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Week 05 · Set, Serve and Clear

Family Helper Day

Family Helper Day: Table crew
// A family table from the first plate to the last wipe
⏱ about 15 min

Family Helper Day: Table crew

The den table is set for six. Lucy stands on the salad bowl like a tiny captain.

"Today you run one whole family meal with your grown-up," she says. "Set, serve, talk, clear."

Bennie adds, "Two hands and warm water. And ask before you clear." Rosie waves a napkin like a flag.

  1. Count the people, then gather one of everything for each.
  2. Plate middle, napkin and fork left, spoon right, cup above the spoon.
  3. Carry one thing at a time with two hands. Grown-ups carry hot things.
  4. Ask instead of reaching. Take turns talking. Ask a follow-up question.
  5. Ask, may I clear? Stack three, scrape, rinse warm, load with a grown-up.
  6. A plan with before, during and after makes the job a habit.
◇ ONE WHOLE MEAL TOGETHER
Pick one family meal today. Your child runs the table job from start to finish.
Before: the child counts the people and sets every place.
During: the child passes with two hands and asks the best part question.
After: the child asks to clear, stacks three plates, scrapes and rinses.
The grown-up carries anything hot, loads the dishwasher together, and starts it.
Finish by pinning the child's three line mealtime plan on the Helper chart.
Safety first
A grown-up carries hot dishes and places anything sharp or made of thin glass.
Warm water only for rinsing. A grown-up adds dishwasher soap and starts the machine.
Walk with dishes. Wipe floor drips right away.
For a grown-up
Let your child set the table alone, then check from a chair together.
Say two hands if a dish lifts with one. Let them fix it.
Keep the mealtime plan where they can see it before dinner each day.
TABLE CREW CHECK
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Seven people are eating tonight. How many napkins?
A dish is steaming. What do you do?
Dinner is over, and your little cousin is still eating. What now?
What three time words start the lines of a mealtime plan?
WHY THIS EXERCISETime words tell you when each part of the job begins.
On paper, draw one place setting from above. Label the plate, fork, spoon, cup and napkin.

Table crew complete! Next week Lizzy brings plants, a seed cup and a pet chart.

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