5 Tips for Eating out with kids

Eating out with kids can be stressful but it doesn’t have to be. Here are 5 tips on how to make your experience of eating out more enjoyable.

Introduction

My mom, aka Jacky, told me multiple times ‘when you were a kid, your father and I never took you and your brothers out to dinner with us’.

In those days, eating out with kids wasn’t something common to do and fast foods don’t count. It was just expensive back then as it is today and a lot of mothers in the 1970s (40%) still stayed at home. Why go out to dinner when you can have a home-cooked meal?

Personally, I enjoy eating out so that I don’t have to cook because I am tired, lazy and don’t feel like picking what to prepare for dinner. However, eating out with kids is not an easy task, especially when they are young and can make the whole experience not only stressful for your child but also for you and everyone else in the restaurant.

Tip #1 – Education

I am always amazed at how some parents are with their kids in the restaurant. And yes I am passing judgment. If you haven’t even attempted to try to teach some basic table manners to your child at home, please don’t go out to dinner with him or her then. It doesn’t matter if it is a ‘family’ restaurant or not. The same rules should apply either way.

I see you rolling your eyes…So what do I mean by that?

Restaurant etiquette

It is never ever OK to let your child run wild inside a restaurant EVER. To me, the reason is obvious but to some not so much. If you have ever waited tables then you already know the answer: it is DANGEROUS. A restaurant is a place where people work (waiters) and where people eat (customers).

Neither of these people have asked to be disrupted by YOUR child. One is trying to do its job: serving food to people without spilling it and breaking things. The other one is trying to enjoy a conversation and a meal that they paid for.

This is why your child needs to remain seated unless it is bathroom time. If it gets to be too long, take your child outside. DO NOT let it roam free inside the restaurant. Even if your child is A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E, it will get in the way. If a waiter is holding up a large tray it just might not see your little one. There goes someone’s order on the floor, more cleaning up for the waiter, wasted food for the owner and possibly a disgruntled customer and an injured child, yours to be exact. So you see, the restaurant’s aisles are no place for a child.

Furthermore, respect the premises. Even if at home your child is King, in public it isn’t. Have your child sit properly on a chair or booth. If it is younger, use a booster seat or high-chair. We don’t need to ruin the owner’s furniture with our lack of parenting.

All this teaches your child about RESPECT. Respect of others, of things, of the environment they are in. It is just common sense.

So how do you keep your child from going wild?

Tip #2 – Picking a location

For your first time, scout a place close to your house, just in case it gets too much for your child. That way, you can easily go home in a flash before the tornado hits.

Check the menu ahead of time so that you already have an idea of what there is. This will save you time on the whole ordering process.

Eating out with kids is hard and if you are a single parent, it is even harder. That is why you need to be even more prepared.

Tip #3 – The Gear for eating out

I don’t know about you, but I am always forgetting to pack something when I go out with the kids or while traveling. Here are some useful items that can make your dining out experience go more smoothly.

A bag

When your child was young you will most likely have used a diaper bag. So now, you will need another bag. You can refer to our article on the essentials to have for a baby here.

When they get older you can either get them their own little backpack to carry their gear (toys and cup) or just put their things in a bag you already have.

I found a tote bag to be especially useful, even as my kids got older. They are spacious enough to hold all the essentials for an outing and usually come with side pockets that make it practical for reusable wipes and bibs. Tote bags can also be fashionable, just check out this one that is similar to the one I used.

Utensils

If you want or need to, you can bring their own utensils for them when eating out. The restaurant will provide some but they are not always adapted to your child’s mouth.

Bringing their own cup might come in handy to avoid spills and making an embarrassing mess at the restaurant. Restaurants usually provide unbreakable cups but not always.

The occasional mess

It is unavoidable that your child will get something of his dirty while eating at home or out. If you can, bring a wipeable bib and reusable cloth wipes that you can just wet and rinse in the bathroom. This will make cleaning up easier. Just bring a small leakproof bag or a small box to put these items in once they have been used. Wash them properly once home.

Now that we have the essentials covered, let’s look at what else you can store in your tote bag that could be useful.

Tip #4 What to bring when eating out

Snacks

The wait at a restaurant can be long sometimes. Having snacks in hand keeps them busy enough from crying famine. You can bring cut carrots or cucumbers and put them in a reusable food bag or prepare one of your famous apple and blueberry sauce and put it in a reusable food pouch.

Drinks

Honestly, when they are young (older than one), water at the restaurant should be fine. If you want, you could bring a little bit of juice or milk to put in their cup or if it is included with the meal you can ask your waiter to put some in your reusable cup.

Now that we got the basic survival tips covered, let’s look at one final aspect of eating out with kids.

Tip #5 – Activities while eating out with kids

Keeping your child busy while you look at the menu, make the order and wait for the order to arrive is KEY to a successful outing at the restaurant.

You can keep them busy by keeping their bellies full but keeping their minds busy is key to having a pleasant meal. Yes, you can bring toys but not ones that are going to make noise or fall on the floor and create a slipping hazard. I know that nowadays we tend to just give them our phone or tablet to play on and call it a day but the purpose of sharing a meal is social interaction. They will have plenty of screen time later on. Let’s keep mealtime about enjoying the food and interacting with each other. Here are some items that can easily go into your bag without taking up too much space.

Drawing Mat

I stumbled onto this mat, at the airport in Colombia. I thought that it was a great idea either for home or when you go out to eat. It will protect the table from any occasional spill. As it is wipeable, it makes it reusable as well. Also, this one can teach your child all about the animals and the alphabet and comes with its own set of markers. Surely this can make for some fun mealtime.

FlashCards

Alphabet flashcards are great to have. I used them with both of my boys and they fit nicely in any bag. In a restaurant setting, you will have to keep hold of them as to not let them get dirty or spilled on by your little one. Tons of different conversations can come from playing with flashcards and there is no perfect age to start using them. Begin as soon as you want.

Board Book

A board book does take-up space depending on what kind of bag you have. If you do have room, check out these ones that I used with my own boys as well. Once again, they make for a great interactive and learning experience.

Coloring book

Coloring books are great for older kids. Usually, restaurants will have crayons and paper for kids to draw upon but it is not always the case. Having one on hand with crayons can help to keep them entertained while they wait

Games

No no. I am not talking about board games. Just games that we invent. Didn’t you ever play games on a long car ride with your parents? If they are talking, try playing a game of I spy or Guess what animal I am thinking of. It teaches them how to ask questions and thought process.

Final thoughts on eating out with kids

Basically, you can start going out to eat as a family whenever you want. Being prepared is KEY to being able to enjoy a meal outside your home. Remember that when you go out to eat, other people are trying to do the same thing as you: ENJOY A MEAL. Some things, you can’t have control over (like a tantrum, it just happens). Others, you can do something about it if you have planned ahead.

Going out to eat needs to be enjoyable, for everyone, including YOU. Don’t use this outing as a way of making your child try to eat something new. That just might not work, not if his meal is just that NEW. Give him or her new food off your plate instead to go with whatever he or she is already eating.

Yes going out to eat as a family can be stressful, but it doesn’t always have to be. Don’t give up on the first bad experience, just learn from it.

Do you have any suggestions or ideas of what we could put in our bag to bring with us? Leave a comment below.