Dining Out with Young Children
How to Make Your Meal Enjoyable for the Whole Family
Going out for a relaxing and fun family meal? Here are some suggestions for keeping young children happy about it, too.
Dining out with young children can sometimes be difficult. If children are tired, cranky, or if they are thirsty, hungry and if the service is too slow, moms and dads can find themselves feeling stressed out and even a little embarrassed by their children’s behavior.
If this sounds like you, don’t despair. Here are some pointers to help make your next experience dining out more pleasurable for you and your children.
Before You Leave
Select a restaurant that has the types of foods your kids will enjoy eating. Also look for one that is “kid friendly” with kid's menus, and offers children’s activities, if possible.
Talk with children about what you expect from their behavior. Discuss what is ok, and what is not ok when eating out. Stress good manners, and remind kids what those are. (We don’t chew with our mouths open. We don’t eat with our fingers etc.) Talk about respectful behavior. (Use your indoor voices please, don’t hit or fight with one another etc.)
Plan Ahead:
- Have crayons, pencils, or markers with you. You may want to bring along a few books your children like, such as coloring books, or crossword puzzle books, to help them pass the time while waiting for their food.
- Talk about what the children will order before you leave. This will save a lot of time trying to get them to make up their minds once inside. Plus, you will not have any surprise arguments when your 5-year-old decides he is having chocolate cake with a big milkshake for dinner tonight.
Before You Enter
When you have arrived at the restaurant, but before going inside, remind kids again of what is expected. If possible offer a reward for “good manners,” such as a small dessert, or special treat.
Once You are Inside:
- Break out the coloring books, puzzles, etc.
- Pass on menus and go right to ordering.
- Try playing guessing games with children, while waiting for your food. Hangman is a great game to play on the back of a placemat. The game 20 Questions is another good game to keep children occupied while waiting for their food.
Once the Food Arrives
- Offer lots of praise when children are behaving well. Make pointed statements like “Wow, Amy, you are using really good table manners today.” Or “Great job, John, I like how you folded your napkin neatly in your lap."
- Keep an eye on how kids are doing. Do they need their meat cut? Are they missing anything that they are going to need, such as a spoon or napkin.
- Notice when they seem to be getting full, and encourage them to stop eating.
After the Meal
- Don’t hang around too long. While it’s nice to enjoy a cup of coffee after your dinner, if you have very young children along, it will be difficult for them to stay still for too long of a time.
- Be sure to compliment your children on good behavior. Let them because things went so well, this time, you will be happy to take them to a restaurant again, in the future.
