using a fork like a scoop

[itmightwork]

AIBU to not want my children to use a fork like a scoop, unless they are eating peas or a meal that doesn't require a knife and fork?

And what's the difference between scooping and shovelling??

Trying to picture how I eat now to determine how uncouth I am .

Now all I'm hearing is the LMFAO song Everyday I'm Shuffling!

I've worked and lived in several different countries and have tried to adopt the local manners as much as possible, but this British costume is just ridiculous and I cannot abide it.

Form follows function and forks were not made to be used facing down. I'm Continental and use my fork the way god intended

I do however make a small concession and rest my cutlery "british style" when I'm finished.

Scooping and shovelling are both bad in my book! Unless it is cottage pie or peas or.... If you use the tines to hold the food to cut it, I don't think you should then turn the fork over to scoop up more.

Yes, WTF is the deal with people holding knives like pencils? You hold onto the knife from above, not below! Is this a recent thing? A British thing? (I grew up abroad and have never seen this before in my life prior to the past couple of years.) It always seems to be done by people who think they are posh or terribly cultured but actually don't have a clue. I must admit that when I see it I judge the knife wielder as being 'not my kind of people'

Actually, if you are going to be pedantic about it, OP I believe you are meant to use the tines to get some mash and then "glue" the peas to the mash.

I agree Bue, I have never seen anyone holding knives like pencils outside the UK. Odd.

Interesting.
I think people using their knife pencil style (and indeed fork scooping) look a bit uncouth, TBH (and maybe a bit snobbish) !
Oh, and Poppy, they do it in Ireland too.

Why do we have the right side of the fork facing down and the wrong side with the rear of the handle facing up? Surely the design implies the fork should be used as a scoop.

Also, I notice that when a person holds their knife like a pencil they also tend to hold it way above their plate between mouthfulls and sometimes even wave it around when making a point. Makes me want to stab them!!!

I agree with you, OP, except that I don't think you should use your fork to scoop for anything, even peas!

Holding a knife like a pen, and at an angle with your elbows in the air is definitely even worse.

What pps are saying about it not being logical is right, but most of etiquette and the 'correct' way of doing things isn't logical.

FWIW, I think it's much better to eat the 'correct' way and teach it to your children, because some people will judge them for not doing it correctly, and as they get older that can have an impact, e.g. at an important client dinner or something as an adult. It's not very nice to feel like you aren't doing things properly and that other people are judging you for the way you eat. It's silly to judge someone for that, but that's just the way the world works.

My daughter agrees with you soup about the design. Definitely agree with Katherine - silly, but the way the world works.

This who say it must be in your right hand to scoop - that is not possible if you are left handed. We use a spoon with out left so would use a scoop fork with our left too. Does this mean all lefties would invariable be judged common by those who don't realise they were a lefty?

Agree that if you prong something to cut it you keep the fork that way up to eat the thing. But imo so many foods we eat now can be scooped - Indian and Chinese rice dishes. Mashed potato and its dishes (fish pie, cottage pie etc).
Actually in general I think balancing stuff on the back is a faff. Just prong solid things (with prongs facing down obvs)

If you use your fork to scoop scoopable foods then I don't think it matters if the fork is in your left or right hand. Is scoopable even a word?!

And if you don't need a knife to eat a meal I don't think it matters how you use a fork.

BUT, if you are using a knife and a fork, surely the fork should be used tines down - other than rice, peas etc

To be honest most of the time I'm just grateful they are using cutlery; when we're at MIL's they know not to behave like savages but the rest of the time so long as they're not feeding the dog off their forks or chewing with their mouths open I'm happy.

They can eat smartly. They just choose when they want to. And both are right-handed but eat left-handed like I do, and DH is left-handed but eats right-handed because the MIL used to shout at him for eating backwards. It just thrills her to see the children doing it.

Now seems a good time to sing...

I eat my peas with honey
I've done it all my life
It makes them taste quite funny
But keeps them on the knife

My ds is only one. What age do children start attempting knife and fork tigether?

This might be a tad simplistic... But surely if you need to scoop, you use a spoon?

Same as not using the side of a fork instead of a knife to cut something except for fishfingers

YES to that slithytove! I'm all for simplistic.

It's a bit sad that people are judged on whether they use a fork the right way.

In Asian/Indian culture we eat most food with our hands so that's what DS (3) does for most things but only at home of course. Oh and most Asians (esp Muslims) tend to use the fork with their right hand because that's the hand you should eat with.

I don't think it ever occurred to any of our parents what the 'right' way to use a fork was. It didn't occur to me. I'm 35 and British Asian and never knew this rule! Go figure...

YABU. I'm just happy if my kids eat what I have cooked. I couldn't care less how the food gets into their mouths so long as it does.

Forks were never allowed to be used as scoops in our home. If the children needed spoons then they used spoons until they were old enough to use a fork as it should be used. I can't abide people cutting food with forks or scooping food up on them.

Ds uses a fork as intended, at 22 months. I mean, he would like to shovel with it, but everything falls off, so spoon it is