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Food, Fun and Family
Dining Out With Children
By Carolyn Campbell
It was my first day back at work following maternity leave. In an effort to show her understanding, my boss invited me to bring my baby along to a breakfast meeting at a restaurant. At the time, I simply appreciated her thoughtfulness. There's nothing like the freeing sensation of not needing a babysitter. I dressed Alyssa in a classy pink jumpsuit and headed off with high hopes and just a shred of anxiousness.
The meeting was an instant disaster. Within 10 minutes, Alyssa arched her back in protest of the restaurant highchair. Seconds later, she started crying. I picked her up. Standing to hold and bounce my baby, I craned my neck to listen to my boss's words. The only thought that registered in my head was how stressful this breakfast was.
Moments later, Alyssa calmed enough for me to hold her on my lap. Then she upended a plastic container of syrup, which spread across the table in a sticky goo that reached at least one colleague's notepad. I looked up to see my office rival laughing at me behind her hand. I wanted to go home and never see the inside of that restaurant again.
Cheryl Wright, an associate professor in child and family development at the University of Utah, tells me I'm not alone. She says that while dining out can definitely be a relaxing pleasure for adults and older children, many parents place themselves in stressful situations where they hope their baby or toddler "will make it through the meal."
Wright explains that such expectations are not realistic. "It is not the child's fault," she says. "Many restaurants are not geared to entertain very young children. They are not set up to be childproofed, and there are many ways children can get in trouble in a restaurant." The food itself, the surrounding restaurant atmosphere and the often lengthy socializing aren't as important to a child as they are to an adult.
