GIVEAWAY: $1000 Target Gift Card + Go & Gro Mix-ins
Yesterday, I posted “12 Problems Dining Out with Kids” on the Mommy Shorts Facebook page and asked parents who felt like they had mastered the art of family dining (no, not the kind where they put a large plate of pasta on your table for everyone to share) to comment with their best tips and tricks.
I culled through all the responses and put together a master list, which includes some tips of my own. Some are obvious, some are more inspired. Some I practice regularly and some I clearly need to try.
28 tips & tricks for dining out with kids
1) Practice playing restaurant at home. Tell your kids what kind of behavior is expected when you eat out, like proper table manners and staying seated.
2) Always check menus online first to make sure they serve food your kids will want to eat. There is nothing worse than sitting down at a table and discovering there is no chicken fingers available.
3) Keep a mini tackle box
4) Eat out early in the evening when there are less people and more families who are sympathetic to your strife. Or, they’ve got their own kids to deal with and couldn’t be bothered paying attention to yours.
5) Opt for large busy restaurants where the noise decibel level is higher and more likely to drown out your rowdy kids.
6) Go to a buffet if possible. Kids think it’s exciting to pick their own food. You can even sneak some new foods for them to try without wasting your money on an entire entree they probably won’t eat.
7) Get a booth if it’s an available. This way your kid can move around more without disturbing other people. You can also put them on the inside and trap them in their seat.
8) Buy triangle crayons
9) Make sure each child has the EXACT SAME SET of crayons; you don’t want one kid sobbing because his brother is the sole owner of the only purple crayon.
10) Use the stuff on the table to create games, like sorting sugar packets by color or jelly packets by size. We also play a game where everybody closes their eyes except one person who takes an item off the table and hides it in their lap. First person to guess the missing item wins.
11) When kids get older, games like tic tac toe, hangman and dots can be wonderfully distracting while waiting for a meal to be served.
12) I always carry a pair of dice for impromptu restaurant games. You can make up a game while you are waiting for you food and they can be used as an eating game to get your kid to take more bites.
13) Bring your own cups until your kids are responsible with the covered cups at the restaurant. Or they make universal sippy cup lids
14) Bring your own portable placemat. For babies and toddlers, they make silicone mats
15) Often bad behavior in a restaurant is a result of the very challenging hunger/impatience combination. Pack a few healthy snacks so your kid has something to munch on before the food arrives.
16) Treat dinner out like a ticking time bomb. Ask for the bread and water as soon as you are seated and ask for the check as soon as the food comes. Then eat fast and get out!
17) Always ask servers if there are any ingredients in the dishes that aren’t listed on the menu. I can’t tell you how many times I have been burned by parmesan cheese.
18) Ask for your kids’ meals to be served as soon as they are ready. In addition to staving off a hunger tantrum, you can cut their food before yours has even arrived and then eat your meal hot.
19) If their food arrives early enough and they finish before you start, that’s a perfect time to buy them dessert. Nothing is better than eating your entree in peace while your kid is consumed with his ice cream.
20) I’ve also been known on occasion to feed my kids at home and then take them out to a restaurant afterwards. Mike and I order entrees and order desserts for the kids to eat at the same time.
21) Ask for an extra plate to cool hot food on— a few strands of spaghetti will always cool faster than a whole plate!
22) If your kid is refusing to eat the protein and the vegetables and sticking purely to bread and rice, use Go & Grow Mix-ins to supplement the nutrients missing from their meal.
23) Never force vegetables at a restaurant. That’s a battle you should save for home when nobody can hear the screaming.
24) For the love of god, if your child acts up, take them outside! Better yet, be willing to pay and walk out even if it means taking the entire meal to go. Making your kids get up and leave in the middle of the meal for bad behavior is a great lesson that will likely be remembered.
25) Arrange with your spouse ahead of time to split responsibilities. If your spouse eats leisurely while you tend to the kids during the meal, then it is his/her job to take the kids outside or for a walk so you can eat in peace after they are done.
26) Don’t worry about what strangers think. Unless they are being actively attacked by your kid with a fork.
27) Always leave a healthy tip for the server. The bigger the mess on the floor, the bigger the tip. It’s the right thing to do plus, they won’t be so annoyed the next time a family walks in the door.
28) The biggest family dining trick of all? Don’t bring the kids!
Hope this helps everyone including me!
GIVEAWAY: $1000 Target Gift Card Plus Go & Grow Mix-ins
Today, I am giving away one $1000 Target gift card plus a supply of Go & Grow Mix-ins from Similac!
Go & Grow is a powder that comes in small to-go packets that are perfect for dining out with kids. They can be stirred into foods like rice, pasta, mashed potatoes, oatmeal, applesauce and pancake batter to give an extra boost of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and DHA without your kids noticing a difference. They are GMO and gluten-free.
Check out Similac.com/toddlermoms for free samples (while supplies last), store locators and more information about how Mix-Ins help your child maintain balanced nutrition.
To enter:
1) You must be a Mommy Shorts subscriber. If you are not one already, you can become one by clicking here.
2) Leave a comment below telling me a tip, trick or funny story about dining out with your kids. It could be a success or a failure. For instance, here’s an awesome story posted by a mom named Jen on Facebook:
We were running late from an outing and needed to stop to eat. My kids begged to go to Olive Garden but I was reluctant because they hadn’t been so well-behaved the last time we were there. We had a conversation about what constitutes good behavior; sitting still, being quiet, etc. and I told them we could only go in if they promised to behave. They promised. The hostess saw us (one mommy and three little kids) and tucked us into a corner table. The table across from us had 6-8 thirty-somethings who were drinking and kind of loud. We were there less than 10 minutes when my 5 year-old looked over and shouted, “EXCUSE ME? COULD YOU BE QUIET PLEASE? WE’RE IN A REST-AU-RANT.”
