The Art of Fine Dining

An étiquette class equipped with story time. A three- course meal equipped with children's fave dishes. A cupcake decorating session equipped with all the toppings you could think of. This is just a little taste of what Aiden got to experience at The Ritz-Carlton Battery Park a few weekends ago. (Pun intended.)

I think it's so important for children to not only have good table manners, but also to understand the art of fine dining. So much so that every time Aiden and I go out to a restaurant, which happens fairly often (don't judge me!), I take the time to teach him how we're supposed to behave while dining out. Sometimes I even allow him to signal the waiter over to us to ask a question or to ask for the check. 

When it comes to getting him to speak properly and politely to the waiters in the restaurant, I'v gotten pretty successful. But when it comes to proper eating etiquette and table manner… forget about it! Your girl has not been that successful in teaching that area to Aiden. 

So when I heard that The Ritz was offering 2-hour etiquette classes on a monthly basis for children ages 5-11, I jumped at the opportunity. Once we entered the hotel, we were greeted by the hostess and escorted to a well-lit and spacious dining area. That's where we got to meet etiquette expert and author of The Extraordinary Life of Prince — Which Fork's First?, Prince Sanders. Not only was he warm and friendly, but he was also funny. Aiden immediately liked him and was excited about story time. He enjoyed the funny book,  but he also loved the fact that the author was the one reading him the story! 

After story time, it was time to eat. The children placed their own order, decided as a group where to place their napkins, decided together which fork they should use for their first course and second course, and widened their eyes in excitement when it was time for dessert. (Read: cupcake decorating.)

One of the coolest parts? Each child got a signature souvenir, which consisted of the etiquette book, a Ritz-Carlton stuffed lion, and a linen napkin with their initials embroidered. Needless to say, Aiden's been playing with his teddy and "practicing eating with Popcorn" (the name of one of the characters in the story). He's gotten pretty good at it, save for the crazy mess he makes and more food ends up on the tables than in his mouth. 

An even cooler part? Adults got their own fancy cupcake. And it was delish. Adults also got their own adult beverages. And that was even more delish. 

Needless to say, it was a pretty magical and memorable experience for the both of us. 

If you're like me and you want your littles to value experience, this is definitely one for the books! The price is $100 for one adult and one child (plus tax and tip), with $60 for each additional child. Visit The Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park's website for more information about this interactive and engaging experience.

{Disclaimer: I was invited to the etiquette class in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.}