HOUSTON – Good manners at the dinner table are a learned behavior, so a local organization is making sure Houstonians of all ages are prepared when they sit down to eat, KPRC Local 2, Your Education Station, reported Tuesday.
Club Etiquette is teaching children ages 4 to 15, as well as adults, how to mind their manners while dining.
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They teach you everything from which utensils to use to the proper motion of your spoon while eating soup.
KPRC Local 2 sat in during a class at Carmelo's Italian Restaurant on Memorial.
Children ranging in age from 4 to 15 years old sat in a formal dinning setting with six utensils, a bread plate, fancy glasses and a four-course meal.
Founding director Gigi Lewis taught the class of about 35 in a private room.
"OK, everyone, we are going to start by introducing ourselves and don't forget to say your last name. Even adults forget to do that," said Lewis.
As all the children introduced themselves, they were reminded to sit up in their chairs and put their napkins in their laps.
When the waitresses brought in the first course, each child waited until everyone got their plate to begin.
The students also learned how to shake hands, which bread plate and glass was theirs and how to eat the bread properly.
And for the young men, they learned how to pull out a chair for the ladies and how to excuse themselves from the table.
Lewis said, " The best way to remember everything they learned is to practice. That is why we like to teach these things to children because they are like sponges, they absorb everything with a great attitude. And it will stick with them for a long time if they practice it at home," said Lewis.
The most important part, Gigi said, is to remember that manners are a reflection of who you are.
For more information on Club Etiquette, visit www.clubetiquette.com.