Winner will be selected at random and announced on June 22nd.
Good luck!
winner update:
Congrats to Arielle, who’s daughter is still holding a grudge about the time she cut her bagel in half. Please contact annie@mommyshorts.com to claim your prize!
—————————
This post was sponsored by Go & Grow Mix-ins from Similac, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Mine is simple: we do not keep spices in reach of our 2.5 year old boy. When out to eat, he has a habit of grabbing the pepper shaker, covering his plate, and licking it off. Its strange.
My best friend and I took our kids out one night and while my husband and I were wrangling our daughter, who insisted on standing in the booth the whole meal, their son decided to get naked! He had taken off his over shirt and t-shirt before anyone noticed! Of course I took pictures, lol.
I have a 15 month old and an 8 year old. We are currently in the screaming stage. Our one year old loves her voice and tries it out… All. The. Time. Especially in public. Dining out (a rarity now) ALWAYS gets loud. Something I remember from my oldest – I had a small container of play doh I carried to keep her busy from time to time. We’re not quite ready for that but getting close! 🙂
I have a 1 year old daughter and 2 step kids. It can be hard to go out to restaurants?? and have a decent meal actually finish the meal?. This happen last weekend we decided to go out to eat??. Since it was in town I just took one dipper and I changed her before leaving the house, so I thought she would be fine. Got to restaurant as we I see we’re waiting to get serve my my daughter pooped? and obviously it stinks really bad?. I went to change her and came back and dinner was served . When i sat her down she pooped? again unfortunately I didn’t have any more diapers so thankfully there was a Target? across the restaurant so I drove and left them at the restaurant. bought some diapers change her by the time I got to eat my dinner was cold and was taierd from running around.??
My son was about 16 months old and really into clapping at the end of a song. We went to a really fancy Mother’s Day brunch and there was a guitarist quietly playing “mood” music. After his first song, my son started cheering and clapping really loud. We joined in, of course, and got some grumpy looks from fellow brunchers.
My very picky 3 year old son likes looking at other people’s food being delivered to their table and critiquing it. “Oh that stinks! That looks yucky! Is that lady going to eat ALL of that food?” You get the picture.
I was eating out at a slightly upscale Chinese restaurant with my Dad and my daughter, who was about a year and a half at the time. I got up to go to the bathroom and told my Dad to watch her like a hawk, and he replied “no problem, I’ve got this, I raised two girls myself you know” As I was walking back from the bathroom, I see a number of servers walking with towels toward the direction of my table and I actual considered at that point just walking out of the restaurant and ditching whatever trouble I knew was happening. But I stuck it out, probably only because my phone and purse were at the table. Turns out my Dad had been teaching my toddler the “sugar packet football” game and things got out of hand. In an attempt to stop my daughter from throwing sugar packets at the other tables nearby, my Dad knocked over his wine off the table. My daughter thought this was hilarious so she of course threw my drink off the table too. And all of the sugar packets. We did the only thing we could do-tip big and never return.
We have 2 daughters (3 and 5), we avoid taking them out with us at all costs! Our kids are RIDICULOUS when together. Its always a circus with them, but when separated they are almost (key word) normal. Well surprisingly the last time we went to lunch with them together they were pretty well behaved…minus my 3 year old. At the end of the meal waiting for our check she turns around in our booth and starts YELLING at the poor man behind us. For no reason. I got her to turn around and bam I look over she’s poking the poor guy and then proceeds to pick her nose and wipe her boogers on him! He never turned around so I hope he didn’t notice!
Back before my girls were potty trained, we went out for Sunday brunch unexpectedly with family. Within 10 minutes of arriving, my younger daughter had a diaper blow out of epic proportion. I changed her diaper with one of two spares, but hadn’t packed an outfit so I put her in my older daughters spare outfit. 5 minutes later, the older girl says, “Mommy, I don’t feel g-” and she hurled all over herself while simultaneously peeing through her pullup on my lap. We never returned to that particular eatery.
My 2 year old and I were eating at outback one day and there as a table of 14 next to us. The waiter came around with their drinks and getting about halfway through his try proceed to spill the other half of drinks. Everyone was in kind of a stunned silence but one voice rang through , my sons, saying “oh F*#k!!”
The most recent time we went out my almost three years old insisted on spaghetti then threw herself on the Ever so clean restaurant floor when they brought her spaghetti…..
My kids have been fortunate to experience some fine dinning at young ages. When they were about 2 & 9 we were out to eat at a nice Brazilian steakhouse ans one of my husbands co-workers told me after dinner that she watched what my kids did to know the proper guidelines and manners. The ci-worker was an adult in their mid twenties and a recent college graduate.
Veterans day 2015- my husband has a 7:30 am appointment to have a tooth pulled. I’m 35-36 weeks pregnant with twins, I also have an appointment that day as well as a non stress test. There’s no school so we take all of our kids with – ages 8, 4, and 2. After my husband has his appointment he is miserable, we have 3 hours to kill before my appointment. I get groceries and we go to eat since he got the ok to eat after an hour. Our 2 year old ruined the meals of at least 30 Vietnam Veterans in the restaurant! All of our usual tricks didn’t work, she was relentless. . We sat in a booth which I could barely fit in with my twin baby belly. We both took her out multiple times. Neither one of us could lift her- me because of the twin pregnancy and my husband because of his pulled tooth! I think everyone was happy to see us leave! Shockingly my blood pressure was higher than normal at my non stress test and OB appointments!
