How to Eat Spaghetti Bolognaise and Other Life Skills.

When I was younger, my parents used to take my sister and I to a local Italian restaurant.  It probably wasn’t a very special or fancy restaurant.  But to my sister and I it was a great treat to be taken to eat in a restaurant.

I’m sure my parents were training us in eating out.  I can remember learning to wind spaghetti around my fork, with my napkin tucked into my shirt, trying hard not to get sauce everywhere.  I didn’t use a spoon. My parents never cut the noodles short for me, like I have done for my children.  I used the fork and tried to eat like the adults did.

There was no kids play corner and to the best of my memory, no kids menu.  We sat at the table and talked and waited for our food.

I can’t remember being bored or having to wait a long time for the food (although I’m sure I found that at the time).  I remember trying to learn how to raise my eyebrow to attract the waiter’s attention.  I remember practising wiggling my nose or my ears without moving the rest of my face. I have to give a nod to my parents for this parenting masterstroke!

Sometimes, you can be learning without really knowing it.

Did you eat out as a family when you were a child?  What do you remember?