Whether you’re eating at home, dining out, or having dinner with friends, good table manners in kids are important. As parents, by teaching your kids good table etiquette, you are essentially equipping them with tools that will instil social confidence in them. Moreover, children with good manners grow into polite and respectful adults.
Here are a few ways you can teach your child the good eating etiquette:
For younger children (less than five years of age)
It is never too early to start teaching your kids basic table manners. You can use every meal you eat together as a family to teach your child some important lessons. However, you need to be patient and understand that you might need to repeat your instructions several times before your child can understand and follow them. From using utensils to waiting patiently at the dining table, your child can learn a lot if you follow the right approach.
- Teach your child to wash their hands before eating their meal. This is also important for your kid’s hygiene and health.
- Ask your child to wait until everyone at the table is seated and served.
- Help them learn the right way to use cutlery and always place a napkin in their lap to catch food spillage.
- Remind them to never wipe their hands on their clothes or use their sleeves to wipe their face.
- Teach them to chew with their mouth closed and take small bites
- Remind them to thank the food servers, and say ‘please’ if they want someone to pass the food or refill their plate, and so on.
Most importantly, teach your child the importance of food. As a family, you can all say a little prayer before you begin eating. Children are known to mimic what they see. Hence, this might help them understand the value of food. Also, you cannot expect your child to start eating neatly at once or remember each and every table manner. So, you may need to remind them frequently.
For older children (more than five years old)
After your child reaches