Two years ago, after a full day of fun at Legoland, we had no desire to cook at home so we stopped at a restaurant for dinner. We worried that our spirited, opinionated 18-month-old girl would be a problem, but that night she was so well-behaved. We couldn’t believe our luck… I think my husband and I even high-fived each other LOL! Our bliss was short-lived though, as our 3.5-year-old boy vomited all over himself and the table. It was not fun, but we felt lucky it didn’t happen on a ride or waiting in a line… Now that would’ve been mortifying!
When my daughter was 2, we were eating at a restaurant. The waitress came to check on us while we were eating and asked if everything was OK. My daughter’s response, “well, yes. But I have something stuck in my teeth.” The waitress wasn’t sure how to respond to that!
My niece and I went out to dinner one night when she was 3 (now 7). When she really liked something, she would say “that’s my number 1 favorite!” She had recently hurt her pointer finger and could hardly move it. When the waitress came by to ask how her Mac n cheese was, she preceded to give her the middle finger and say, “it’s my number 1 favorite!”
My daughter loves to eat blueberries (she pronounces them as “boobies”). One day we ordered a side item of fresh fruits. She was so excited to eat blueberries that she kept saying out loud: “thank you mommy for giving me boobies!” Hahaha we got some weird looks from guests.
We have only one and she’s 16 months old. So far she’s pretty good. The worst that has happened is a poopy blow out! We had to clean and leave immediately because of the smell and embarrassment.
My 2 1/2 year old, now that she gets how to order food, will always yell out her drink choice to the hostess the minute they come to our table. She will repeat it until they acknowledge her.
My husband gives our toddler tortilla chips every time we go to our neighborhood Mexican restaurant. She usually gags on a piece of chip and throws up all over the table, the highchair and the floor. Inevitably we always have the same server. It’s embarrassing, but we keep going back.
My mother-in-law invited us out to dinner at a local steakhouse. My little girl is 18 months old so I was already dreading the outing before we even arrived. I asked for a high chair and they told me they were all broken! What?! They offered me a booster seat but that was a disaster. So basically I spent almost two hours holding a fussy and fidgety toddler, while also trying to appear totally calm and cool in front of my mother-in-law. #fail
One day we decided to go out to a steak house restaurant, it has been a long time since we had gone out so we were all exited, dinner was great and when we were getting ready to leave my youngest son stands up and like one of those movies where people vomits none stop he threw up on the floor in the middle of that restaurant. ..i felt so bad for the other people dining at that time since they had to move to another table, we haven’t been back to that restaurant ever since 🙂
I’ve basically given up going to restaurants. I have a 1.5 year old and she typically Mcgivers her way out of the booth or off the chair, darts past mom and dad. And I’m usually chasing her around the restaurant. I don’t think I’ve left a restaurant not drenched in sweat in many days! Haha
I am a mother of three boys. My oldest decided to have use the restroom for the tenth time before even eating his sandwich! I was alone with my two of my boys so I thought is would be okay to let him use the men’s room alone since he was eleven. I got so tied up with the two year old eating and just trying to keep still that I lost track of time. I didn’t realize my oldest had been in there for about 20 mins now. We are in a quiet little mom and pop place so not many people are in and out at this time of the day. I see a young bus boy and ask him to run in there and call my sons name and to quit playing in there and get out. The nice young man goes in and comes out and says stahl is locked but no none is saying anything. Ugh! I ask if I can please go in!?! I am extremely scared at this point. I go in screaming his name just to find him Sleeping on the toilet going number two! We had a good laugh! This story will be shared with all of his girlfriends!!!!
It was 4 years ago to the day (thanks Facebook!) that we were in Florida for my sister’s high school graduation. My oldest was just a few days shy of her 2nd birthday. I had been teaching her emotions thre last few weeks. Well she was particularly fond of “mean face” and that’s when you make the meanest face possible. She did it to every stranger that said hi, our poor waitress, and anytime anyone generally looked at her. We thought it was hysterical but I’m sure some people thought we had a little brat on our hands!
We live in Indonesia currently, and arrived here just before Fathers Day last year. Our daughter was 9 months old! To celebrate we found a place where my husband could get sushi. The taxi ride was an adventure all its own, that I’ll spare you from! Maybe it was her adjustment to “jet lag” or ironic timing, but she suddenly found her voice once we were seated. No crying, not necessarily screaming…but a very animated noise maybe just below that. The. Entire. Meal. And being newbie parents, we weren’t sure how to handle it…9 month olds don’t exactly shhhh well. The toy arsenal only got her more excited. We thought for sure we’d be shunned out of the place! After sharing our experience with friends later, we learned that in this country, kids can do ANYTHING. Apparently if my child is running around the restaurant eating off of others’ plates, they will still be adored by all. I think we chose the right place to live!
Once my son started walking “waiting” for anything was difficult since he just wanted to walk. At a restaurant with some important people we ( my hubby and I ) had no choice but to take our son and we literally spent the whole time taking turns walking with our son outside and around the restaurant (it was almost empty) it was a failure of a meeting but if mom gets to eat her meal when it comes than that’s a win for me!!
Bringing two 8 week olds out for lunch to only find the restaurant had no changing table and a gross single person bathroom!
Dining out with my two year old has been nightmare lately. A friend recommend we try giving him out phone to play with while we wait, then put it away when everyone’s food arrives. She swore it works like a charm, just goes to show how kids are all so different. It totally backfired- my son had a screaming kicking full on temper tantrum when we tried to put the phone away. So bad that we just grabbed to-go boxes, paid and then left. Safe to say we never tried the phone trick again.
He rarely gets juice so we found that ordering some when we go out was special enough to make him happy until food arrived.
We have a 3 year old and a new baby. We decided to try to go out to eat with them. I made sure to feed the baby right before we left and she was a total angel and slept the whole time. Even when her sister decided she needed to hug and kiss baby. Before we knew it baby was covered in Mac and cheese!
