FLFamily Life Observer

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Setting a Table Kids Won't Immediately Wreck

Placement choices and tableware materials that held up through three family holiday dinners.

Family Life Observer4 minute read

A moody still life depicting a burning matchstick next to orange juice and a plastic container on a rustic table.
Photo by Wallace Chuck / Pexels

Placing breakable items in the center rather than at each setting reduced spills noticeably across three tested holiday dinners with kids ranging from four to eleven at the table.

Cloth napkins held up better than expected against spills when paired with a tablecloth that could go straight into the wash, while paper napkins ran out fast once sauce was involved.

Assigning each child a specific cup with a visible marker, rather than unmarked matching glassware, cut down on the amount of liquid spilled during mid-meal cup mix-ups.