Parents who try to instil good table manners in their children have a new battle on their hands –keeping things like iPods or Gameboys off the dinner table.
A new survey by Pizza Express found that 8 out of 10 adults felt that table manners had deteriorated. Although almost 90% admitted that the idea of what constituted good table etiquette had also changed considerably.
A massive 95% of the people surveyed felt that the old saying that children shouldn't speak unless spoken to no longer applies. But 85% said that kids should turn off their favourite toys or consoles before sitting down to eat.
Unfortunately for the waiters at Pizza Express and waiters throughout the country, 32% of parents didn't feel that it was important that children should be polite to waiting staff in restaurants. One branch manager said that often it was parents who were responsible for their children's bad behaviour; 'It's running around, screaming, breaking glasses and when they are at the table they just make a mess," he said. 'It could be children aged six or seven. Their parents do not care.'
April 2007
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The Very Hungry Caterpillar
