Children's Eating Etiquette & Place Settings

Teaching children proper dinner table etiquette is important.

Eating meals with children who do not behave can be a very trying experience, especially at restaurants. Review basic table manners to make dinnertime enjoyable for everyone.

Manners at Home

Teach proper table manners at home and lead by example, explains hotelfun4kids.com (Ref. 2, under "Preparing Children for Eating Out," 1st paragraph). Children who say "please" and "thank you" learn politeness from their parents. If children misbehave, take away dessert.

Manners at Restaurants

Eat out as a reward for good behavior and explain expected behavior before entering the restaurant. Encourage showing respect to others by speaking softly, remaining in seats, eating quietly and not playing with food.

Unacceptable Behavior

Immediately correct misbehavior. Avoid bad buffet etiquette--such as licking fingers, sneezing or coughing on food, overloading plates and returning food already taken. Discourage chewing with open mouths and expressions of dislike, especially if dinner guests.

Too Many Utensils

There is an order to place settings.

Knowing which fork to grab can be confusing. Organizations, such as 4-H clubs, offer etiquette classes (Ref. 3). Place the fork to the left and the knife to the right of the plate (cutting edge toward the plate). The spoon is to the knife's right. Tea spoons are to the right of dinner spoons and soup spoons to the right of tea spoons. Salad forks are to the left of dinner forks.

Importance of Manners

Displaying good table manners ensures social acceptance in society, explains the American Chronicle (Ref. 1, 2nd to last paragraph). Part of enjoying a meal is enjoying the company.

References

• American Chronicle: Teaching Children Table Manners
• Hotel Fun 4 Kids: Tips For Eating Out With Children
• New Mexico 4-H Consumer Decision Making Classes: Place Settings