Just because you have children, it does not mean you can't go out for a meal. Now it might not be a 5 star restaurant, but today lots of places welcome families. To make the experience a success you have to do a little planning.
Start going out when your child is young. This way they get used to going out and know how to behave.
If you can plan to go out when the child/ren are well rested, they are better able to control themselves.
Once a child starts to get a little older, make a Restaurant Bag -- a bag of toys and activities that only comes out when you go to eat out.
Some ideas for a bag are:
- Finger snacks. When they say you have an hour wait, you are ready for a hungry child.
- Include age appropriate toys like:
- Infants and Toddlers: rattles, chewy toys, a peek-a-boo cloth, soft doll, stuffed animal, books, puppets, pop-up box, shaker bottle, blank paper and big crayons
- Preschooler: paper, crayons and pencils, deck of cards, drawing toys with all the parts attached, etch-a sketch, reading books, magnetic mosaic board, finger puppets, stickers
- School-age: word search books, other game books, sketching supplies, reading materials, magazines, magnetic board games
- A bottle of bubbles- will not only engage your children, but the whole restaurant will enjoy the entertainment.
- Be creative, an older child can put together their own bag or help make a bag for a younger child. They also make great gifts.
If you have a restless child, take walks and keep the child active until you can sit down. Once you sit down you can take breaks with a visit to a window, fish tank, the tortilla maker or any other treats that you can find in the restaurant or right outside. You can decide ahead of time who will take the walks or divide up the walks. Be sure to talk with your child ahead of time about where you are going and how you expect your child to behave. A young child will understand even if she can not speak.
Talk about:
- Walking to the table holding your hand and being calm.
- No yelling or screaming in the restaurant. Speak with a quiet indoor voice.
- Sit at your table and play with your toys.
- Model good table manners. You can place your napkin in your lap and eat with silverware. Parents can bring the silverware the child is use to using at home.
- Use this time to engage your child in a conversation. Your child can have your undivided attention.
Having activities will make the time go quickly for everyone. Just keep the Restaurant Bag in the car so you are always ready to go. Remember it is best not to bring it out except for going out, and then all the toys and activities will be fresh. Going out can take practice. Now with bag in hand you are ready for the adventure. Bon appetite.