Not a really funny story…I went to visit my sister and her son on the East Coast and we all went to go to dinner one night. My nephew was very small, 4 years old. At dinner, I noticed my nephew playing with his food, as was normal, and had finished most of it, I was surprised. I guess I was not paying close enough attention, but he had slowly dropped his entire plate of pasta on the floor below the table as we ate. When we got up to leave and as I looked back, under the table, I could not believe how much food was there: I could hardly see the rug for all of the pasta and other food. I walked out fast, and feeling so sorry for the poor food server who now had to clean the mess. Couldn’t believe my sister did not catch this happening 🙂 subscribed: jslbrown2009 at aol dot com
We recently went on a trip to Florida with my entire family including my parents, siblings, nieces and nephews. After a long morning of travel we stopped at a local restaurant for lunch. We put my 3 year old (the most rambunctious child in the group of 7 kids) in the back corner table by a very large window. All was going well until he noticed a large black fly near him. He watched it fly around intently, while eatng his maceroni and cheese. Suddenly his cousin started freaking out about the fly. She was terrified of it. He proceeded to squish it with his fingertip then eat it with a bite of mac and cheese. His comment was “don’t worry Penelope, it can’t hurt you. I ate it!” The whole table started gagging and was disgustedy it. He then proceeded to attempt to get up catch any other Flys that were in the area.
My favorite time to take them out to eat is when they are still in the infant bucket seat. We went out to a “no kids” restaurant recently and the we tucked our sleeping baby into her infant carsest behind the bar (we could see her) where she was out of everyone’s way. Had a full, gourmet dinner and drinks – even dessert- without a single peep. Best age ever.
We have an active family and like to have a catch whenever possible. If there’s a ball…we will prob pick it up and toss back and forth. Fun and never thought it would be a problem. While on vacation we stopped into a restaurant which is the home of the thrown rolls….womp womp. My 4 year intercepted a roll within 30 seconds and started trying to play catch with the servers. Ugh.
When my son was about 4 months old we we’re meeting a friend at a reastaraunt. Just as she showed up I heard a rumble in his diaper then a major explosion! It was a bad one all the way up his back. I grabbed the diaper bag and ran to the bathroom. It was one of those one person at a time kind. Thankfully it did have a changing table. I covered it it paper towels then got out everything I needed. I had him fully undressed when I realized I only had 3 wipes! I tried washing and reusing the wipes which was difficult to reach the sink and hold on to him. I finally just moved him to the sink and bathed him. Then I had to figure out how to change him around the huge mess on the table so I just dumped it all on the floor. I finished changing him and dressing him then looked around, it was like a poop bomb went off! So I quickly ran back to the table and dropped him with his dad then ran back. I cleaned it up as best as i could then I cleaned myself. Thankfully I had thought to pack an extra shirt for myself! When I finally went back to my table my husband just raised his eyebrows and said “having fun?”
My kids are now 5 & 7. We’ve always taken them to restaurants since they were infants. We always go early though, to try to beat the kid-less people and not ruin their meals. Recently, we were on our way home from somewhere and decided to stop for a bite, even though it was almost 7pm. Super late for us! Well, both my kids fell asleep at the table! Heads practically in their plates! My husband and I let them sleep while we finished our meal. It was almost romantic eating “alone!”
Thank you for sharing tips and tricks for dining for dining out with kids. I believe that dining out with kids, especially small ones, are the most difficult task for parents. And at the same time I think that parents are responsible for children’s manners while eating at home or restaurant. That is why I totally agree with your first tip about playing ‘restaurant game’ at home. To be honest, I’ve never thought about it by myself because it is kind of obvious thing. I think that it is more efficient than just teaching how to behave. And I really loved your tips about triangle crayons. Since children easily get bored, they need to do something until food comes and triangle crayons don’t roll and prevent from making noise or mess. I especially liked these two tips! Thank you for the second time.
I am a mother of an almost 2 year old that will not eat pasta. Box macaroni and Cheese, plain, different shapes, Alfredo sauce, ravioli – you name it, we have tried it. Until one day we tried again at CPK and he ate their macaroni and cheese and loved it! We thought it is a miracle, it will change the whole food game. But no, it is literally the only pasta he will eat. A specific kind from a specific restaurant.
We were new parents (our baby was one month old) and it was my birthday so we decided to go out to dinner. She had been so good all day so what could go wrong? The answer is everything…everything could go wrong.
The food took forever, she cried non stop (I didn’t know what the “witching hour” was yet), refused to eat, refused to sleep, there was no changing table in the bathroom…plus it seemed we were the only parents in the place so it felt like everyone was judging, they were definitely staring.
We ate in shifts while the other paced the sidewalk. At least I got to eat first since it was my birthday ?
Our kids do fairly well at restaurants, though I’ve learned I prefer tables over booths. They are “trapped” in booths, but the constant movement causes me motion sickness. Hard to enjoy a meal (or a glass of wine) when you’re already nauseous.
When my oldest son was about 18 months we were at a chick fil a for lunch, he was in the high chair. All of a sudden I look over and my son had the biggest blow out in the haircair! It was everywhere, even going down on the floor! Needless to say everyone least those appetite! And of course we were on the other side from the bathrooms! We rolled him to the bathroom as quickly as possible and cleaned it all up! Then promptly left!
The best was when my 2 1/2 yr old decided to ditch her underwear and ended up lifting her legs and attempting to flash everyone in the booth. Granted it was a Chik-Fil-A and I was able to keep her covered but only with constant diligence.
