Table manners

Parent to Parent: Table manners

Posted: 12/17/07

Getting kids to mind their manners at mealtime can be tough.

If you're less than impressed with your child's dinnertime demeanor, why not sign them up for a table manners class?

Christine Curtis, Etiquette Made Easy
"I think manners really do matter, whether a person is 4, whether a person is 34, these are all skills that are important continuously throughout their lives."

Etiquette experts say it's never too early to learn proper manners, but teaching kids does come with it's own special challenges.

Christine Curtis, Etiquette Made Easy
"When teaching children, the big thing is to get them interested in the material, and the way this class is structured, it's interactive and it's also lecture based."

In this class, the students are first shown how to set a table, then kids put together their own menus.

Christine Curtis, Etiquette Made Easy
"What we really focus on is making the program interactive so that it's fun for the children."

Katherine, 11, is glad her mom signed her up for the class.

Katherine Gross, table manners student
"When I go out to a restaurant, I don't need to feel nervous about forgetting to put the napkin on my lap, forgetting which fork or knife to use, so just overall I think my skills have developed."

And mom couldn't be happier.

Beth Gross, mom
Sign your kids up because they'll be more comfortable, they'll be more knowledgeable, they'll even teach you a thing or two, and again make the experience of eating at home or eating out a dining experience and a family experience too."

(Copyright 2007 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Segment Information

Reported by:

Byron Barnett

Producer:

April Barker

Contact:

ABarker@whdh.com

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