Does your family dinner table resemble feeding time at the zoo?  Do your kids think “minding their manners” at the table means not throwing the silverware at each other?  Then you have an excellent idea why dinner table etiquette is important!

Many people these days seem to think that etiquette is the realm of Miss Manners and not real-life folks like you and I.  But knowing your manners at the dinner table and away from it can take you far! 

In business, it’s not uncommon for workers to go to conferences, have “working lunches” or participate in after-hours activities that involve sitting down at the table with supervisors, clients, and other people that you want to impress.  Indeed, it’s not entirely unheard of for people to be hired on the basis of an interview held over lunch or dinner!  So knowing your mealtime etiquette isn’t just a social nicety, it can have a direct impact on your earning potential and financial well-being. 

At home, as well, having a firm grounding in dinner table etiquette is important.  Eating with your family is one of the best ways to strengthen family bonds, and modeling good manners is the best way to teach your children how to be a gracious dinner guest.  It will also give them an advantage when they get to dating age, as they won’t be disgusting their dates with a clear view of that pizza they’re in the process of chewing!

One of the best starting points, in fact, is simply this: if there is food in your mouth, your mouth must be closed.  This means that when someone is chewing their food, they will not be inflicting the sight of mashed-up goo upon their dinner partners.   So make sure to keep your lips zipped shut and save any comments or stories you might have until you’ve swallowed.

If you are going to talk about something (which is definitely advised) be kind to your dinner partners and keep the conversation pleasant.  Nothing ruins the taste of a good meal as quickly as a thorough description of the gory accident you passed on the way to the restaurant, or rehashing the latest argument you and your dinner partner had.  Talking about things you care deeply about is fine, but remember that a meal should be a pleasant experience and save any arguing or commiserating until after the meal is done.  Your digestion, and your dinner partner’s, will thank you for it.

Napkins exist for a reason, and it’s best to use them as needed.  Again, dinner should be a pleasant experience, and looking at someone who looks like they’ve been eating out of a pig trough simply isn’t appetizing. 

Speaking of place settings, a handy rule of thumb you can use while eating in a formal setting is this: when faced with a multitude of silverware, start at the outside and work your way in.  Therefore, your salad fork will be the generally smaller one to the left of your place setting, on the “outside” of the larger one to be used for the main dish.  Your dinner spoon, however, will be the one closest to your plate on the right, as it is intended to be the last one used, while the spoon to be used for the soup course will be the one furthest from the plate on your right.  (Dessert forks and spoons will be found above the plate.)

There are a number of other rules, of course. There are always more rules when it comes to etiquette, but these tips are a great start to being able to go out to dinner or enjoy a pleasant meal at home without fear of embarrassing yourself or others.