Does your child misbehave while having meals? If yes, then it is a time to teach him the basics of table manners and how to behave in front of the guests. Read on to find tips for teaching table manners to kids. There are numerous studies that prove that table manners are learnt by kids better by example, than instructions. You will find that the kid is not very inclined to pick up the details even if you repeatedly point out their faults. The reason is no one like faults being pointed out at them, and not yours either. Table manners are an important part of social and family life. You will discover that through teaching manners, you can also teach a lot of other life lessons very easily and those, your kids will rarely forget in their lifetime! Here are some tips on how you can teach table manners to your little one. In this articleTeach How to GreetAsk the Kid to Serve Some Items on the MenuTeach How to Pull Seat for GuestsTeach the Kid the Right Way to EatTeach the Kid Not to Reach Out but RequestTeach How to Greet You will have relatives and guests coming over for lunch or dinner or you might be visiting them with your kids. So greeting is an intrinsic part of table manners to start with. Show by example how to open the door and greet the visitor, take his coat or her shawl, if she pleases and place it in the holder. Show how to keep it neat and not fold it into a wad. Shake hands with the guests and hug kids or elders as appropriate. When you ask your kid to observe how to greet guests and then ask them to open the door and greet them, you will be amazed at how quickly they learn to be elegant and courteous at the same time. Ask the Kid to Serve Some Items on the Menu You can ask your kid to serve the appetisers to the guests as they act as hosts. Teach them on how they should ask the guest about their preference and how to react if any of them decline from accepting the appetiser. Also teach them how to answer when they are visiting some one’s place and the host is offering something. If they find something that is not pleasing to them they can politely refuse without adding any comment on its smell, colour or how it seem to taste. Teach How to Pull Seat for Guests Demonstrate through example on how to pull out the seat, hold it and help the guest scoot to the dining table to the kid. He will observe and learn on his own. Teach them that boys can do this for girls, girls can do this for the elders, or anyone can do this to the guest as a mark of respect. Teach the Kid the Right Way to Eat These are a sort of extensive manual that can be perfected only through repeated practice at home. Be patient as you teach the kid how to spread the napkin, use the fork and knife, how to hold them and how not to eat with mouth open, or talk with food in the mouth and that it is improper to hunch, lean or place the elbow on the table. Teach the Kid Not to Reach Out but Request Passing on food is an important aspect of table manners. Teach the kid that it is desirable to request the person seated nearer to the dish he wants to pass it on rather than reach out for it. Teach him that he must serve himself only as much as he can eat and not waste food. Finally, in a nutshell practice what you preach. Ask your kid to observe on how to behave on a dining table by taking you as an example. Thereby, the onus lies on you that you do not end up teaching something that you do not want your kid to practice. Even if you are not specifically asking him to learn through observation, be sure that he will be looking at you to take cues on what is expected of him. So make sure that you do not slurp, or lick fingers or do any activities that are labelled as bad table manners. Also do not forget to teach the kid that when seated at a dining table one must wait till the host and everyone else has completed their food and not leave the table as soon as one is done.
Does your child misbehave while having meals? If yes, then it is a time to teach him the basics of table manners and how to behave in front of the guests. Read on to find tips for teaching table manners to kids.
There are numerous studies that prove that table manners are learnt by kids better by example, than instructions. You will find that the kid is not very inclined to pick up the details even if you repeatedly point out their faults. The reason is no one like faults being pointed out at them, and not yours either.
Table manners are an important part of social and family life. You will discover that through teaching manners, you can also teach a lot of other life lessons very easily and those, your kids will rarely forget in their lifetime! Here are some tips on how you can teach table manners to your little one.
Teach How to Greet
You will have relatives and guests coming over for lunch or dinner or you might be visiting them with your kids. So greeting is an intrinsic part of table manners to start with. Show by example how to open the door and greet the visitor, take his coat or her shawl, if she pleases and place it in the holder. Show how to keep it neat and not fold it into a wad. Shake hands with the guests and hug kids or elders as appropriate. When you ask your kid to observe how to greet guests and then ask them to open the door and greet them, you will be amazed at how quickly they learn to be elegant and courteous at the same time.
You can ask your kid to serve the appetisers to the guests as they act as hosts. Teach them on how they should ask the guest about their preference and how to react if any of them decline from accepting the appetiser. Also teach them how to answer when they are visiting some one’s place and the host is offering something. If they find something that is not pleasing to them they can politely refuse without adding any comment on its smell, colour or how it seem to taste.
Teach How to Pull Seat for Guests
Demonstrate through example on how to pull out the seat, hold it and help the guest scoot to the dining table to the kid. He will observe and learn on his own. Teach them that boys can do this for girls, girls can do this for the elders, or anyone can do this to the guest as a mark of respect.
Teach the Kid the Right Way to Eat
These are a sort of extensive manual that can be perfected only through repeated practice at home. Be patient as you teach the kid how to spread the napkin, use the fork and knife, how to hold them and how not to eat with mouth open, or talk with food in the mouth and that it is improper to hunch, lean or place the elbow on the table.
Teach the Kid Not to Reach Out but Request
Passing on food is an important aspect of table manners. Teach the kid that it is desirable to request the person seated nearer to the dish he wants to pass it on rather than reach out for it. Teach him that he must serve himself only as much as he can eat and not waste food.
Finally, in a nutshell practice what you preach. Ask your kid to observe on how to behave on a dining table by taking you as an example. Thereby, the onus lies on you that you do not end up teaching something that you do not want your kid to practice. Even if you are not specifically asking him to learn through observation, be sure that he will be looking at you to take cues on what is expected of him. So make sure that you do not slurp, or lick fingers or do any activities that are labelled as bad table manners. Also do not forget to teach the kid that when seated at a dining table one must wait till the host and everyone else has completed their food and not leave the table as soon as one is done.
