I love going out to eat. I wish I could say it was because I liked to try new things, but that’s not always the case…I just like to go out and not having to cook for a change. I’m pretty lucky in so far as that my two boys go with their dad at least one night a week, so I get a chance to go out with my husband alone sometimes, which is pretty nice I have to admit. I love my kids, but taking them out to eat can sometimes be a challenge and there is definitley some planning involved when they come out to restaurants with us.
Here are five things I do to help ensure things go well while we’re eating out at a restaurant with the kids:
Pack a Restaurant “Go-Bag”
I never go out to a restaurant with my kids without packing snacks because, well, hungry kids are cranky kids. I also always have on hand: tissues, charmin wipes for the potty, hand sanitizer, small toys such as action figures & Hot Wheels, their Leapster or Nintendo DS and Wet Ones wipes. Everything in the bag helps me ensure that my kids will be entertained and the experience will go as smoothly as possible. I have a special restaurant goody bag ready to go at all times & it’s only used at restaurants. That way the toys aren’t seen all that often and it takes longer for the kids to get bored with them.
Location, Location, Location
As much as I love fancy schmancy restaurants – they are not the place for little kids, so I stick to family friendly restaurants. I especially like restaurants that are a bit more noisy because my kids chatter blends in a little better that way. One of our favorite restaurants is the Red Robin, but we also frequent several other chains that are more accepting of miniature chatterboxes.
Get There Early
Again, hungry kids are cranky kids, so if I can avoid arriving at a restaurant during peak hours, I do. At least for me, it’s no fun to have to wait to be seated with kids that can only focus on the rumbling in their tummies. Plus, the more crowded & busy the restaurant is, the less you’ll see the wait staff. Fact. So when you really need a refill on the chocolate milk, you’ll end up having to wait longer for it.
Check Out the Menu Before You Leave Home
If your kids are picky eaters, then you will probably want to check out the menu online ahead of time. I forget where I was recently, but I was at a restaurant with the kids and they didn’t have chicken tenders on the menu – GASP! My bad for not checking ahead of time and since it was nearly the end of the world, I’ll never make that mistake again.
Be Realistic
I usually set the ground rules for my kids ahead of time, but things happen and they’re not always picture perfect. I’ve found that asking the wait staff to bring the kids meals out as soon as they’re ready (before the adults) helps. They get to start eating & that gives me time to cut up meat, etc without my plate being in the way. It’s a win/win. I’m not shy about disciplining my children in a restaurant…or anywhere for that matter. I hate to be “that mom” that doesn’t do anything when their kids act up and disrupt the entire restaurant. If my kids do meltdown, I have no problems asking the waitress to pack our food to go & bringing the kids back home to finish their dinner. It’s happened before and I’m sure it will happen again.
Like I said, it doesn’t always go smoothly, but with a little bit of planning, I can help making eating out with the kiddos a much more pleasant experience – for everyone.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
This post, Eating Out With Kids, originally appeared on Masshole Mommy on October 4, 2011. Tweet This
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@