Tonight for mutual we hosted an etiquette dinner. The youth came dressed in their Sunday best. We started by teaching the men how to go to the ladies house and pick her up, introduce himself to her parents, how to walk her to the car, open the door, etc. Thanks Bishop for letting us use your awesome car -it makes for a nice ride! We asked a couple in our ward to teach our etiquette dinner. They sat in the middle of the square at a very formal table and taught the kids and answered questions as the adults served the food. {I seriously love my young woman ... it made my heart melt to see everyone dressed up and excited to learn} Too scared to eat - they were so worried about making a mistake! They started with a salad and rolls. Lucky Ana had two dates! My favorite part was when the priests asked if this counted as a date. My reply was "if you use what you learned and take your date home it will." Next it was on to spaghetti ... now that is hard! I didn't get a picture of dessert, it was fresh berries with vanilla ice cream. Our etiquette couple! Thank you! These two informed that they made a "pinky promise" to go on a date together once they are 16! Like that is going to be hard to keep! I think the youth had a really great time. We learned tons and maybe someday they will be thankful to know proper dating and dinner etiquette! *side note: if you are thinking about doing this in your ward, it was really simple, didn't take a lot of prep and was very well received. I can email you my planning document. * Update to this post. I have included the planning document below because I had so many request to send it out. If you still have questions, feel free to leave a comment. Good Luck!!!
Over the past few months I've been asked to teach etiquette to young men and young women 2 different times. This has been a fun experience to reflect and write down what I know and do a little research. I'm thankful my parents and grandparents were strict with good manners when I was young. I didn't appreciate it at the time, but now that I'm older and teaching my children I can see the benefit of learning good manners. Good manners don't happen over night. It takes years of training. YM & YW need to know the basics! Most basics are not taught or enforced at home. Teach and educate them NOW and set them up for a "polite" future. These are my typed up notes of what I went over and demonstrated. We had a 4 course meal at one activity with both YM & YW and a "tea party" at another with just the YW. The 4 course meal included Soup Salad Entree Dessert The Tea Party Cookies Mini Cupcakes Small sandwiches Crackers and dip Hot Chocolate Hot Tang/Juice _________________________________ INTRO - Why do we need good manners? Why do we need good manners? Are we not all children of a King? We are all princes and princesses and are expected to behave as such. We need to act with the utmost decorum for dates, meeting future in-laws, business dinners, dances and more. Presenting yourself properly, and behaving in a dignified manner is what being royal is all about. First impressions last a lifetime whether it's over a meal or in public. Sitting in a chair Sit up straight - DON'T SLOUCH (it's not attractive) (Demonstrate how silly a forward and backward slouch looks) When sitting ESPECIALLY in a dress or skirt, KNEES SHOULD BE TOUCHING! (Your underwear may be cute, but we really don't want to see it!) Table Etiquette - Serving and being served When setting the table, knife blades should always be facing the plate. Present an average table setting or have the youth set their own place and tell them what is right and what is wrong. (2 forks, 2 spoons, 1 knife, napkin, dinner plate, salad plate, bread plate, water glass) When going to a fancier restaurant and seeing lots of silverware - just remember WORK YOUR WAY FROM THE OUTSIDE IN. Serve from the LEFT REMOVE from the RIGHT Pass food in a counterclockwise motion or to the RIGHT "It is always the RIGHT way when passing food" DO NOT BEGIN EATING UNTIL EVERYONE IS SERVED! Hold your utensil properly. (Do not act as if you are shoveling the food into your mouth.) When finished with your plate, do not push it away or place your napkin on top. Act as if your plate was the face of a clock, you would place both handles of your utensils on the number 4. If you have to yawn....COVER YOUR MOUTH! Nothing is attractive about a HUGE gaping mouth open wide for all to see! COVER YOUR MOUTH! *Say you're on a first or important date, you may want to keep in mind, some foods are messier to eat than others. What would you rather? A clean face with something you can use utensils? Or something that is messy or you have to eat with your hands? First impressions last a lifetime. Top 10 Basic Table Manners 1. Chew with your mouth closed 2. Avoid slurping, smacking, blowing your nose or other gross noises. (If necessary, excuse yourself to take care of whatever it is you need to take care of.) 3. Hold your utensil properly, don't stab or shovel your food. 4. Don't pick your teeth at the table. 5. Remember to use your napkin at all times. 6. Wait until you're done chewing to sip or swallow a drink. (No floaties allowed!) (The exception is if you're choking - please drink if you're choking) 7. Cut no more than 3 pieces of food at a time. (The most logical answer of why, is so your food doesn't get cold!) 8. Avoid slouching and placing your elbows on the table while eating. (Although it is okay to prop your elbows on the table while conversing between courses) 9. Instead of reaching across the table for something, ask for it to be passed to you. 10. Always say 'excuse me' whenever you leave the table. _________________________ Having good manners in LIFE! BE RESPECTFUL TO EVERYONE We always need to respect the golden rule. "Treat others the way you want to be treated." Young, Old, Male & Female. Rumors and gossip is sadly part of life. But... it is YOUR CHOICE whether you want to participate in the continuous spreading of those rumors. How would you feel if those rumors were about you? Respecting others and seeing those around your with God's eyes will change your perspective and bring you joy. Make sure all of your interactions with those around you reflect positive