This happened at a food court, not a restaurant, but still a memorable dining experience. We sat down to eat after shopping, and my then three-year-old came and sat in my lap because he didn’t feel good. I continued to eat around him, but then I heard that unmistakable pre-vomit sound every parent knows and dreads. In my moment of panic, I turned his face towards me, and he proceeded to vomit the entire contents of his stomach down my shirt. It was in my bra, in my jeans waistband, everywhere. Leaving all the food on the table, my husband grabbed the bags and the seven-year-old, I hugged my son–vomit and all–even closer to me, and we made a mad dash to the car with, I’m happy to say, not one drop of vomit on the floor. It was a long, stinky car ride home and an even stinkier shower, but we all survived!
When my daughter was about 2 years old I took her out to dinner. When they brought out the bread basket she proceeded to eat the butter like it was gum. So gross! After that I learned to ask for no butter.
We rarely eat at restaurants so even a place like Qdoba seems like a special treat. I decided to go out for lunch shortly after my 2nd child was born because I did not feel like fixing anything to eat. I was waiting in the long line at Qdoba trying to juggle my diaper bag, wallet, car seat with my baby in it, and my 2 year old dancing around my legs. I finally got to the front and was ordering when I realized my daughter wasn’t next to my legs anymore. I turned with panic sinking into my stomach and looked behind me at the seating area. After only a few seconds of panic, I noticed her calmly sitting at the table we had sat at during a previous meal, carefully placing napkins at each spot! I guess that’s a sign we eat at Qdoba too much when my 2 year old can find our “usual table”!
One of the first times our son sat in a high chair at a full service restaurant, he was placed in the aisle between 2 booths. The server didn’t have a ton of room to walk by, so when she passed my son made sure to give her a nice pat on the butt.
When all three generations of women in my family get together we tend to be on the loud side. My husband doesn’t even like to go to restaurants with us. One night as my mother, grandmother, four year old sister and I are sitting around eating and have loud conversation my sister looks up from her game and says loudly “Shut Up!”. My mother gently corrects her- “You do not tell adults to shut up” and she goes back to her game. About 20 minutes later she looks up from her game and yells “Be Quiet!”.
For my sons 2nd birthday we thought it would be a great idea to go to a local pizza joint. He was being a good, keeping relatively quiet, and playing a game on my husbands iPhone…. Until the pizza came. That’s when all hell broke loose. Apparently eating pizza was not in the plan for him! We ended up having to take the pizza to go and decided eating at a restaurant would probably not happen again for at least 10 years! I’m happy to say we have ventured out again and haven’t had any epic melt downs!
My not quite 2 year old (who is extreeeeemely opinionated) is struggling to release the bottle…especially when she’s not feeling her best. We’re really good with a straw-cup, until we decide we want the baba. Mommy-fail alert – our errands ran longer than expected and we decided to stop for lunch…with no baba. My daughter sat in the highchair and threw her head back and bellowed for her baba. My poor husband had to make a mad dash out of the restaurant because it was so loud.
Our 21 month old son is an adventurous eater, so when he went to a local Pho place we thought all would be just fine. Our mistake was not ordering to go when the restaurant AC was out. Our son quickly became restless and once our food arrived, not one but two steaming bowls of Pho ended up in our laps, all over the table, and the floor. The owners quickly salvaged the table, moved us, brought us clean linens to soak up the mess in our laps, brought our son Eggs and Rice with 6 spring rolls, and replaced the meals my husband and I ordered. They refused to add any of the new food to our bill and as my son and I were walking to the door, the owner’s wife handed me a 3rd Vietnamese Iced Coffee to go and told me that I was a good mother… So when the hubby came out and told me that he’d paid with our CC and left them a $75 cash tip tucked under a plate… I cried… He later told me the owner had come over to him after I left and they had talked about our son and about his strong spirit and about how parenting would get easier and about what a good job we are doing. We both cried.
Now they hug is when we walk in and our son has egg rolls shortly after being seated.
We take our 3 boys (5 year old & 3 year old twins) to Perkins on Wednesdays because kids eat free with an adult meal & theres a clown for kid entertainment. We started going when the twins were maybe 15 months old and every time the twins will look for the clown and wonder where he is but once he actually comes to sit down at to our table — hysterical crying! The poor clown! We’ve gotten so used to it now we just laugh and he makes their balloon animals quickly so they stop. Once he leaves though, they’re right back to watching him from afar!
We were in an a trendy cantina/tequila bar for my sister in laws graduation dinner. My rice was slightly overcooked and crunchy in spots. I mentioned it to my husband, but since his was fine I decided not to complain. The waiter came by to check on how everything was and we all said, great, fine etc. Before he left my four year old stopped the waiter and said very clearly and loudly, “Ummm, excuse me but my mom’s rice is crunchy!” There was a moment of silence and our entire table burst into laughter.
The most embarrassing experience I had out to eat would be the time my 3 year old son Bryson asked our waiter to be his new daddy. Yes, you read that right. We were out to eat with my family and friends and he over heard me say that our waiter was cute. I am a single mom and I guess he felt the need to hook me up. So the waiter asked if we needed anything else and Bryson says “yes, will you marry my mommy and be my new daddy” …most embarrassing thung ever. I’m just glad the waiter laughed about it.
we met up with my in-laws at our local diner, not fancy bu the best salad ever. My daughter was actually well behaved. Diner was packed. My mother in law was sort of getting my daughter all riled up after she ate. My husband starts yelling at his mom to stop. My daughter starts jumping around. the 20 somethings to one side and the judgy mom to the other side start staring at what is now becoming a scene. My daughter looks at me in the eyes and begins to projectile vomit all over the booth. my in-laws freeze just staring at her. I yell to clear the way. pick up the 4 year old who continues to throw up all over me and the floor. As i whisk her away my husband runs to the car to get her a change of clothes. My daughter is upset and my mother in law tried to come into the bathroom and rile her up again. i kicked her out. and asked that she discretely try and handle the situation at the table and all over the floor. Discrete is not her thing. I am almost positive every single eye was on us as we exited the bathroom.
