would describe as a delicate chewer.

It isn’t very pleasant, really.

I have no idea where he gets this from.

Goodness knows I have called him out on his eating habits many a time.  I tell him to slow down, to lift his fork all the way up to his face, and to be careful with his food.

Glinda, meet brick wall. I have no doubt my admonishments sound exactly like the teacher’s voice in the Peanuts,  “Muwaaaah, wuaaaaah, wuaaaha, wua, muwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.”

Is this a typical 8 year old boy thing?  Or will my son be shunned from dining with people other than his family?  Have people secretly been pointing and laughing at him every time we go out to eat?

In his defense, though, there is NO graceful way to eat spaghetti.