The school where I work encourages good table manners. Children are encouraged to use cutlery correctly (dependant on whether they are right or left handed). What are your thoughts on this?
Well, being a Montessori teacher I think it's great. We actually eat lunch with the kids and teach them how to do things like that and do a lot of what we call "Grace and courtesy" things at lunch. Makes it a bit difficult for me to really eat, but I don't mind. I like having lunch with the kids. It gives me a chance to really get to know some of them.
I think it's a great idea. Children need to have practice with social skills so they will know how to behave when they do get the chance to go to a dinner or have their first date. And I learned how to properly cut up food when I was 25 (sad I know). I'm left handed and always found cutting up food to be extremely awkward and the food was not cut cleanly. If I had food that was difficult to cut I would sometimes get someone else to cut it for me. It would have been great if I had experiences on the poper use of cutlery for lefties in school.
I think it would be great if all schools taught etiquette. The student lunch room would be awsome. LOL
I had to laugh when I read this -- not because the poster said anything funny, but because of the image that flashed in my head. In my iinner city district, we are not allowed to give students knives (not even plastic ones) because it breaks our ban on weapons or look-alikes. They are given a plastic "spork"... and on rare occassions, an actual spoon (if we are having soup and they selected soup, AND they think to ask the monitor for one, and there happen to be some.) On days when we have things that need to be cut, it is hilarious (but sad) to watch the kids eat. Since they can't have a knife, and the spork doesn't cut very well, they end up having to pick up food and eat it with their hands. Most noteably is pork chop day. You haven't seen anything until you've seen a cafeteria full of students picking up a breaded pork chop (boneless) and gnawing on it. But what other choice do they have? The spork won't cut the meat. Most of our meals have things that can be cut with a spork, or that are in bite size pieces -- but for some reason, not the pork chop. I won't even mention trying to put butter on their roll with the back of a spork. Fortunately, there has to be an act of congress for there to actually be any margarine put out for the kids.
We are a tiny program. We work on silverware, place settings (but not the right way-just one plate, one spoon and so on). We also work (for bigger kids) on chewing w/ mouth closed, and reducing elbows on table (that is due to space limits at our table when we are all in attendance-no room for elbows and friends)
One of the most contraversial things I do in my programs is to require a full place setting for all the children--from toddler on up. It is out of respect for diversity. My family always uses a knife and fork to eat--European style. So, when my grandson went to a day care at age one, he was given only a spoon. He did not know how to eat with just a spoon. I told the center that he needed a fork, he could manage without a knife. This center did not have any forks for any of the children. I had to supply his fork. You would be surprised how much children learn with a knife, fork, and spoon. And, no, we did not have trouble with them fighting with the knife after the first few times. I have been unhappy when administration vetoed my request, as they just didn't get it.
Why not practice in the classroom? You can bring plastic cutlery to school for the kids to practice with at their desks.
