To not enjoy eating out with my kids?

That’s ridiculous. Restaurants wouldn’t exist if people who had young kids never went out and waited for them to grow up 🤣
op has a 6yo, well old enough to behave or be taken outside if being naughty.

I used to take mine out about once a month. We never ordered dessert, and we always ordered something that was quick to prepare. We drank water, so no waiting around for drinks either.

I did a pep talk before we got out of the car, trying to remind the DCs of expected behaviour.

A half way house is pub with a play area. We all sit work out what food we want then once it’s ordered they can play. Then we sit nicely for our food. Esp while they are younger we found this the best way rather than a full restaurant experience

Your kids sound a bit badly behaved, especially your 6yo. Surely at that age they can be expected to sit and behave? What do they do at school?
I have a 3yo myself who is really good too. She wasn’t just always like that, she had to be exposed to it and taught to behave. And we take nothing out with us, most restaurants offer some coloring and paper. We play eye spy which is a hit in a new place.
Also ask them questions and just keep talking to them, which actually distracts them till the food arrives.

I’m really surprised people say a 6yo is very young? For a lunch out? How on earth do they cope in school.

YANBU.
Do it once a year as a very special treat and lay it on thick to them what a special treat it is. Keep your money for a babysitter and dinner out with your husband instead.

I like taking mine out but like to do a quick exit once they are finished. My husband takes FOREVER to eat/drink and then moans when I take the children out. I blame him being an only child/wanting some element of control 🙄

We take our kids (11 and 12) to a restaurant once every second weekend or so. They’ve become proper foodies though (love all shellfish etc) and it’s v expensive now that they rarely order off the kids menu. 🤦‍♀️
Our family thing for past few years is playing UNO while there, weirdly a full game almost always seems to fit perfectly between ordering and the food coming. Back when they were 6ish they use to love playing hangman and noughts and crosses.

I’m in full agreement, it is not worth the stress!

Our way of tackling this is to go outside of the main eating time eg dinner at 16:30-1700 (also so they are not famished) choose restaurants that are quick to bring food, only one course and take card games or play I spy or similar. Aim is to get in and out as quickly as possible while everyone is happy and not relaxing enjoyment at that age. We’re getting there now there 9 and 10

I don't really understand why you're going. Little kids don't need to learn how to eat in restaurants, they can learn table manners etc at home and you can just take them to a restaurant once they're old enough to actually enjoy a meal in a restaurant and sit for that length of time.

When I was young we didn't go to restaurants, but we all know how to eat in them as adults.

Only go if you're getting something out of it, like it's easier than cooking yourselves or you are genuinely enjoying it. Otherwise just don't bother

My DC are the same age and I really try to avoid eating out with them. It’s awful, and then you get a bill at the end!

They’ll moan about being hungry then once the food arrives I’ll have to beg them to eat. Someone will spill a drink, someone will need a poo as soon as the food arrives. They’ll get up and start wandering and then argue over the red crayon.

Their table manners at home are fine but I do get its boring for them eating out and no benefit since they have waiter table service at home, from me!

We have just started to enjoy a meal with our kids age 8,7,4. And still wouldn't go anywhere too fancy with them.
Prior to this every time we tried I felt exactly like you, disappointed I wasn't able to enjoy it.
Not sure if practicing in restaurant helps but I do think the eating together at home without screens will really help when they are old enough to make meals out enjoyable.

I don’t think it’s a case that you need to do it regularly for them to learn, I think they just need to be old enough to have impulse control. It’s just about ok for us now at 10 and 7, but not always. There needs to be a lot of scaffolding with talks beforehand and during, about ‘restaurant behaviour’ and what’s expected. God I remember one meal a couple of years ago when the youngest went nuts about something, screaming and everyone was looking. It’s such a hypervigilant experience, eating out with small kids. I’d say for a few years, just get a babysitter and enjoy your meal!

I don’t think you should do it if you find it stressful (and expensive!) My parents couldn’t afford to take us into cafes or restaurants when we were young and always brought picnics everywhere we went. I don’t think I made too much of a show of myself when I started eating out more. Provided I used a knife and fork and didn’t eat like a pig at a trough, I reckoned I was doing ok!

We allow far too much screen time at home but we don’t allow screens in a restaurant. (Only exception being very occasionally ok holiday if they have jet lag). Aged 10 and 6 and they love eating out. Sometimes will just sit and chat, but usually they are doing puzzles, drawing or colouring until the food arrives.

it hasn’t always been like this though. We didn’t bother much for a few years when it was just too much effort but that was when they were toddlers really.

Now we let them pick the restaurant. I genuinely believe that taking them to a variety of places has led them to be the foodies they now are.

I think they are still very young to sit still for that amount of time it takes to have meal in a restaurant, much better to get a takeaway and relax at home until they are bit older.

My parents always took us to places with play areas so we’d sod off in between meals.

I do go out with DD’s but only if there are multiple people to entertain them, so with grandparents etc. I wouldn’t go out the two of us and DD’s, even with an older DS there it’s far too much effort. The most I’ll do is a coffee shop with the two girls, as usually when we go there are other kids who are naughtier and louder so the attention isn’t on mine. Once they get older we’ll do it more, they’re just too little at the moment

We do go cheaper places - supermarket cafes, Costa, chain pubs - most weekends so the kids are well used to sitting and then usually go for dinner once every two months or so which involves more waiting. I always have stuff for them to do in bag (paper, pens, stickers), we order very quickly after sitting down and rarely have dessert - if it's an ice cream on the kids deal we'll get that and the bill at the same time so that speeds up the end bit of the meal. Both my kids love olives so we get those with our drinks which they enjoy! I sometimes take a little pot of fruit or cucumber sticks with us if I know there's going to be a wait, like if we're going with a big party and it takes ages for the food to come out.

i absolutely hate eating with my kids especially with any one who has NT children and judgemental parents I only do it when we have to

three under 6 is not fun why would you choose to do that ?

You know there are millions of decent well behaved kids who never eat out at a restaurant

they will learn manners at school and at home

I think that it doesn’t work exactly like this with kids, you can start taking them first dinner out at 10 y.o. and they will be ok after a few times. At these age I would eat out when you really need it e.g when you have a day out or a shopping trip. Especially with 3 kids, who is saying about fun - you deserve a medal OP for just surviving this trip.

Im a single mum of twins plus 1 also….. I’ve always eaten out with them and no it doesn’t feel like a treat a lot of the time more convenience and saving on the washing up at the end!

I can’t afford to drop £100 a time though - but I do think eating out in public is an important social skill the many kids could do with teaching. It doesn’t need to be fancy fair though …
when twins were babies it would be coffee and cake only, then gradually increased the time and type of establishment
I often go to the local carvery - chain - they often have £6 main deals and during half term holidays loads of places to kids eat free or kids eat for £1 - ASDA is great for that and I don’t do 3 courses - 2 maximum and that’s it. No iPads/devices allowed as I think it just fosters bad habits at the dinner table

When our boys were small, @GratedCarrotandCheese, we went to places where we knew the service would be quick, and just had one course rather than having a main and dessert. Basically, we went to child friendly places.

As time went by, they got older and more used to eating out, and it got easier to have two or three courses. By the time they were in their mid to late teens, we could go out to really nice restaurants and enjoy a leisurely meal with them.

It is a matter of practise - and you have to start small and work up. It sounds as if you are doing the right things by taking things to entertain them, but it might be easier if you scaled it back to one course for the moment, and work back up to two or more - I honestly think you will get there.