restraunt going blues - Page 2

[girlsmamma2]

I've learned that if the restaurants have coloring pages for the kids that helps a lot, also like pp's said, toys and more coloring things if certain restuarants don't. Also we too thought, aren't our girls the perfect angels in restaurants....enter DS! . Love him but he's a challenge. He prefers restaurants, like Rainforest Cafe, that have lots to look at at the tables, music for him to bop to and coloring things. We also order as soon as the waiter comes and asks us what we'd like to drink. If the kids are well behaved and you have more time it's at the end of the meal, but you aren't sweating it out waiting, waiting, waiting. Also for us, when DS came along I always thought boothes were harder, but actually he insists on sitting just like his older sisters so he has his own chair and in a booth he tends to turn around a lot (hence bothering the people behind us) and want to stand up a lot. It seems more playful to him I guess. So either a booth at the end with nothing behind it, or a table works best.

[crl]

Dim sum is awesome with little ones. The food appears almost instantly and there's the entertainment of watching the carts go around.

Otherwise, we try to go to restaurants where there is a park or escalators (mall) nearby. Then one of goes and orders for everyone while the other runs the kid around. Cell phone call when the food arrives. No waiting for food means the kid does much, much better. We can even do fancy restaurants this way.

Diners also tend to be good as the food arrives quickly and the atmosphere is casual enough that some squirming and noise is okay.

HTH,
Catherine

[BusyBeeMom]

Originally Posted by Jessy1019

If it is the four year old acting up, I would honestly explain what was going to happen beforehand, and offer up some consequences if he didn't act the way you asked him to. Then, I'd follow through on the consequences. Four years old is plenty old enough to sit in a restaurant, make conversation with family or do a quiet activity at the table, and eat a nice meal.

For the two year old, I'd try to come up with things he really enjoys and save them for restaurant times only so that they remain novel and interesting.

I wouldn't stop going out -- how will they ever learn how to act if you don't bring them out? But I would make sure to go to very family friendly places to avoid annoying others, and I would insist on the same standards of behavior there as you would in any five star restaurant.

Yes, I pretty much agree with this. Two is a bit young to expect good behavior, but also the time when a child should begin to start learning these skills. I would go for family friendly/casual places and set some very clear expectations/consequences for the 4 yo. For the 2 yo, pack some toys/distractions and a lot of patience and humor

By the time my DD was about 2.5, she was quite good in restaurants, and now at just over 3, she is normally a pleasure to take out. Good luck!

[AdInAZ]

Originally Posted by P-chan

Our most successful out-to-dinner experiences are when the kids have been at the park for an hour or longer, then we get straight in the car and go to the restaurant. They are usually hungry and ready to sit.
.

Totally agree with this. We often try to walk or bike to the restaurant if possible so that dd will be tired and ready for a quiet dinner

Originally Posted by crl

Dim sum is awesome with little ones.

Yes! Any restaurant with action works well for us too. Such as the mongolian buffet where you pick out your ingredients and then watch as they cook it for you. Or the pizza place where you can see them throwing the dough up in the air. Places where you can sit outside and watch the people walk by works well for us too.

Mmmmm...dim sum...I suddenly have a craving...

[Embee]

We used to enjoy dinner out once a week until DS started walking... and then it just got . . . complicated. So, we let it go for awhile. I think we started going out regularly again when he was about 4 1/2 or 5. We go out about two or three times a month and DS does very well. DS and I also have shorter "dates' where we go out for lunch and such and now that he's older, it's really enjoyable to go out to eat together.

The few times we had to endure the toddler to 4ish years (family gatherings and such) I found it stressful and miserable. I like going out to eat so I can be served and relax but during those years, I found it better to order take out and bring it to the park or beach if I wanted to relax... kid can run and DH and I can sit on the beach, eat and relax.

The best and hang in there. They'll get there!!

Em

[Breeder]

Originally Posted by janabonana

We tend to take a backpack with toys in it when we go to a restaurant... little dinosaurs, anything my DS is interested in at the time, paper and crayons, and I've even brought playdough.

Sometimes it helps to order their food while you are ordering drinks... they have less time to wait and it usually takes them longer to eat anyways (at least in my case).

Good luck...

My DS has been carrying his very own (tiny) backpack since he was 2.5. Before going to a resturant, I'd say: "Ok J, we're going to a resturant. Pick out somethings to take with us." When he was little I'd help him choose things (because at the time it was a lengthy process). Always worked.

Now we don't do it everytime. But he often keeps a bag with books and such with him all the time.

In fact some friends of mine have a little girl who simply never sat still in resturants, she ran all over the place, being crazy (She's 2). We went out to eat with them and I pulled a couple of small toys from J's bag (after asking if she could borrow them - J didn't mind he was completely invested in a book) and she sat playing quietly until her food came. Her dad thought I was a miracle worker.