In a day and age when most meals are consumed using forks and fingers and the television is a constant meal time companion, teaching kids proper table manners and etiquette is undoubtedly a tough task. However, it is an unavoidable one if you want your kids not to be an embarrassment to you and to themselves and if you want them to know how they are supposed to eat instead of simply stuffing themselves with food.

Table manners go beyond the basics that are taught at home, and several social occasions like weddings, holidays and other social celebrations require that your kids know much more than the basic knife and fork handling. If you do not teach your kids how to act appropriately at such occasions, then they might never learn how to and feel out of place in such settings. At the same time, with a little effort, you can teach your kids table manners that will impress all and sundry.

The first step to teaching your kids proper table manners is to start practicing what you preach. Apart from teaching your kids how to handle cutlery, also tell them how a formal dinner table is arranged and why. They should know that the cutlery farthest from their plates is supposed to be used first and which glass they are supposed to use for water. A great way of doing this is to designate a day of the week when the whole family eats in a formal setting. Ask the kids to help you in laying a formal dinner table so that they learn how and why things are placed the way they are.

Teach your kids the proper use of napkins-where they are placed before a meal, during the meal and after the meal. Your kid should not just know the function of each and every thing that is used in a formal table setting, but should also be taught how to use it properly.

Apart from telling your kids how to eat, guidance regarding table behavior is mandatory. Tell your kids how it is not right to keep their elbows on the table, make slurping or burping noises while at the dinner table, or make negative comments about the food being served.

At the same time, they should be taught how to ask others at the table to pass the dish they want, how to pass to others ,where and how to keep their forks and knives once the meal is finished and to stay seated at the table till they are given permission to leave. Remember that practicing what you preach is the key to making your kids imbibe good manners.