Comments on: Kids and Restaurants

By: Carnival of Family Life: August 2009 Edition | Colloquium

Carnival of Family Life: August 2009 Edition | Colloquium — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:28:54 +0000

[...] Anderson presents Kids and Restaurants posted at Writer Mom at Home, a two-part [...]

By: ModernMom

ModernMom — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:30:00 +0000

I am absolutely a bring your kids to the restaurant girl. I also think as a Parent it is your responsibility to plan ahead! Don't rely on the usual 1 page of colouring and three crayons the restaurant has to keep your kiddos entertained. Plan. Bring some books, a small quiet activity. Also make sure that your kids aren't starving before you go b/c that makes waiting for dinner too hard! Let the kids know what is expected. Reward good behavior. Get out there and enjoy yourself! ModernMom’s most recent blog post..Would You Rather....

By: mrschattypants

mrschattypants — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:41:25 +0000

For a long tome, we did not do going out to eat. Every special occasion, we would be required to attend a family dinner that lasted 3 hours, in a not-so-kid-friendly-restaurant with my side of the family and I would stress for days before the dinner. It was horrible. My kids were actually pretty good and the hubby and I had established ground rules for the kids, so there was no running around, using loud voices or getting out of the seat. We ALWAYS were prepared w/ games, toys, special drinks, food-whatever. We were lucky and it worked for us. Totally agree with what you said-if your kid can't handle it, do not put yourself or him/her through that stress. It is so not worth it. I like the idea of family seating, but some people do not attend to their children and I am not very tolerant. So, for me, that would not work. I like my nice, quiet out of the way spots, with my own children only. mrschattypants’s most recent blog post..One Lovely Blog Award

By: Jeannie Anderson

Jeannie Anderson — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:33:05 +0000

I go back and forth on this one. For example, once at TGIF's, Jorie cried a lot of the time because she wanted out of the high chair. My girlfriend insisted on keeping her in it, saying if you make her understand that getting out is never an option, future dining experiences will be better. Sitting in her chair is something we can expect from Jorie, so we waited it out. Now I just use a booster chair and she behaves reasonably most of the time. Alex, on the other hand, could absolutely not sit nicely in a restaurant until, well, recently. So we never went. It was too much stinking work. My husband and I believe that if we're going to be in public, our kids need to behave reasonably as to not ruin dinner for everyone around us. If that can't happen, we don't go. Period. With Alex it was hard because he hardly eats anything from home and there's pretty much nothing he'll eat at a restaurant. If we go out w/ him, we bring in chicken nuggests from McDonalds or something from home. He has autism and his diet is limited because of sensory and trust issues, so it's tough. Just a few weeks ago the four of us went to Chilis for lunch. Both kids were great, so I'm sure dining out will become more regular for our family now that Alex can handle it. Just give him some paper and crayons and he's more than busy. As for Jorie, well, she'd gnaw your arm off if there was nothing else available to eat. I guess I better write my own blogpost on the subject. When I do, I'll link back to ya. Jeannie Anderson’s most recent blog post..Monkey See, Jorie Do: The Proof is in the Pudding