Grandchildren’s lack of using cutlery

A child of 7 isn’t a high chair child teacheranne and I do think table manners are as important as toilet training or washing hands training If it’s a generational thing then it’s got very sloppy I am a very easy going person certainly no Victorian gran but I wouldn’t like my grand children eating with their fingers apart from pizza even chicken nuggets can be pronged I ve never known a child not want to use implements What do you do when you take them to a restaurant /party/ wedding etc etc
I don’t think it’s the most important thing to teach a child but I think it’s pretty important Thankfully it’s never happened in my extended family never ever seen a child eat real food with their fingersapart from snacks or pizza

Bluebelle I wasn’t specifically referring to the original post, more a comment about some of the contributions on the thread which seem a tad sanctimonious to me. It’s up to their parents to decide on how they eat and in reality I’m sure most children will comply to expectations when they are ready, children don’t like being different. I’ve never taught a secondary aged child who could not use cutlery when eating school dinners.

You’ve now got me thinking now about when I use my fingers to eat - although I am one of those odd people who do use a knife and fork to eat pizza in a restaurant! I might use my hands/fingers to eat the odd chip off my plate, pick up a chicken leg or ribs to gnaw on , beef burgers, hot dogs, bits of salad, things to dip or when using bread to soak up the gravy!

?

Your post has just reminded me of when we invited our twenty something gardener in for a roast dinner, he'd been working with us on a project all morning.

My kids (about 8 and 10) faces were a picture when he started eating - both arms on the table, speaking with his mouth full, eating lumps of roast potato from his fork, and to top it all, he asked for apple sauce to go with his beef! I didn't say a word .....

well, apart from eating with mouth full, i see nothing objectionable in that except your snobbish attitude.
Teacheranne you are not a lone voice here. hello.

I don't think anyone's mentioned the spork yet, have they? That's all my American cousin's kids used - for anything. I'd never heard of this wonderous implement before (2003) and they were astonished that I'd never seen one.
I have to say that our GC (8 & 10) have excellent table manners, including cutlery, but sometimes, we 'do' finger foods, like fajitas - they also have eclectic tastes. Last time it was satay chicken skewers. Please and thank you feature as well.
The two habits I really do hate are chewing with mouth open and phones at meal times.

It annoyed me when my grandchildren ate everything with their fingers, including jelly, but meals were an ordeal when I was a child. There were numerous rules, strictly imposed, because manners were more important than enjoying your food. I remember sobbing over the fish or other objects of disgust which I was not allowed to leave.
Thank goodness for more relaxed mealtimes now.