14 Table Manners that Your Child ShouldKnow
Consistency and repetition are very important when teaching children. Parents will have to reinforce the rules time and time again until good practices become habit. Remind children whenever a slip in manners occurs but don’t scold or nag.
Practicing good manners daily will eventually lead to mastery and manners will become second nature. As children develop fine motor skills, their use of utensils and glassware will improve. With constant repetition, by the early teen years, kids will have built up a comprehensive collection of manners which parents need only fine-tune for teens to be capable of attending the most formal of occasions.
For the well being of the children, even busy families should find the time to sit down together each evening for a meal. The most simple of meals, including take-out fare, are fine choices. Make sure that the food is transferred and/or served in serving dishes and that the family uses dinnerware. If dinner is impossible on certain evenings, families can sit down later in the evening for dessert; make sure to set the table and use dinnerware and utensils.
Teaching children the proper way to set the table is a perfect start for introducing the use of utensils, plates and glasses. Explain where each utensil is placed, what it is for, when it is used, and the correct way to hold it. Young children love being given a responsibility and will happily and proudly set the table each evening. Put placemats, napkins, silverware, plates, cups and bowls within reach of children to facilitate easy table setting. A good idea in homes with small children is to purchase nice quality melamine dishes so when plates drop they will not break.
Children do not learn proper table manners overnight. It takes years of repetition and consistent training to refine their skills. Parents have eighteen years to help shape their child’s table manners so there is plenty of time to patiently work with them. Expect lots of errors and missteps, use gentle guidance, never scold or embarrass, just kindly correct and continue eating.
If parents begin teaching manners when their children are toddlers, by the time the kids are in kindergarten they will have mastery of the basics.
The following is a list of table manners that your child should have a good grasp of by age six.
- Wash their hands and face before sitting down to the table.
- Sit down in their proper seat and put their napkin in their lap.
- Wait to begin eating until everyone is seated and has been served. Many families wait until an adult gives permission to start eating.
- Stay seated in their seats without wiggling in their chairs, going under the table, or getting up and down.
- Say, “Excuse Me,” and ask permission to leave the table.
- Elbows do not belong on the table.
- Mouths should stay closed while chewing and pieces should be bite sized.
- “May I please” and “Thank you” should be used when children would like food and never reach across the table.
- Participate in the conversation during dinner and no interruptions when other people are talking.
- Slurping, burping, squealing, singing, humming are all sounds that are not to be made at the table.
- It is never kind or polite to make negative comments about what is being served for dinner.
- Before getting up at the end of the meal say, “May I please be excused?”
- Ask if adults would like them to clear their dinner plate.
- Thank the cook.
Preparing children for adulthood starts the moment the baby is placed in the arms of the mother. Teaching children to use good table manners is a wonderful gift that will serve them well throughout their entire lives. Parents will be proud that their children are using the good manners that they have taught them, and more importantly children will be polished and refined and capable of being comfortable in any situation.
http://momsonedge.wordpress.com/2007/11/17/14-table-manners-that-your-child-should-know/
TABLE MANNERS
AREN'T ALWAYS
CHILD'S PLAY
Every parent wants their child to behave well in any situation -- and part of that is having proper table manners. What are the most important manners for kids to adhere to? Here's a list that will help you educate your kids on good table manners.Good table manners are an important skill for kids to be learn at an early age. From the lunchroom to the boardroom, kids will -- throughout their life -- have to eat in front of others, and that can forge a positive or a negative impression on others. It's preferable that the impression be positive, of course."
So what are the most important dinner table manners and etiquette for kids (and everyone!) to know?
PLEASE AND THANK YOU:These two important phrases are the cornerstone of good manners, period, and extend to table manners. They show gratitude and appreciation instead of entitlement (and no one wants a child -- or an adult -- with an entitlement complex. It's a huge turnoff in life).
"When the family gathers together, it is an opportunity for the children to learn courtesy by saying 'please' or 'thank you' or waiting to speak until someone else is finished. Dinner-table interactions are a good time to learn respect as each person has the opportunity to share something about his or her day," says Alexander.
CHEWING 101:Across the board, etiquette experts agree that one of the most important dinner table manners to teach is to chew with your mouth closed. Encourage your children to do so by modeling it yourself, and even showing them how. After all, no one wants to see what's in there.
SPEAKING (WITHOUT FOOD):Another important element of proper table manners that etiquette experts recommend is to never speak with your mouth full. This goes hand-in-hand with chewing with your mouth closed. At best, it's distracting to speak to someone who has food in their mouth -- and it can also be hard to understand people with food in their mouth. At worst, it's very unappealing, to say the least.
TABLE SKILLS:From where silverware should be placed to how it should be used, knowing your way around the place setting is important in manners and etiquette. "Knowing how to properly hold -- and use -- a fork and knife not only gives a child a sense of accomplishment and independence, it also allows a parent to better enjoy the meal. The parents can also be assured that their child will impress any adults they eat with," says Kathie B. Martin, APR, president ofThe Etiquette School of Birmingham. Martin also advises that it's important to know how to eat in a clean manner.
CONSIDERATION:Above all, good table manners are about consideration -- recognizing that you aren't alone at the table and what you do affects others. "The most important lesson in good table etiquette is always being aware of your actions and understanding that you share the dining experience with every diner at the table," says etiquette trainer Stephanie Raimo of Manner House. "It is easy to put your napkin on your lap or sip from the proper water glass, but true manners start with consideration for others."
www.parentsconnect.com.
