HOW PLACEMATS ENCOURAGE GOOD TABLE MANNERS IN KIDS.
Family Dinners: Why They Matter
Numerous studies have demonstrated the various advantages of eating dinner as a family at least three times per week. Children who eat meals with their family are less likely to engage in criminal activity, use drugs, suffer from depression, have better parent-child relationships, and even achieve higher academic results! But if children are not taught appropriate table manners, family mealtimes can be unpleasant.
Table etiquette dos and don'ts were taught to us as little kids, and we were expected to follow them. Conversation was encouraged and embraced, and it was pleasant and energetic. In the process, I picked up excellent dining manners, which have come in handy throughout my adult life in a variety of social settings. My family's evening mealtime routine of relaxation and delight kept us close, and it can do the same for you! Here are a few straightforward suggestions for teaching your kids proper table manners while using a placemat from LAFENORA.
The placemat setting
Even the smallest kids may pick up proper dining manners. Start by showing them how to lay a leather placemat. For dinner, a spotless table mat is good, or you might purchase some lovely placemats. Let the child choose which placemat goes where by ordering ones from LAFENORA in a variety of colors or patterns now.
The positioning of the plates and serving pieces is next. All of these might not be necessary in a semi-formal atmosphere, but they are included just in case. The supper plate is, of course, in the middle. On the dish, the napkin has been folded (or you can put them in napkin rings). If this is the case in your family, make sure they know to put the salad dish on top of the dinner plate. A knife with the blade facing the plate, a spoon, and a bigger soup spoon are displayed to the right of the plate. The general rule is to begin using the utensils from the outside in. Therefore, you just leave that if you're not offering soup.
The forks are located to the left of the plate, with the smaller salad fork on the exterior (which should be used first) and the dinner fork inside. Place the glasses and coffee/tea cups to the right of the plate, above. A tiny plate for bread or rolls and a butter knife are placed above and to the left. Teach your kids to place the dessert plate with utensils above the dinner plate, but you can also bring these in after the dinner dishes have been cleared.
A fantastic approach for kids to get involved in the mealtime routine is to teach them how to set the table. When the family sits down to eat at the table they set, they can be proud of their work, and it might encourage them to behave politely. Using a placemat from LAFENORA can help you achieve this.
Family Dining Expectations: Creating the Right Mood
Before supper even starts, your child needs to meet a few expectations. They should be well dressed in clean clothes, with their hands and faces bathed and their hair neatly combed. At the table, hats are not permitted. Cell phones should be put away and no electronic gadgets are allowed at the table. If you have a home phone, switch it off and let voicemail take the call (put an elastic band around the receiver to remind you to turn it back on after dinner). You should be able to spend uninterrupted time with your family at this serene hour of the day! I used to read a lot as a kid and was frequently caught taking a book to the table.
It's also improper to read at the dinner table. In order to interact and share with family, turn off the radio and TV as well. While you are dining, pets should be kept outside the room. Using placemats to dine will certainly enforce these rules more as they express a special family event about to take place.
We should now take a seat. In addition to lighting your candles, you've selected your background music, which should be soothing and quiet. My family had a nice tradition of having the lads pull out the chairs for the girls and women. Seating yourself at a dinner party before the host or hostess has taken a seat is impolite. Your youngsters will better comprehend their function in an Ovie Ty thanks to this. To put this idea into effect, my family and I waited for my father to take a seat before we did.
Some families send serving dishes with the food around the table as each person helps himself to a meal. My mother fixed each child's plate and passed it down the line when the serving dishes were set up at her end of the table. As a result, she would give us way too many of the vegetables we liked, which was beneficial for me. Alternately, and particularly if you eat in your kitchen instead of a dining room, you may merely have each individual assemble their own plate from the kitchen counter and arrange their meal on the placemats in front of them.
Next is to say the grace, and even if your family is not religious, I would still advise that you follow this tradition. Grace can be as simple as pausing for a moment to express conscious gratitude for your companionship and the ability to eat wholesome meals. Anyone can accomplish that! If you practice a religion, now is the moment to say a quick prayer. Graces are a part of every culture, whether they are said before meals that are consumed with chopsticks or spoons, around a campfire, or over the tastiest holiday foods. This has inspired me to apply graces from various cultures and eras of human history around the dinner table. Whatever grace you select, keep your hands in your lap and bend your head or briefly close your eyes.
Families could also hold hands around the table as a charming option. My siblings and I practiced saying grace as a family, sometimes with a prayer and other times with a simple, "Let us be thankful for family and excellent meals," A resounding AMEN that was uttered in unison would frequently conclude it. (Occasionally, we would use the French equivalent, "Bon Appetit"). Using the distinctive oval placemats from LAFENORA is just a way to elevate dinner rather than having a short meal while using the placemats.
Once the grace has been recited, it is polite to hold off on starting to eat until your host or hostess has raised his or her fork. My dad wasn't ready yet, so we waited. On the lap, there are unrolled napkins. The child should be taught to say, "Please pass the rolls," to request that a basket, dish, or other source of bread or rolls be handed their way. The same is true of condiments like butter, salt, and pepper. Rolls served cold should be cut open with the butter knife, not shattered by hand, as warm rolls might be with everything fitting properly on the table and placemat.
Once the meal has been served, show your kids how to have a civil dinner discussion. Any subject that would be unpleasant to hear about while eating, such as anything gloomy or melancholy, is off-limits for this occasion. Naturally, arguing does not make for a pleasant supper. My parents would frequently ask each of us what we had learnt that day in school at this period.
Waiting until everyone has finished their meal before leaving the table is a pleasant custom. You can sip your water or other beverage and carry on the conversation until everyone has finished if you finish before others. At the conclusion of the meal, it is polite to thank the chef or cook, even if she is your mother.
The use of the right placemat plays a huge role in the etiquette of your children and makes table manners learning so much easier and understandable.
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