Most of the children after having their meal leave a messy table. Kids are generally never exposed to formal dining situations, crockery, cutlery arrangements, and taught how to use cutlery.
Moreover, people eat differently across different cultures. The Chinese prefer chopsticks, for the westerners, it is fork and knives and we Indian's love to eat with our fingers.
However, help is at hand in the city. City-based behavioral trainer Nimiisha Ranpara has taken initiative to conduct workshops for kids to help them learn about dining table manners. The first such workshop was held recently at Hotel Sonnet in which more than 20 kids from age 6 to 13 years took part in it.
The workshop involved the nitty-gritty like opening the napkin from your left hand side below the table level to the customarily correct way to close your meals, the instructor acquainted the kids with the various aspects of Western table etiquettes.
“It was first such workshop organised in our city. It was an overwhelming response. I understand that kids will remain kids. If you expect them to eat like adults, they won't stay cute kids any longer. What you need to do is teach them some basic things that will help them dine in peace when people are around. For example, we tought children how to use chopsticks too by practically serving them noodles," says Nimiisha.
"Though it was a half-day workshop but it helped children pick different tips. I have received calls from parents asking more such workshops. I believe that knowledge and attitude are very important in the learning process. Some children know, but don't follow rules because of an attitudinal problem. If you work on that, you can bring them around," she informed.
The trainer, who has been imparting managerial training from past six years in various corporate houses, said that since a fork and spoon is normally associated with Western food, the children learnt to use it in daily situations and in handling Indian food better.
"I feel that it's not just enough that you are good but you have to prove how good you are. The main purpose behind this programme is to make others feel comfortable in your presence. This is possible only if you are comfortable with yourself,” summed up the trainer.
One of the participants, Rajveer Singh Bhatia, a class 5 student of Loyola School, said he will no longer shy from using cutlery. He was thrilled after being introduced to the fork and spoon along with chopsticks.
“The workshop also trained us posture, body language and tenor of voice. During the session, we learnt specific forms of greeting that will gladden people. We learnt how to use finger bowl after the meal is over,” he said.