You are going to find that these 10 Top Tips for Dining Out With Kids will be very helpful!
Dining out with young children can be quite an experience. Whether it’s their first time eating at a restaurant or just one time out of many, you can always be sure that the experience will be unpredictable.
Helping a kid understand what is acceptable and unacceptable in a restaurant is one of the first steps to helping them learn how to behave in social settings. Try these tips out next time you plan to take your child out to eat with you.
1. Practice Table Manners At Home
All training starts at home. Going out to restaurants may be a new experience for your little one, so you should teach them how to behave at home before taking them out to eat.
Pretend your dining table is a restaurant. You can act as waitstaff to your child, who can pretend to be a customer. Older kids might enjoy this exercise, but you can stick to teaching and modeling the proper behavior if they’re too young to speak clearly.
2. Choose a Restaurant Together
Allowing your little one to have a voice in their own life is one of the best things you can do to teach them they are their own person and should do what makes them happy. You don’t have to give them an open-ended choice — a closed one is just as effective.
Suggest a couple of parent-approved restaurants and let them pick which one they would rather go to. By making the decision, your child will feel like they have some control over their life and may become more confident as a result. Plus, they may have more fun at the restaurant they choose.
3. Order Appetizers
Finger foods are a favorite of children. If your kid is hungry, they may get grouchy before the food arrives at the table. As soon as you’ve talked to your server, order an appetizer your little one can eat. They’ll appreciate the chance to share food with you and enjoy the new option they can partake in.
If you are at a restaurant with fewer kid-friendly options, opt to bring snacks in. You might choose fruit or nuts to satisfy your child until their main entree arrives. Be sure to have enough to minimize their hunger but not fill them up. In this case, feeding them a healthy, light snack is best so they can fully enjoy their dinner.
4. Keep Them Occupied
Your kid might grow bored quickly if they have to sit in one spot for too long. Be sure to bring a few items with you — such as activity books or handheld games — your child can play with to entertain themselves before the food arrives.
Even a small distraction can keep their mind off their hunger and on something else for the time being. If you’re not opposed to screen time and your child is having a tough day, you could let them watch videos on a tablet or mobile device while they eat.
5. Visit Restaurants in Off-Hours
If you’re particularly worried about how your child will behave in a restaurant, visit during its off-hours. While you may not be hungry, it’s an excellent way to test your child’s table manners so you can see what you may need to work on with them.
Visiting during the off-hours also means staff may be a little more attentive to your table. They likely won’t be crowded, meaning you’ll be able to get in and out quickly while still enjoying your meal.
6. Visit Kid-Friendly Restaurants
Kid-friendly restaurants should have several options for children, from adventurous eaters to those who have issues with texture or appearance.
One of the best indicators a restaurant is kid-friendly is it will feature several customizable options so children can choose what they want creatively. These restaurants may also have a higher tolerance for disruptive kids, making it a more accessible environment for teaching.
7. Talk to Them
Keeping your child engaged in conversation will help them avoid the temptation of making a mess. Sometimes, kids act out as a result of wanting to be seen or heard.
If you ask them questions and keep them directly involved in the conversation, they may feel more inclined to behave well in the restaurant as long as they are old enough. Kids have a lot to say — you just need to listen!
8. Enlist Help
You might need help to handle your little one out in public. Whenever you are alone with your child, you should ask a loved one to come with you. This way, you won’t have to worry so much about making sure your kid behaves well by yourself.
If you know of other parents with children, you could have them come to the restaurant to practice their kid’s skills, too. Your child may also enjoy having a companion their age while they eat.
9. Let Them Order
To help your little one better understand the restaurant, don’t order for them. Allow them to practice their social skills by communicating with the staff member who takes your order.
As long as they’re old enough and speaking clearly, ordering their own food can give your child a feeling of independence. They may also have more manners when dining out — even if they’re eating the same chicken tenders they always get.
10. Uphold Rewards
Teach your children they get certain rewards when they meet the goals you have set for them. With their effort acknowledged, they may be more likely to repeat the same positive behavior.
Perhaps one of the best opportunities after your child behaves well in a restaurant is to take them out for a fun, delicious dessert.
Trial and Error Is a Part of Childhood
Your child will want to test boundaries and think outside of the box. As long as you give them a little room to grow into their independence, they may be able to conduct themselves in a well-behaved manner.
Ava Roman (she/her) (Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest) is the Managing Editor of Revivalist, a women’s lifestyle magazine that empowers women to live their most authentic life. When Ava is not writing you’ll find her in a yoga class, advocating for body positivity, whipping up something delicious in the kitchen, or smashing the patriarchy.
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