Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 5:06 am
It's a little overboard for the moniter to worry about him eating with a fork and a spoon. But it is also overboard to say that the moniter is somehow violating the child's freedom of expression and religion. Good table manners is important in any culture, I hope, but i would not be too worried about a 7 year old eating with a fork and spoon at the same time. Now an adult who can't get his food onto a fork without a spoon might begin to look a little childish (tho I occassionally use my knife to push remaining rice or peas onto a fork at the end of a meal), but that is within his rights and doesn't harm anybody. At least its not eating like a pig or anything.