The worst dining experience with my child was when she was almost 3 years old, we were at a brunch at a restaurant with my great aunt & sophie kept trying to open jelly packets, creamers, etc. I felt i had everything I needed for her in the diaper bag but she wouldn’t have any of it. She threw a tantrum like nothing I’d ever seen. I was beyond embarrassed but felt like a mom in that moment as I carried her outside & she fell to the floor kicking & screaming, passersby would just look at us like, they too had been there before. I tell sophia this story now at the age of 7 & she laughs hysterically. And I do as well. That was the one & only time anything like that had ever happened, and it actually makes me miss her being 3 again…
I ventured out with my 2 month old for the first time to a work dinner at my boss’ house to meet my boss and coworkers. Everything was going well until she had a blowout while a coworker was holding her. I took her to the bathroom to change her and poop got everywhere in my bosses bathroom. On the baby, on me, on the counter. I was trying to get her cleaned up without making it worse and my boss came in to check on us. She saw that I was struggling so she grabbed a wipe and started wiping my baby’s bottom and the counter. I’ve never felt like more of a hot mess, first time mom.
I went out to lunch with my sister. We were in a booth when my little girl (3 months old at the time) starts farting a lot and very loud. I figured a trip to the bathroom for a quick diaper change was probably in order as people were starting to stare. I walked into the bathroom and the changing table was in the handicap stall. I thought I was alone so in we went. I laid out a changing pad and put her down then I whispered “there are straps on here but I’m not going to use them, don’t tell anyone”. First my little girl giggles at me then I hear someone in the next stall start laughing. I guess I wasn’t alone. Oops!
Crayola color wonder markers have been a godsend. They allow her to make a giant mess while we wait for her food, but nobody’s the wiser!
My tips: pack a “suitcase” (lunchbox) with crayons, a small notepad and magnetic toys. The magnetic toys are a lifesaver because they are much harder to lose. I have an excellent 20 piece set of magformers that keep my three year old occupied most of the time. Tegu blocks are also a good option.
We have a little game in a pouch that is several small items that you dump onto the table and while everyone closes their eyes, one person hides an item then the others try to guess what’s missing. We also take veggie supplements, reuseable plastic bibs, high chair covers, and a sippy cup.
Back when I only had one kiddo (now there’s 3), I waited tables. Our restaurant was a “gastropub”- very nice, occasionally very rowdy, but still family-friendly certain times of day. (However, no kids menu, no bread, no crackers.) Being a mom myself, I was sympathetic to the family plight.. and I could always tell the moms that had never been there- they walked in with a terrified look on their faces, worried if their kids could handle it. I started carrying crayons and small (party favor sized) tubes of bubbles in my apron, so I could surprise the kids when they needed it the most. I can’t tell you how many days/meals I saved with not only the distraction, but also just by the acknowledgement that I was a friendly waitress.
I haven’t run into that myself, though, so now that I have more kids than I do hands, we just don’t eat out. 😉
No crazy stories, but when I eat out with my sister’s family, we have to bring our own high chairs (the clip-on ones). We have 6 kids, 2 years old and under between us and people literally take photos of us in restaurants because we look so crazy with all 6 of them lined up at the table!
Our little one usually gets very antsy by the end of the meal so I will take her outside to walk or get in tyne car while the waiter brings our check and my husband pays for it. It helps at the end of the meal.
We rarely go out to eat with our kids. They are pretty active and it’s hard to keep them entertained! However, when our daughter was about 1.5 we took her and our 6 year old out to dinner. Our 1.5 year old didn’t want to sit in her high chair or in the booth, she kept throwing crayons on the floor, our 6 year old was antagonizing her and it just went on and on. It was the worst! At 7 and 3 they are better and aren’t big fans of going out to eat anyway. We save our nights to go out to eat for my husband and I!
We have soon-to-be 6 and 3 year olds and the 3 year old can be a disaster at restaurants. So recently we chose a place where we could eat outside and then chose a table next to a speaker. We like outside because on this evening, the kids were checking out bugs crawling around under the table. Normally you don’t like bugs near you when you’re eating but I’m all about it when they occupy my kids. Also, we like to be next to the music because if the 3 yo starts to freak out, no one can really hear his tantrum over the music. It’s a win-win for all!!!
We were waiting out our flight from Ft. Lauderdale back to Detroit when we stopped at a restaurant for lunch. We had just spent a very long week on a cruise ship with a 15 month old. We brought in one of his favorite toys, a ring from the ring stacker, and would spin it on the table. Well he let out a squeal of delight which would pierce the average person’s ear drums, a young man turned around and told us to put a muzzle on him. When my husband tried apologizing and the man continued to complain, he finally asked my husband to “step outside”. Needless to say, while the young man completely overreacted, we don’t spin rings on the table anymore…heck, we don’t eat out anymore.
My 2 year old daughter loves to dance lately. Last night, we were seated by the hotess desk. Baby girl started dancing to the music, and the girl at the desk thought it was hilarious. That made her dance more. She loves to show out and make people laugh. She’s also mosey though and constantly tries to peer into other people’s seats.
When my son was young he didn’t eat a lot of different foods. But one thing he really loved was guacamole. So we’d go out to a mexican restaurant and order chips and guacamole as an appetizer, and then just give him the whole bowl of guacamole with a small kids spoon. He’d eat the whole thing! When the waiter took our order he’d always be confused because it didn’t seem like we were ordering anything for our son, and then later he’d see him eating the plain guacamole and look a bit horrified.
