Minding Your Table Manners: A 3rd Grade Health Lesson

Teaching children table manners will ensure they don't sneeze on a neighbor's food or use their fork to sample someone else's meat. These things are not healthy and can easily spread germs around the room. Table manners are also important so that the children learn how to respect the other people they are eating with. Let's go over some proper table manners:

1. Always say "Please", "Thank You", and "Excuse Me" when appropriate. Politeness is key at any dinner table. So if you ask a friend to pass you the butter say, "Could you please pass me the butter?" When they do be sure to thank them. If you need to use the restroom, make sure you excuse yourself first.
2. Don't talk with food in your mouth. No one wants to view the food your are chewing on. It is also very hard to understand a person who is talking with a mouthful of meatloaf.
3. Chew with your mouth closed and do it quietly.
4. Sit down to the table quietly and grab the napkin. It should be placed on your lap when you sit down. If you have to get up to use the restroom you can fold your napkin up and rest it on the left side of your dinner plate.
5. Use your silverware by working from the outside toward the plate. So if you have a fork on the left and one on the right, then you would begin with the fork on the left since the fork is always placed on the left side of the plate. You may have several forks and spoons depending on how fancy the place is where you have chosen to dine.
6. Use two glasses. One glass should be for water only and the other glass for whichever other drink you chose.
7. Only use your fingers with finger foods. There are a few acceptable foods that can be eaten with your hands. Pizza and french fries are two examples. If it is at all possible to eat with a fork and knife then you should do it.
8. Don't double dip your food. If you need some dip for your chips then use a spoon to scoop some on to your plate. Don't stick your chip in the dip bowl and then again after you have take a bite. This spreads germs and is sure to gross out someone at your table.
9. Cover your face if you are going to sneeze. Grab the napkin off of your lap and use that. Never sneeze without covering up your face as the sneeze can quickly land on every one else's food.
10. Eat the food that is on your plate and your plate only. It may be okay to sample Mom and Dad's steak at home, but it is not okay in any other setting.

Give the children time to practice the table manners. As you observe them, you can point out the manners they are forgetting and over time the children will have this skill mastered.