You and your family decide that you want to go out to a restaurant for dinner. Bonus for mom and dad – someone else is doing the cooking and cleaning! As you walk into a restaurant with your kids, the hostess starts leading your family to your table, and people who are already sitting down seem to have looks in their eyes pleading for the hostess not to sit the kids next to their table.
Has anyone else had the pleasure of experiencing this scene? It sure makes a parent feel great! Thankfully it is very possible to have a great experience with kids in a restaurant.
I really don’t like to cook. Like, I’d be happy to eat a sandwich every night to avoid cooking if possible. So, when we take the opportunity to go out and eat, you better believe I’m jumping on that chance! In the last two blogs (here and here), I talked about being consistent and enforcing consequences. Once you are in this routine, your kids should know what the expectation is for them and their behavior in a restaurant.
However, there are some steps that we take to ensure it’s a positive experience for everyone.
1) Before we get out of the car, we talk about our expectations for good behavior while in the restaurant. This may include reminding our kids how they should act, what will happen if they aren’t listening and obeying, and we might even discuss what they will do while we are at the table waiting for our food.
2) Seating arrangements. We usually prefer to have the kids sit across from us. This allows Ian and I a chance to talk but we can also have our eyes on everyone to redirect if necessary.
3) Kids in high chairs stay in high chairs. This can be hard at first with toddlers who can get bored at the table or don’t like to stay seated. There may be times at the beginning of this process where the toddler may throw a fit. Be consistent! If you need to take the child out of the high chair and outside of the restaurant for a consequence, then do so. No one wants to eat their food with a screaming child around. However, once the consequence is given, the child goes back in the high chair. They are learning that this is where they sit when they eat. Again, they are learning that what they are told by their parents is true.
4) Limit technology. We don’t usually allow the use of electronics when we go to a restaurant. Most of the time, there are coloring sheets with games for entertainment that our kids really enjoy working on while waiting for the food. Family meals also provide a great opportunity to talk. Enjoy family conversations. Talk about your week or tell funny stories. You don’t have to worry about any kitchen clean-up time so just focus on enjoying each other!
A few weeks ago we went out to eat. The hostess took us to our table, which happened to be in the center of the room. As we walked to our table, all eyes were on us. No one seemed to be happy to see a family of 6 sit near them while they ate their dinner. I literally wondered if I had toilet paper stuck on the bottom of my foot because everyone seemed to just keep staring. We all sat down and enjoyed our time in the restaurant. By the time our food arrived, several tables around us were beginning to leave. Two different people from different tables came over to compliment our kids on how well they behaved. We even got free sopapillas!
Parents work hard so sometimes a treat is in order. No time spent cleaning the kitchen, just a time to sit, eat, and enjoy some family time.
Words to Bloom 