TABLE MANNERS
FOR TODDLERS
If there is one lesson you have probably learned as a parent, it is to expect the most embarrassing moments to occur at the most inappropriate times. Mealtime is certainly no exception — but take heart, manners can be taught at a young age.Many manners mishaps seem to happen at the table for the under 5 set. So, when your toddler says or does something that makes it appear as if you, as a parent, have absolutely no idea what table manners are... say to yourself, "Don't worry, it's my rite of passage as a parent" (and of course, it makes for great dinner party conversation).
Start early :Your child is never too young to begin teaching the basics. The dining table will be the setting for many important happenings in your child's life.
"You should start teaching them around the age of 2."
It may, one day, be the setting for meeting his girlfriend's parents for the first time, a lunch with a potential employer or a dinner with upper management at the office holiday party. No matter what the occasion, knowing how to navigate his way through a meal will tremendously benefit your child.
Most children will master these dining skills by age 5, but you should start teaching them around the age of 2. Of course, there will be some exceptions to this, but as your toddler grows and matures, the more difficult dining skills can be taught and mastered.
Things your child should never do at the table:Begin as you mean to go on! Teach your toddler tonever:
- Begin eating until everyone has been served.
- Lick the knife! Sharp objects should never be put in the mouth, not to mention that Band-Aids don't do well on the tongue.
- Lean back on a chair's hind legs.
- Speak with food in his mouth.
- Chew with her mouth open. In addition, don't chew noisily.
- Put more in his mouth than he can chew. Small bites should be encouraged. In addition, food should never be shoveled.
- Interrupt others when they are talking.
- Point utensils at others.
- Leave the chair out when he gets up. It should always be pushed in when he steps away from the table.
- Take the last bit of food without first offering it to others at the table.
- Talk about gross or gossipy subjects.
- Get up until everyone else is finished eating.
- Put elbows on the table. After all, Mae West once said, "Keep all uncooked joints off the table."
Dining faux pasHere are just a few of the many dining dos you should begin teaching your child:
- Your napkin should be placed on the lap when you sit down. It is unfolded on your lap, not above the table. If someone inadvertently took your napkin, don't shout, "Who took my napkin?" Quietly ask for another. Many parents ask if it is OK to tuck their child's napkin into the collar to prevent spillage onto clothes. You may do so if your child is 5 or younger.
- Feet should be flat on the floor (if they reach) and have your back against the chair — good posture!
- Hold the glass with two hands if necessary. If the glasses are more formal, small hands can hold the stem to prevent tipping or dropping.
- If a bread basket or other food item is passed to you, remember to continue passing to the right. If the dish is closest to you before you begin passing, offer it to the person to your left and then pass to the right.
- If you must sneeze or cough, turn your head toward your shoulder and cover your mouth with your napkin or hand (preferably your napkin).
- Always wipe your mouth with your napkin before taking a sip. Greasy lips leave an unpleasant and unappetizing ring on the glass.
- If you must use the bathroom, simply say, "excuse me" and get up. If there are guests at the table, you need not let everyone know where you are going.
- Get in and out of your chair on the right side.
http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/5632/how-to-teach-your-toddler-table-manners
The article delves into teaching children table manners, emphasizing the importance of consistent reinforcement and gradual development of these skills. It highlights several fundamental etiquette rules and practices for children, ranging from basic hygiene habits like washing hands before meals to more intricate table manners like using utensils properly and engaging in polite conversation.
Here's a breakdown of the concepts covered:
- Consistency and Repetition: Emphasizing the need for repeated reinforcement of table manners until they become habits.
- Fine Motor Skills Development: As children grow, their ability to use utensils and glassware improves with practice and repetition.
- Family Meal Time: Encouraging families to make time for meals together, even if it's simple or late in the evening.
- Setting the Table: Teaching children how to set the table properly, including placing utensils and explaining their use.
- Patience and Gentle Guidance: Understanding that learning table manners takes time, patience, and gentle correction without scolding.
- Basic Table Manners for Children by Age 6: Listed manners cover aspects like hygiene, sitting properly, using polite phrases, participating in conversation, and showing gratitude.
- Importance of 'Please' and 'Thank You': Highlighting these phrases as fundamental to good manners and teaching gratitude.
- Chewing with Mouth Closed and Speaking Without Food: Emphasizing the significance of proper chewing and not speaking with a mouth full of food.
- Table Skills and Consideration: Understanding table settings, using utensils properly, and being considerate of others during meals.
- Early Teaching of Manners for Toddlers: The importance of starting early to instill basic table manners, teaching dos and don'ts.
- Specific Table Manners for Toddlers: Specific instructions for toddlers, such as not eating until everyone is served, not leaning back on chairs, and not interrupting others while they speak.
- Proper Use of Napkins, Posture, and Handling Glasses: Details about napkin use, sitting posture, and handling glasses during meals.
- Passing Food and Hygiene Practices: Instructions on passing food, sneezing/coughing etiquette, and using napkins before sipping.
- Chair Etiquette: Guidance on how to get in and out of chairs during meals politely.
These details aim to educate parents on gradually instilling good table manners in children, starting from a young age and progressively introducing more complex etiquette as they grow. It emphasizes the importance of consistency, patience, and leading by example to help children develop polished dining habits for various social settings.
