Steph Peters I’ve been told several times, “your kids do so well at restaurants.” My son is 3 and my daughter is almost 2, so how do we do it?
Practice makes perfect! The more times you take your kids with you to restaurants, the easier it becomes for you AND them. In fact my kids now ask “can we go to restaurant!?” We started early when they were just newborn babies going with us to restaurants; however, if you have been too nervous, then it’s time to rip off the band-aid and do it!
Here are a couple tips that have helped me:
— Bring snacks just incase the food is taking too long to come out and the kids need something to tide them over.
— Bring a few toys or books. Let them pick which toy or book they want to bring. The more control they feel they have, the more fun it will be for them.
— Let them pick between acouple meals too. Again if it’s their choice then they will more likely eat it.
— Let them try your food. No lie, my kids have enjoyed eating calamari, hummus, guacamole, salmon, quinoa, etc. all thanks to being at a restaurant and I just put it on their plate and don’t make a big deal about it.
— Have a backup toy or book incase they start getting bored with the one they brought and need something new to keep their attention.
The most important thing though, don’t put too much pressure on yourself! Remember what I said in the beginning, practice makes perfect. The more you go out with your kids, the more comfortable you and your kids will get in a routine that works best for YOU!
