A generation ago, setting the dinner table was a common task completed by children before a family meal. With so many families eating on the run nowadays, few children know how to complete this task properly and because of that very fact, have little to no working knowledge of which fork or glass to use when they finally sit at a set table.
Setting the family dinner table is fast becoming a lost art. With soccer practice, dance classes, speech meets and parents working late, few families even attempt to gather around the table at dinnertime anymore. Liquid breakfasts, cafeteria lunches and drive through dinners have made the American family a high speed, low drag unit that rarely gathers together for at least one meal a day anymore. Many people argue that this is a major cause of the breakdown of the family unit, but that is a subject that should be explored elsewhere at another time. Setting the table may seem like a chore, but it is a lesson well learned as you never know when your child may be called upon to set a table – maybe next Saturday at his friend Bobby’s house or maybe years from now when he finally has his own apartment and wants to entertain his friends in style. The simple act of teaching your child how to set a basic table will always serve him well. What I am about to share is how to set a basic, casual table. There is no reason that you should set an everyday table with three forks, two knives, three spoons, four glasses and three plates for each place setting. This is just a simple setting for a family style meal.
Tablecloth
Whether or not you have a table cover is completely up to you. If you have a wooden table made of a soft wood, like pine, with a delicate finish, you should consider using a table cover for your own peace of mind. Table cloths and place mats can provide you with an easy cleanup, but there is no rule of etiquette for table covers at casual meals so the choice is completely yours.
Place Mat
One thing you may consider while teaching your child how to set the table is making place mats from heavy paper (like shopping bags) and drawing pictures of forks, knives, spoons, etc. in the places where they should be set. This is an especially fun way to teach your young child about setting the table. You can draw in the utensils, napkin, plate and glass on the place mat and then let your child customize each place mat for each family member with Crayons, markers or colored pencils. These would likely be one-time use only place mats, but the repetition of customizing each family member’s place mat can be a great way of teaching your child how to arrange a place setting and the coloring can be a great way to pass a rainy afternoon!