feedback- not negative. Everyone around you are always watching. You may not realize how much you are under the microscope. Would your parents be pleased with your actions? Would your bad habits and manners affect your future children? Most importantly, how would your Father in Heaven think of your words and actions? "It's never RIGHT to do WRONG" "It's never WRONG to do RIGHT" The perfect example of how you should act and behave was our Savior Jesus Christ. Ask yourself in ANY situation, "What would Jesus do?" Smile and BE HAPPY! Everyone gravitates towards happiness. Be a MAGNET! Shine your smile and have a happy disposition. No one wants to be around others who always find bad in the world. Gratitude is the true base of happiness. PUNCTUALITY! Being punctual or "on time" is polite. Tardiness or always running late is rude. It shows your lack of preparation. Plan and prepare ahead of time. How long is the drive to the destination? How long does it take to get ready? (Always take into consideration that it takes at least 2-3 minutes to put on your shoes and get in the car before you actually start to drive.) Girls, be ready for your date when they have specified. It is extremely akward for a date to wait over 5 minutes for you. Boys, always be on time. There is nothing worse than waiting on your date to arrive. (I would know- my date showed up 1 hour late for HOMECOMING! I WAS TICKED! Not a good way to start the evening) PHONES Cell phones are an amazing tool. They keep us connected to those around us. But phones are a HUGE distraction. You may physically be in an area, but when scrolling through facebook or pinterest keeps you mentally from the conversation and the space you are literally in. Phone usage needs to be practically eliminated during dates, dinners and family activities. You can't gain the experiences everyone posts on facebook if you're always on the phone and never out making them. APPAREL You may not realize that you appearance can come across as polite or rude. Be confident and comfortable in your apparel but, don't wear things that are too tight, baggy, or show too much skin. There is a proper way to dress. And showing off your body or not even getting ready are not polite. Wearing pajamas, yoga pants, sweat pants, basketball shorts etc. are a sign of laziness and lack of preparation. Wake up 1 minute earlier and throw on some JEANS for goodness sakes! Don't be looked upon as lazy or unkept. Manners at the table and manners in life will keep you polite and positive. Remember- Practice makes Perfect _______________________________________ This was a VERY fun activity and I think a good reminder to youth and adults to always have good manners in life and at the table. When practiced and used regularly, good etiquette lasts a lifetime.
A couple of weeks ago, the young women president in my ward asked me to be the guest speaker for the youth etiquette night. You want to know the first thought that ran through my head? “Alright, Ashley. You’ve got this. You’ve had plenty of experience eating (sad thought), so this should be a piece of cake.” (No pun intended. Alright, maybe a little pun intended.)
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The Art of Dining! Filled with hundreds of step-by-step guides covering all dining situations at home, in a restaurant, at the office, or in a new country. Learn the proper etiquette techniques for all dining situations!
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The Art of Dining! Filled with hundreds of step-by-step guides covering all dining situations at home, in a restaurant, at the office, or in a new country. Learn the proper etiquette techniques for all dining situations!
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The Art of Dining! Filled with hundreds of step-by-step guides covering all dining situations at home, in a restaurant, at the office, or in a new country. Learn the proper etiquette techniques for all dining situations!
The Art of Dining! Filled with hundreds of step-by-step guides covering all dining situations at home, in a restaurant, at the office, or in a new country. Learn the proper etiquette techniques for all dining situations!
The Art of Dining! Filled with hundreds of step-by-step guides covering all dining situations at home, in a restaurant, at the office, or in a new country. Learn the proper etiquette techniques for all dining situations!
The Art of Dining! Filled with hundreds of step-by-step guides covering all dining situations at home, in a restaurant, at the office, or in a new country. Learn the proper etiquette techniques for all dining situations!
Table Manners Encyclopedia. Seating etiquette, napkin etiquette, food service, the table setting, proper etiquette for handling utensils, passing food and more!
Here are all the different cues your knife and fork will communicate with your server. I absolutely love knowing these little hidden jewels to use when use when I need them. Hope it helps you too!...
The Art of Dining! Filled with hundreds of step-by-step guides covering all dining situations at home, in a restaurant, at the office, or in a new country. Learn the proper etiquette techniques for all dining situations!
Etiquette while dining is more than just simple manners at the table. If you happen to be invited to a fine dining restaurant and find yourself lost,
Steakhouse etiquette is designed to create a formal-but-friendly experience, but all those rules can seem stuffy. Warm up the experience by learning some of the most common mistakes to avoid.
When we’re eating at home, most of us don’t have a large formally set dining table complete with multiple pieces of silverware and glassware. But at a fancy event, the rules may seem a little overwhelming.
Can you pass this modern manners and etiquette quiz consisting of ten questions from social, business, dining, and everyday etiquette?
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This is an overview of the Fundamentals of Overall Etiquette. Etiquette can easily become a lost art and it's important that we keep it going.
Etiquette while dining is more than just simple manners at the table. If you happen to be invited to a fine dining restaurant and find yourself lost,
