DEAR ABBY: Is it odd to eat with one hand in one's lap? I didn't realize that I did it until my fiance's parents mentioned it to me at a dinner. When we subsequently ate with my family, I realized that every person in my family eats the same way.
My future in-laws say they have never heard of such a thing. My grandmother says it is good table manners, and I have no intention of changing. (My fiance and I are both third-generation Americans.)
What do we teach our (future) kids? -- PROPERLY TAUGHT IN ARIZONA
DEAR PROPERLY TAUGHT: Teach them the proper table manners that you were taught as a child. According to Emily Post, by the time a child is 12, he or she should have learned to "sit with good posture and feet firmly on the floor throughout the meal. (And) keep free hand in lap when not cutting food or passing items." (The italics are mine.)