Forks, Knives & Spoons:  Western Dining and Eating

The Family Dining Tutorial

The Family Dining Tutorial is for parents and children to attend together.  It features a straightforward approach to mastering utensil use and understanding the logic of table manners.

This course implements a  
framework for showing parents how to model everyday table  manners for their children without becoming an enforcer or a critic.

Course Length | (2.0 hrs)
Cost | $159USD per family
Location | Downtown Denver, Colorado

Dining Skills Make Eating Easier

In our culture, we use forks, knives and spoons for eating most foods, and our fingers for some. The purpose of eating utensils is to bring the food from our plates into our mouths in a neat and efficient manner.
 
Dining skills you will learn:

• How to arrive at the table and sit down.
• Where to place your. hands, wrists and elbows.
• How to identify the things on the table and what they are used for.
• Dining styles:  The Continental Style of Dining
• How to eat difficult foods.
• Dining Do's and Don'ts.
• ​How to handle traumas.
• Restaurant and buffet manners.
• The rules of host and guest.
• Ending the meal and leaving the table.

Age-appropriate Instruction

Teaching children the basics of good table manners is best done when parents know these guidelines for age-appropriate instruction.

• Ages 3-6:  Children in this age group are still learning the basics.  You can encourage them to hold fork and spoon and show children which foods are finger foods and which foods are eaten with utensils.
• Ages 6-9:  Children in this age group know how to hold silverware, how to place their napkin in their lap, and how to eat soup without slurping.  This is the age where you teach them not to reach for things and to say "please pass"...
• Ages 9-12:  Preteens tend to have a good grasp of table manners.  They may need an occasional reminder.
• Ages 13 and up:  Children this age are ready to learn  the comprehensive table manners in preparation for a formal dining experience.  They will know how to be comfortable in various dining situations and make others feel that way too.