Long Live the Kids’ Table!

You're familiar with the kids' table, right? That smaller table in the corner of the dining room, or in another room entirely, where all of the children old enough to feed themselves are forced to sit?

You’re closer in age to some of your aunts than you are to your youngest cousin—but nonetheless, you might be headed for the table with the short legs. How dreadful. The kids’ table is embarrassing, patronizing, and ageist, right?

WRONG! The kids table is awesome, and here are three reasons why: Eat what you want, don’t what you don’t—The kids table might mean sitting with your super weird cousin who, if last year is any indication, is planning on eating more boogers than turkey, but it also means that no one is pressing you to eat your vegetables. And you won’t have to shovel down your aunt’s signature Sweet Potato and Soggy Spinach Soufflé, because she won’t be able to see you dump it into your napkin.

Turkey talk—Sitting next to your kid cousin is going to involve a lot more Dora the Explorer talk than you probably indulge in on a normal Thursday night. Still, that’s guaranteed to be more stimulating conversation than the weather and health care reform chitchat that’s going on at the adult table. Plus, at the kids’ table, you can speak in the international language of Stuffing Sculptures. Or wait, is the international language math, not Stuffing Sculptures? ...We always get that confused.

Ready, set, eat!—At the kids’ table, you can set your own pace. Who needs a full two hours to eat and give thanks? This really shouldn't take longer than 45 minutes, and that's adding in extra time to help your cousins cut their mashed potatoes. When you’re not at the mercy of the adult table’s post-dessert coffee session, you can excuse yourself from dinner whenever you feel like it and get back to the things you’re really grateful for, like Tivo and Wii.

Are there any other perks of sitting at the kids' table?

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