I would see families out to dinner and swear all sorts of things...my kids would sit properly, my kids would not play their DS at dinner, my kids would not get up and walk around, my kids would not interrupt our dining pleasure.
What the hell was wrong with me??? Who did I think I was?
How in the world did I think I could make all of these grand predictions when I had no idea what I was in for?
Granted, I still think that we are doing the right thing by taking them out. I know there are people who swear that they're not going out until their kids understand how to act. I can't do that...we must live life, right?
However, I totally get the need (and yes, sometimes it is a need) for them to do something so that we parents can shovel food down our throats before WWIII commences!!!
We went out to dinner at a restaurant for BFF's birthday...total surprise and family and friends were there. Matt was still not feeling well and therefore, made it next to impossible to have an enjoyable time. Here is a list of things we used to keep him (and then Hailey because you can't have one without the other in our house) occupied:
- 3-5 walks around the parking lot of the restaurant (with Husband b/c I'm a gimp...I sat quietly at the table by myself until someone interrupted and talked to me)
- Crayons
- Puzzles
- Silverware (ooooh...forks are so pointy! Watch your eye! Blah...it kept him quiet)
- Sitting with other family members (God love them)
- Cell phones (God knows who they called...and no one cares at this point? Just let me get through the cutting of the cake so we can race to the car)
- Videos on the cell phones
- Napkins (poor waitresses)
Disclaimer: Things may not always be this bad. Matt was still getting over his virus and it had been a rough day all around. We were DONE!!!
10 comments:
I am impressed that you take your kids out for dinner. We do it rarely and only under duress. I am not organised enough to remember the 160+ things I would need to keep the tribe occupied!
Okay, so I am going to be honest with a side of shame, we never took our girls out until they were like 2 1/2 because PJ and I both hated listening to screaming kids at restaurants and swore ours would never act that way : )
But I would take along crayons & a coloring book, a book, a toy, and I loved going to places that had a kids coloring menu.
My girls thankfully now wait patiently for the food. They probably are just so glad to be going out to eat finally : )
Having waitressed for years, and having witnessed all sorts of rotten behavior as a diner, I have pretty strict standards. As you said, I may have to eat my words one day, but I try my darnedest to be respectful of other people eating and the wait staff.
One thing I will NEVER do is ask, "Do you have some crackers for the babies?" The babies NEVER eat the crackers in restaurants...they just crumble them and leave a HUGE mess for the waitress to clean! :) I take graham crackers or cheese in case ours need to be occupied for a bit.
We also try to go to restaurants that are more kid-friendly. Our favorite - and the girls' - is our favorite Mexican dive. It's loud in there anyhow, so if someone starts to "talk", it goes unnoticed. And we also like this sports bar-type Chili's-like place. There are TVs everywhere. For one, it's loud, and since the girls don't watch TV at home, they're pretty mesmerized for a little while. :)
And, to your post, I don't think it's nutty to keep your kiddos occupied...that goes with the territory of the age. At least you're not letting them crawl under other diners' chairs! HA!
We used to eat out 3 or 4 times a week before kiddos. We've definitely cut back on that, but I can't live under a rock until the girls are 5!!!
My thing would be how can they learn to act at a restaurant or out in public if you never take them there.
The girls have been patronizing restaurants since their releases from NICU. Yup, I'm a fantastic mom!
We go out at least once a month a month, sometimes up to twice a week. We've tried to stick with family friendly places where there will be room and understanding. So far so good! We are also really particular about timing. No dinner rush here!
We usually bring the big guns with us to dinner-fish, o's, and graham crackers! I I still swear I won't have "those kids" but what do I know! I know that they will never have handheld games at the table-that is just rude!
We used to make fun of the couples who went out to eat and never talked. Now we understand- all you want is a meal where everyone can just shut up and eat for a moment!
I said SOO many things about what I would do when I had kids. I was sooo wrong! We do take the girls out, but it's much easier with other people there to help. When it's just us and the girls, we barely get to eat our meals.
Keeping them entertained is tough. I always bring books and a little snack. Mexican places are great - chips and salsa, music, weird things painted on the walls, etc. And booths - always get the booth if there is one!
Luckily food is still #1 on the girls' list so as long as they have food, they're pretty happy. An hour though is about all we're going to get so we try to finish up. They also love people watching which helps too.
I have twins and two older boys and a husband who works nights, so dinner out is a rare treat. Usually we go on weekends and the things that work for us are dips. I know it sounds silly, but if the girls have something to dip something else into they sit pretty quietly(they just turned 2).
I am with you. I knew my kid would sit properly and not stand on the seat and play peek-a-boo with everybody while throwing crap everywhere.
And I was totally wrong. I have special toys that Riley only sees for special occasions, such as me needing 20 minutes of semi- decent behavior. And Goldfish and animal crackers. Both can be eaten and hold "puppet" shows when necessary. I always bring my own crayons. That's from a lesson learned the day a restaurant was out of them. Worst meal ever.
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