Restaurant Etiquette for Teenagers

Ready or not, teenagers are traveling that winding road from childhood to adulthood. While business lunches are looming in the not-so-distant future, parents can take the time to teach proper restaurant etiquette to their growing teens. As the old saying goes, ̶0;Good manners will take you far.̶1; Knowing how to negotiate a restaurant situation can make your teen look like a pro on prom night, for a scholarship interview, or even for a night out with mom and dad.

  1. Passing Food

    • Passing condiments from the left to the right is a way to keep order at a table. Instruct your teen not to reach across the table or others, but to ask someone to pass the item he needs. If another person asks him to pass the salt, he should pass both the salt and pepper together to maintain the set. Remind him to set items down on the table when passing, instead of placing the item directly into someone̵7;s hand. Though it seems convenient, explain that intercepting a pass by removing a roll from the bread basket or using the pepper en route to another diner is poor etiquette.

    Napkins

    • Proper restaurant etiquette mandates that diners use napkins. Remind your teen to place the napkin in her lap and to wipe her mouth when necessary. Linen napkins are not for blowing noses. If she needs to leave the table for any reason, show her how to fold the napkin and then to place it on either side of her plate until she returns. As your teen prepares to leave the restaurant, have her set her napkin to the left of her plate.

    Eating

    • If your teen has not mastered the art of chewing with his mouth closed, emphasize that he should do so. He should not make unseemly noises when chewing, and he should sit up straight. He should practice how to use his utensils, how to lay his fork on his plate between bites, and he should wait until he has swallowed before raising the glass to drink. When it comes to cutting food, proper etiquette dictates that you are to cut only one piece at a time.

    Finesse

    • Occasionally, food simply tastes bad, is improperly cooked or a foreign object has found its way into the dish. Instead of making a scene or yelling, ̶0;Oh, gross!̶1; show your teen how to handle the situation gracefully. For a piece of gristle or a dish that tastes weird, have your teenager set the offending morsel on the edge of her plate without saying a word. Try not to draw attention to what she is doing. Never hide a chewed-up piece of food in a napkin. If a fly or hair is floating in the bowl of soup, ask your teen to get the waiter̵7;s attention, and then to quietly ask for a new bowl, or simply stop eating the food and wait for the next course.

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