Teaching Social Manners and Etiquette
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Dressed up manners night is a fun way to teach kids table manners and the art of small talk. They will feel prepared for any life situation. When I started attending dinner parties and traveling for work, I was thankful my parents had taught me table manners. No matter who I shared a table with, I never felt unprepared or uncomfortable.
Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use.
Emily Post
Brush up on etiquette tips on the official Emily Post website!
- Create invitations to the event.
- Allow everyone to choose their own formal wear, either serious or goofy.
- Set the table with your finest, adding flowers, candles, and stemware.
- Pasta is always a pleasant choice for ease of preparation and nice presentation. Try to serve multiple courses so there is an opportunity to use all the proper silverware. You may select one parent to be the server, giving practice to the kids for being served and how to interact with servers.
- Pick different talking topics than you may usually discuss allowing the development of conversation skills.
- Try an unexpected selection of background music, perhaps classical or rat-pack crooners.
- After some practice at home, plan an evening out at a special restaurant to allow the kids to show off their etiquette skills!
When you go out to dinner with an influential person, mind your manners: Don’t gobble your food, don’t talk with your mouth full. And don’t stuff yourself; bridle your appetite.
Proverbs 23:1-3 MSG