Children forgetting how to use knife and fork

Pollycat

KxMx said:

I'm a heathen then as (right handed) I use my fork in my right hand. 

To me it makes perfect sense, it's the implement I use most and use to get the food to my mouth, so it should be in my favoured hand. Same as if using just a spoon it goes in right hand.

To me it's weird if people use a knife in right hand and spoon alone in right hand... Logic follows the fork should match spoon! 

It's not to me.

My fork is always in my left hand - whether I have a knife or a spoon in my right.

Splatfoot

The problem is the Government pretty much take over your children. I don't think it's at all surprising that parents have become lax with regards to their kids. They want them in pre school from two, parents in full time work, there's wraparound care, breakfast clubs, after school clubs. All encouraged. This year has no doubt been an eye opener for many parents. I cannot see how you can forget how to use a knife and fork though, that's bull. They clearly couldn't use them before. That is definitely a modern day thing. We had language students for 4 years and the amount of French teens who couldn't use cutlery properly was astounding. They held knives in a stabbing hold. Odd. 

Pollycat

Splatfoot said:

The problem is the Government pretty much take over your children. I don't think it's at all surprising that parents have become lax with regards to their kids. They want them in pre school from two, parents in full time work, there's wraparound care, breakfast clubs, after school clubs. All encouraged. This year has no doubt been an eye opener for many parents. I cannot see how you can forget how to use a knife and fork though, that's bull. They clearly couldn't use them before. That is definitely a modern day thing. We had language students for 4 years and the amount of French teens who couldn't use cutlery properly was astounding. They held knives in a stabbing hold. Odd. 

I've seen young people here use cutlery like that.

Savvy_Sue

There's no universally correct way to use cutlery. Presumably in France, the stabbing hold is 'correct'. In the USA food is often cut and then the knife put down, fork transferred to dominant hand. Or even food being 'cut' with the fork.

We may not like it, but that doesn't make it wrong.

Splatfoot

Savvy_Sue said:

There's no universally correct way to use cutlery. Presumably in France, the stabbing hold is 'correct'. In the USA food is often cut and then the knife put down, fork transferred to dominant hand. Or even food being 'cut' with the fork.

We may not like it, but that doesn't make it wrong.

Nope, they couldn't cut their food like that. It just didnt work. It wasn't all of them, I'd say 50% of them. And kids in the UK too. I don't think it's just because they haven't been to school for 6 months, it's a real issue. I have teenage boys and I do remember thinking that I would need to get them to use a knife and a fork. We eat a lot of one pot meals, like curry and chilli which only involve a fork so I did make a conscious effort to show them. 

clive0510

When we were kids we were allways taught to hold our knife and fork properly. we were also taught to all ways sit up at the table to eat, and not in front of the tv. at meal times the tv allways went off. If we were out on our bikes or playing football and we were late home, dinner would either be kept warm in the oven, in the bin, or in the dog.

Exodi

When I first heard this on the radio I thought it was surely an exagerration.

While I have no doubt that a significant amount of children have regressed into nocturnal gaming zombies, I have trouble believing that they've forgotten how to hold cutlery? Do they shovel food in with their hands at home? That's terrifying if it's true but wouldn't suprise me to be honest, KFC & McDonalds every night, happy days I guess?

euronorris

It doesn't have to be KFC & McDonalds every day, it can simply be convenience food each day at home that doesn't require cutlery. Like chicken nuggets and chips, or fish fingers, burgers, sausage rolls etc etc, and sandwiches for lunch every day. Would be very easy to do if parents were overwhelmed and just trying to keep their heads above water. They may have given the child the cutlery, but not enforced it's use. Whatever the reason, with children back in school, hopefully the parents are less stressed/stretched and able to provide more attention after school.