Are you resistant to dine out with your toddler? As parents, we try
to teach our toddlers proper table manners. Every dinner in our homes
serves as a lesson in what is expected of our children when they are at
the table. There comes a time though, when you have to make a
transition and graduate into public dining.
Many parents avoid
restaurant eating all together during the toddler years. Dining out
with your toddler can be a pleasurable time. You just have to make the
commitment to carry your home lessons out into the world.
It goes without saying that few things go smoothly when a toddler is in the mix. Dining out with your toddler is no exception. The first few experiences are bound to be the most difficult but if you are consistent in your expectations of your toddler and in enforcing the rules, each dining experience is bound to be better than the next. Before you head out to that first (or next) dining experience with your toddler, here are a few tips to consider.
• Have a snack. The wait time between ordering and getting your meal can be excruciating, even for adults. Make sure that your toddler doesn’t go to the restaurant hungry. Offer him a snack before you leave the house or take along a small, healthy snack for him to eat at the table.
• Proper timing. Make sure that your child is well rested before going out to eat. A sleepy toddler has no tolerance for table manners.
• Be prepared. Take along a bib and a spill-proof cup. Some restaurants offer lightweight cups with lids for children’s drinks, but you can’t count on it. It is better to be prepared.
• Choose a family friendly restaurant. In a restaurant that is frequented by families or lively diners the presence of a toddler won’t be disruptive. Often times the atmosphere is a little on the noisy side so a talkative tot will blend in with the crowd. Even a fast food restaurant is a good place to practice table manners with the added benefit of play area time for a reward for good behavior! No matter how well behaved your child might be, it is best to avoid fine dining establishments and romantic hot spots when you dine out with a toddler.
• Toys at the table? Decide early your family policy on having toys at the table. You are either for them, or against them. Some parents bring along a toy to keep their toddler busy during the long wait for the food. If you are fine with your toddler having a toy then you also need to decide what happens to it once the food arrives. Taking the toy away can cause a meltdown.
• Consider the options. No matter how you feel about buffets in general, they can be a great choice when you are dining with a toddler. Buffets offer more food options than any menu can. Children love the meal combinations they can pick and the feeling of independence in having chosen what goes on their plate. When your toddler has chosen the food she may be more excited at the prospect of eating it. Another benefit is that at many buffets children under age 4 eat for free (good news for any parent who has spent $7 on a child’s meal that went uneaten).
• Give it some time. If your toddler begins to act up, don’t react too quickly and take her out of the restaurant. Make the attempt to interrupt the behavior and reinforce what your rules are. Use distraction or humor to steer your toddler away from the behavior. By leaving the area too quickly, your child will learn that the easiest way to get out of sitting at the table is to misbehave. If the behavior continues to escalate one parent should remove your child from the area until she can calm down.
• Eat your dinner! No matter what don’t leave without eating your dinner! This might require some patience and even eating in shifts with your partner. My husband and I have had a meal or two in which one of us was sitting outside with a toddler in full tantrum mode while the other ate.
• Meet the stares with a smile. Unfortunately you may find yourself the focus of fellow diners. Meet their gaze and offer a smile. You haven’t done anything wrong and most people have either gone through the same thing, or will find themselves there eventually. If they’ve chosen a family restaurant and gone during an early hour then it is reasonable to expect that there will be children. As long as you’ve done all you can to be considerate of your fellow diners there is no reason to feel guilty.
• Let kids be kids. Children sometimes find the most creative ways to spend their time. As long as they aren’t being overly disruptive consider allowing them some leeway. What kid hasn’t made a mustache or walrus teeth out of straw? Tags: dining out with a toddlereating out with childrenfamily diningteaching table manners
Are you resistant to dine out with your toddler? As parents, we try
to teach our toddlers proper table manners. Every dinner in our homes
serves as a lesson in what is expected of our children when they are at
the table. There comes a time though, when you have to make a
transition and graduate into public dining.