My tip is to always bring bendy straws and a tiny pair of scissors. We use the scissors to cut regular straws down so they aren’t so long. That way my toddler doesNY struggle to get his mouth to the straw. Bendy straws are great too because they are flexible aND can be tied in a knot to make them shorter. Plus they are lots of fun!!!! 🙂
Tip for dining out: bring special toys they only get to use when they’re at a restaurant. And, if all else fails, let them watch YouTube on your phone 🙂
Well, apologies for the gross, but just two nights ago. my kid threw up into my hand at Taco Tuesday. He can’t handle himself around tortilla chips. He crams them in until he gags and keeps going.
Having a sick toddler is never fun, but even less so on vacation. While at Disney World, we all caught a stomach virus, but it happened to hit our then 1 year old first. As we were at dinner waiting for Mickey Mouse to come around, I could tell she was starting not to feel well. The Mouse came by and was so nice, we quickly got our picture taken, and then B threw up all over me and floor. This all happened within about a 5 minute period. We got the heck out of the restaurant and prayed we’d make it back to our resort before there was more vomit. That didn’t happen 🙁
So I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old, the 4 year old is an angel when it comes to being quiet and calm, ever since she was little. But the 2 year old is a savage monkey that can’t sit still to save her life. So no big deal, we go to a restaurant and order our food. My sis in law decides she wants a pie shake, so when it comes guess who’s the first person to dash to the other side of the booth to try it, the 2 year old. She just scurried to her and the shake in less than 2 seconds and gragged it like it was for her and started chugging it. Now the shake is basically gone when the girls food comes, and I have to cut it up for them too. So while I’m cutting the food my food comes and as soon as the waitress puts it down the 2 year old has her sticky shake crayon coved hands digging into my food! It was very unpleasant. She tore apart my sandwich, took bites out of most of the fries, and pored the sauce out so there was a stream of it going over the table. It was gross, so I just ate her food while she happily destroyed the yummy food I was suppose to eat. The only good thing was that she literally ate most of the meal, so I couldn’t get that mad. She didn’t waste it. Oh and that’s another thing, the 2 year old eats like a growing teenage boy and doesn’t stop. She’s super small too so I don’t know where she puts it all, but I wish I had that gene. Haha
When my brother was young, my family was out to eat at a restaurant which was a rare occasion. Being a young, hungry boy, he was getting rather impatient. So, he stood up on his seat and yelled towards the kitchen, “Does anybody in there know how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?!?!” My mom was mortified but we still laugh about it today!
I took my 4 year old grandson to a restaurant that has the game consoles on the table. He ate pretty well while he was playing, but when it was time to go not only did he start screaming and kicking, but he slid down under the table so I had to pull him out while he was screaming he didn’t want to go! SO embarrassing!
I like to use placemats that stick to the table. I put my son’s food on it so he can’t dump plates. When he is done, I pull it ouf the table and roll it into a ball with the food inside.
When my son was about one, we were using this hook on high chair when we would go out. We put a chair underneath it just in case. My son stuck out his feet as he was throwing his hand in the air. His feet hit the chair underneath his hook on chair. He was a little surprised so he popped up, standing on thr chair and managed to launch his French fry a few tables over. We learned to scoot the chair a little further back.
I remember the time I ordered what I thought was a safe option from the kids menu. Our food comes and she screams about wanting a grown up dish!! Needless to say I ate the kid dish and she ate mine 🙁
Most recent is when we were on vacation in Europe. We would be seated and asked what we wanted to drink. My husband and I would say water and my kid would shout out apple juice (which cost as much as an entree in someplaces!!) Once that was said out aloud there was no going back. After it happened to us 2-3 times, I would whisk her away to the restroom while my husband placed our drink order!!
My 2 year old likes to squat and be by himself when going poop. So, what does he do when he has to go while dining out? Squat underneath the booth. He kept trying to get under the table and I’d drag him back up. Several times of this he yells- “POOP!” I let him squat in peace after that.
One thing we do is order the boys meals as soon as we place our drink orders. Until the meals arrive, we bring their tablets and let them watch cartoons. When they finish, after getting cleaned up, I usually have fruit snacks in my purse for them. This method has evolved over the years and will probably continue to change but it works for us now with a five and two year old boys.
We also use the give kids dessert as soon as possible tip. For us, being out to eat is not the time to enforce strict eating guidelines – eat all your veggies, no tea/soda, eat all your protein, etc. A quiet child enjoying ice cream = a mama that eats a hot meal. Win-win
Our “trick” is the “restaurant box” – a small plastic container filled with different activities to keep the little one entertained. We rotate the items out to keep it exciting, but there’s always a puzzle (the little tinned ones from the dollar store are perfect!)… sometimes a lollipop comes along for when the waiting just becomes unbearable.
When my daughter was about two (she is now four) we went to one of our favorite pizza places and we ended up ordering just a bowl of buttered noodles for her (she’s a picky eater so this was before she started eating pizza). Instead of eat the pasta she decided to throw the entire bowl on the floor, sort of towards other tables. I seem to remember some screaming on her part as well and a few stares from other diners. My husband and I were both so embarrassed! We quickly got a to-go box for our pizza and left, vowing never to take her out to dinner with us again…or at least for a while (I’m pretty sure we didn’t go out to eat as a family again for at least a month or two). Thankfully she has behaved (and eaten!) every time we’ve been back there since that rough meal.
As my infant is transitioning to more table food and less bottles we are struggling to find things she will eat — in the business of getting ready for summer break, I didn’t realize until supper time that my daughter’s entire diet for the day had been cheerios. Lots of cheerios.
