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What a Treat! We're Going out to Eat!
Help Your Preschooler Form Proper Social Eating Skills
By April E. Clark
When Joel and Christie Haas of Carbondale, Colo., take their three children out to eat, they come armed with a secret weapon that will make any distracted child sit up straight at the table and behave – good old-fashioned Southern manners.
"Joel was brought up in the South, so he always learned to say 'Yes, sir,' and 'Yes, ma'am,' in public. This has helped us teach our kids that there definitely is a consequence if they don't behave when they are out to eat," Haas says. "They know how to eat nicely when they are in a social situation because they are expected to behave."
Child psychologists and nutritionists agree that most children begin to form important eating habits, such as table manners, healthy food choices, portion control and interaction with others outside of their family between the ages of 3 and 5. Since dining out has become second nature for most families today – the average annual household expenditure for food away from home in 2002 was $2,276, or $910 per person, according to the National Restaurant Association – teaching kids proper social eating skills early on is key.
"I think it's helpful for young kids to interact socially while eating," says Michele McNamara, a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) who holds state credentials for school psychology in California, New Jersey, Florida and Indiana. "It sets up situations for important peer social interaction and creates opportunities to begin sharing and exploring new food choices and options."
Many families like the Haas' have introduced the idea of eating out with their children as early as their infancies. Haas recalls that her oldest son, who is now 7 years old, has frequented restaurants since he was born. McNamara says this is a step in the right direction when teaching a child to be well behaved in a restaurant or other social setting.