Kids' table manners still important, says survey

17 April 2007 by
Kids' table manners still important, says survey

Most customers believe good table manners are important when eating-out but views to what "good manners" are have changed, according to new research.

While table manners used to be about children finishing everything on their plate and only speaking when spoken to it seems for most people traditional Victorian ideals are no longer relevant.

A survey by restaurant chain PizzaExpress, which questioned 1,140 people about how children should behave at the table, found while more than three quarters of people say table manners are getting worse, nearly 90% think the idea of what is acceptable has changed in recent years.

While just 2% agreed it was necessary to chew your food 32 times before swallowing, and 8% deemed it relevant for kids to finish everything on their plates, 95% rejected the notion that children should speak only when spoken to.

Not speaking with your mouth full was still considered important by most people (87%) but 85% said switching off your iPod or games console was now as relevant for today's children.

Only 68% thought children should be polite to waiters.

Manners expert Rachel Holland said: "It's difficult to underestimate the importance of instilling good table manners in our children from an early age."

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By Kerstin Kühn

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