We’re just now going back out to eat (kids are 4 and 2). They insist on bringing a small backpack full of toys and they entertain themselves. These are my kids?!
I always keep a pen and paper or one of those cheap activity packs from the dollar spot at Target in my purse for my son when we go out.
In a pinch we’ve been known to use the salt/pepper shakers to act out little stories or all the silverware to make letters.
We frequent a wing place that has 7 heat levelsfor regular flavor sauce. Our 1 year old is very good motivated so I order her wings with “2 alarm” sauce. One Friday evening while we’re eating a table near us full of young men is questioning the waitress about how hot is hot. It’s getting ridiculous in the comparatives: I like x but not y, is it hotter than such and such, etc. she finally says “that baby is eating them”, with raised brow. The men all ordered one level hotter just to avoid embarrassment. 🙂
[…] over at Mommy Shorts is giving away an incredible prize today on her blog! You can enter to win a $1,000 Target gift […]
We have 4 kids. Ranging from 11 months to 16 years. We are big bribers when eating out. We bribe with anything from time at the park to ice cream to reward good behavior. I feel like my mom card should be revoked now that I have written this out. Whatever works, though?.. Right?
I always have crayons and a toy and a book for a restaurant. Keeps him happy until the food arrives!
I work in a kid friendly restaurant and I have a 1 1/2 y.o. so take it from me I’ve seen it all!! You can get your server to bend over backwards for you and your family by just being nice. It’s likely that he or she also has kids and can relate to your situation. Say your dining on the go and are not prepared with snacks or toys. Ask your server if they have anything for the kids to do. I happen to work in a place that serves hand tossed pizza. So in a pinch I will grab the kids some dough to play with. The parents loooove this! They can have a glass of wine and relax while the kids are busy making pizza. The flour is a mess but the server won’t mind your mess if you tip them well. And even though I always clean up after my son, just out of habit, you don’t have to. That is why you go out to eat so you can pay someone else to do it. I always make sure to tell my tables that is my job and they are generally very thankful. You’re there to eat and have a good time so do just that. But again, show your server how happy they made you by tipping well. They will remember you and go out of their way for you next time!!
We bring small cans of play doh with molds! It keeps my kids super entertained and the small ones are not too hard to clean up.
I had friends bring stickers and sticker sheets for their kids.
I also like the 99c packs that come with a colouring book, a couple crayons and a few stickers. i have a couple in my purse for distrations at many times.
My best tip or bit of advice is what I’ve done since my oldest was two. When you are seated, order all your food immediately. Don’t get appetizers. Bread if they have it, then get your food and the check TOGETHER along with some to go boxes. That way, if you ever have to leave in a rush like I always ended up doing, you’ve got the check right there along with some boxes and you can leave. Saved me numerous times.
We tend to take our kids out to dinner more often in the summer when we can get a table outside. For some reason dining al fresco makes their behavior feel less stressful and embarrassing!
I always make sure to bring snacks for before and after the kids food comes. And I always make sure to spread it out across the table so it takes as long as possible for our 1.5 year old to eat. Otherwise she would take whatever I brought and eat it up in one giant handful. I’m also not ashamed to admit that my husband and i give up our phones for the kids (1.5 and 3.5) to play games or watch PBS if they can’t sit still.
we just bought our 3.5 year old out for the first time in a while this week. i brought play doh with us, along with a binder i made full of different pictures (in plastic sleeves) ex. a birthday cake page, and you use play doh to make the candles. i originally made it a year ago for the airplane, but i didnt work out. but it was AMAZING at the restaurant. he was excited to complete each page, and see what was next. it entertained my husband too, so i actually got to relax for 10 minutes.
This is so gross and shameful but whatever. Sometimes mama just needs to sit at a quiet dinner in a restaurant: We always ask for sides of sour cream and/or ranch. Italian restaurant. Mexican. Doesn’t matter. Give the kid her sour cream, let her eat it with her finger and enjoy your meal.
(When she was a baby, we used to ask for a bunch of the plastic cups the sour cream comes in. She could stack them, knock them down, roll them, fill them up. Good when you’re in a pinch.)
We have five little girls, so going out to eat is always an adventure. From early on, we tell our girls about “restaurant behavior” (we also do “theatre manners” and “church rules”) Before going in, we always do a quick restaurant manners checklist so they know what our expectations are. Sometimes it works, other times……..not so much, but at least they can’t say they didn’t know. My biggest success story was on my birthday about two years ago. We all went out for lunch at a local burger restaurant and toward the end of our meal the older gentleman who had been sitting at the table next to us got up and walked over. He told me that he was a grandfather of four girls and was so impressed by how well they were all behaving. He complimented them all and gave them a wink before leaving, which I thought was so sweet and made all the girls feel proud of themselves. Then, when it was time to pay my bill, the waitress told me that the gentleman had already taken care of it (no small sum!) He didn’t know it was my birthday, but he and my girls sure made it a great one.
I don’t have very many stories with my kids dinning out, as we don’t do it very often. But, I did serve for five years and I have a pretty good one from working. I was serving a table of five two parents, two kids and grandpa. Grandpa had order his second beer when the food came. A few minutes later I brought the beer to him and as I turned the corner to the booth one of the kids (maybe five or six) turned and looked at me and threw up all over my pants and shoes. I jumped back and ended up dumping (accidentally) the beer all over grandpa. I was horrified, but probably not as horrified as the mom. I felt so bad for her! I ended up getting grandpa another beer on the house, even though they offered to pay for is since it was their kids fault for puking all over me. They also ended up tipping 80% of their $180 bill. It turned out okay.
My almost 3 year old is so picky that we need to feed him before we go out. If he is fed then he will try other foods, if he is starving he refuses everything offered ?