carriede Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 If your whole family does not eat on placemats... Do you have your young children eat on placemats? Currently, DS5 and DD2 eat off a plate (or bowl) that is sitting on a plastic placemat. So after a meal, I have to wipe down the placemat and the table. Every time. DH thinks it helps protect the table and keep it clean. I'm not so sure. So what do y'all do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 No, we do not have a table that needs protecting though. :) A placemat just seems like one more thing to clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Our kitchen table is glass, so there was nothing to protect really. If it was wooden, I might use a placemat if the kids were particularly destructive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 DH and I have been using my parents' old dining table for 15 years. My brother and I ate off of it as kids prior to our using it, along with most of the kids in our neighborhood and did not use placemats. My own kids have used it their entire lives with no placemats. My extended family and friends with kids have all used it with no placemats. No stains, easy to clean because it is solid wood with a really good formica top. The only damage it ever received was just recently when we accidentally put a burning candle in a glass container on top of it during a blackout which caused the wood to crack from the extreme heat. If you have a really sturdy table with a really rugged top you do not need placemats, IMHO, for normal meals, especially if you clean it off after each meal. Best wishes.... :) Added: However, upon occasion we use placemats anyway for educational purposes because there are some GREAT educational placemats out there... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Always! But, not because I care about the table:) there are just so many cool placemats that teach a multitude of information effortlessly, lol. Alex has learned presidents, the Preamble to the Constitution, measurements, and a host of other mostly random info from them so I don't mind the extra effort of wiping them down:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Always! But, not because I care about the table:) there are just so many cool placemats that teach a multitude of information effortlessly, lol. Alex has learned presidents, the Preamble to the Constitution, measurements, and a host of other mostly random info from them so I don't mind the extra effort of wiping them down:) I refuse to admit how many of these I have. (And I also refuse to go count them.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 No. The stains on my table top are not from food, they are from tempera paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 We all use place mats, probably because I was raised with them, and they just feel right. The define a person's "own space" at table, making me feel like things are orderly, boundaried, and nicely squared away. It also helps the table make the many transitions from 'a place for activities' to 'a place that is ready for eating'. (Yes, I have to clean the place mats and the table under them, each time.) With very young children (toddlers) however, we did not allow place mats, because a careless shift of the place mat sends things toppling and falling all over the place. The only protective function of a place mat would be (I think) against scratching. My kids have to be convinced not to aimlessly rub their utensils on the surface of the table -- so, while reminders are ongoing, a table might be saved by a place mat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakeside Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 If we are eating at the dining room table, yes. It has a beeswax finish, so the placemat helps protect the table. If we're eating at the kitchen table, which has an enamel finish, no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pehp Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Only if there's a tablecloth on the table! And in that case it's always a cloth placemat anyhow, so I'd still be washing it. Otherwise, I see no reason to wipe down *two* things!! Plus, I don't really like the way placemats look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luanne Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 When my daughter was young she did.... for the same reason someone mentioned... just because they are nice and educational. I've never had a table that needed protecting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmos Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 We all use placemats, but they are fabric not plastic. I don't like the sound of glasses clunking down on the bare table, and also the things bolt mentioned. The table still gets wiped before and after every meal just because that's what one does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I read this as Do young children eat their placentas? I need a nap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 No. Then I'd have to clean the mat AND the table (because the mess sure isn't staying just on the mat). Your husband needs to be the one to clean up after a meal so that he can see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbecueMom Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I tried placemats once. They tried to eat them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I read this as Do young children eat their placentas? I need a nap. :lol: :lol: :lol: Me too. I had to read it twice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tshirtyogapantmama Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 When we transition my youngest to a Jr. Chair at the table, we used a plastic placemat. It defeintly kept the mess contained and was easy to clean up. We ended up having everyone use a plastic placemat. Then everyone could do their own or we could assign someone to clear/clean the table and the other do to dishes. It also protects our table from stains and heat marks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilma Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I hate placemats. We do not have even one in the home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 No. My table doesn't need protecting. And placemats seem like flirting with danger (slipping and the food going off the table). