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Home › Articles › Your Children › Food, Fun and Family

Food, Fun and Family

Dining Out With Children

By Carolyn Campbell

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For children younger than 3, Wright suggests that parents choose fast food restaurants or other restaurants designed for young children, order take-out food or get a babysitter. She says that taking a baby or toddler to a typically adult restaurant is a recipe for disaster.

"It's stressful and nobody enjoys their meal," she says. "Often one person is standing with the baby while the other one eats. It can be anxiety-provoking and not relaxing in the least."

Parents can offer their children a continuum of restaurant environments that begin with fast food and progress to a casual family restaurant without a play area. One good rule of thumb: The more upscale the restaurant, the longer the wait for seating and table service.

Call Ahead
Wright suggests calling ahead to see if the restaurant has a children's menu and also to get a sense of whether a particular restaurant welcomes children, so that people won't be resentful that you have children with you. Are high chairs, booster seats, crayons and crackers available? You might also consider asking how long it typically takes to be served once an order is taken.

Practice in Advance
For older children, parents may want to consider having a "rehearsal dinner" at home, in which they play the waiter or waitress so that children can practice ordering and using their "restaurant voices."

Parents may also want to help the child's meal go smoothly by bringing along a bib, training cup or child-size silverware.

Arrive During Off-hours
If you arrive at the restaurant earlier than the majority of other diners, the wait is likely to be shorter, and there is less chance of offending someone who has a low kid tolerace level.

Also, if you choose to eat at least half an hour before your child's regular mealtime, he will be less restless, and hunger won't add to his impatience level. Children will be less irritable if they aren't pushed to the limit of their hunger.

Location, Location, Location

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