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeacefulChaos Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Not a chance. I did that when link was young - maybe with Astro, too, I can't remember. But it does NOTHING except give me more to clean. Down with the placemats!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carriede Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 Our table is at least a 3rd generation hand me down, so it has its fair share of scars and stains already. Time for a matless trial, me thinks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carriede Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 I read this as Do young children eat their placentas? I need a nap. I would think older babies eating some placenta would help with that "9 month iron drop" docs feel the need to test for. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 no it just ends up being one more thing for me too have to clean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 We've never used placemats or tablecloths. Dh finished our table himself and put several layers of polyurethane on the table top so we wouldn't have to worry about damaging the table top with regular dining activities. Then we had ds1 who found it fascinating to see the tiny holes his fork made in the table top when he stabbed it. Even more fascinating were the tiny colored holes made by pens. :glare: :laugh: Yeah, no one notices those anymore because now we have marker and newsprint stains. Yay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 No way. I have enough to clean up. It's easier to simply wash down the table, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto10blessings Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 No! Something else to keep clean? No thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 No. I keep reading this thread as "Do your young children eat placenta?". LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiMi 4under3 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 They did... ...until I realized it's a lot more work to wipe the 8 sides of 4 dirty placemats, than it is to just wipe the 1 table. :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaderbee Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 We all eat off placemats. I use plastic ones from ikea that just go in the dishwasher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carriede Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 They did... ...until I realized it's a lot more work to wipe the 8 sides of 4 dirty placemats, than it is to just wipe the 1 table. :laugh: The surfaces multiply with every child??! Heck no!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiMi 4under3 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 We all eat off placemats. I use plastic ones from ikea that just go in the dishwasher. They don't melt or permanently bend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaderbee Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Nope. And they're cheap! These may be the same type: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40236001/ Ours have birds or flowers on them and are are clear like the ones linked. I'm not sure if they're the same material though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I have some Ikea placemats, they are great. I am considering getting a big sheet of plastic from the craft store and putting the whole table on one giant placemat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 :smilielol5: I'm just glad mine hasn't learned how to undo the buckles on his high chair or I wouldn't even be able to keep him at the table. A placemat would just be one more thing for him to throw on the floor. Sometimes I think I birthed wolves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 We've never used placemats or tablecloths. Dh finished our table himself and put several layers of polyurethane on the table top so we wouldn't have to worry about damaging the table top with regular dining activities. Then we had ds1 who found it fascinating to see the tiny holes his fork made in the table top when he stabbed it. Even more fascinating were the tiny colored holes made by pens. :glare: :laugh: Yeah, no one notices those anymore because now we have marker and newsprint stains. Yay. We must have twins separated at birth. At least our table is interesting to look at, in a painful sort of way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFwife Claire Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I am considering getting a big sheet of plastic from the craft store and putting the whole table on one giant placemat. This is exactly what we have done for years, and it works fabulously. We replace the clear plastic every few years, but it is so worth it. We put maps underneath ours, one on each end of the table. I buy the sheets of plastic from Joanne's--we have a really huge table, so I buy it 4 yds. long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysticmomma Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I read this as Do young children eat their placentas? I need a nap. :lol: :lol: :lol: Me too. I had to read it twice. No. I keep reading this thread as "Do your young children eat placenta?". LOL. Glad I'm not the only one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 You should try reading all the responses substituting "placentas" for "placemats"... It's good for a giggle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 We don't use placemats in the kitchen but we do at the dining room table. I haven't noticed it creating extra cleaning for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewe Mama Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Actually, my children eat while on chairs, not on placemats. :D The official answer is no, we never used placemats. My kiddos always managed to spill something that ran under the placemat, so I had to wipe off placemats on both sides as well as the table. I'm just skipping extra work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myra Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 When my kids were young I used to have a clear plastic tablecloth and then I would put placemats between the plastic tablecloth and the table. I would change the placemats each month to match the season. But since the placemats were under the clear plastic tablecloth, clean up was a breeze. Myra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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