Eating out with kids?

[Lovingeachday]

How do you find the best way to entertain your children when eating out? I’ve found that I hardly do it now it’s just me and them as they often act up when out.

How old are they? My two still like colouring or playing noughts and crosses.

If they’re between 1 and 3, don’t go out. Too much hassle! After that- colouring books.

I have a bag of colouring books and those sticker scene books I keep in the car for when we go to restaurants. We didn’t start eating out regularly until they were 3 & 5. One kid was easy to entertain but when we had the second eating out was hard work.

Colouring
Small jigsaw
Play with my phone
I've seen people take tablet and headphones
Bribing with chips and promise of pudding
Eat early and stick to as few courses as possible so they don't get bored

We're having a good run of "I'm thinking of an animal" - sort of animal, veg, mineral 20qs without the vegetables or minerals and without the question limit (!) Works for ages 5 and 2.
The 5 year old also loves picture consequences (draw a head, fold it over, next person draws body, next one feet, open them up, laugh like drains).

Ummm - my kids, and my grandchildren , didn't/don't need to be entertained. Not with 'things' anyway, if the food takes a long time to arrive then maybe some conversation, usually about the kind of food we were going to eat or maybe about the people who cook the food or grow it.... I know it sounds a bit performance parenting but honestly it isnt! My kids and my grandchildren love food of all kinds, they have been brought up with a very varied diet and encouraged to try new things so eating out is something they enjoy and a treat, hence not needing to be entertained. It is a joy to take my 3 year old grandson to Wagamama and we share dishes there, and the 5 year old tried a (very tiny) bit of blue cheese with his apple this evening and thought it was delicious (his brother and I disagree). I suppose it all depends on circumstances.... I expect them to behave well but I don't take them to places I know they won't enjoy, so maybe that is the trick.

Travel size games are good.

Have a conversation with them.

It doesn’t sound a bit like performance parenting!

It sounds A LOT like performance parenting or performance mumsnetting anyway...

From age 4 we just took games or colouring books; currently with a one year old I don’t enjoy eating out and nothing seems to work as a distraction

Depends on the age but we do eye spy, drawing colouring, can you guess what I'm thinking kind of game similar to above.

We don't eat out often but if we do it's usually the kind of place that has a kids booklet an crayons like Nandos, as we need allergy friendly.

Possum and crafty. Yawn. Yawn. Yawn.

We take pencils/crayons and pads of paper for our 6 and 3 yo. We talk about the menu, our day and our plans. Then we draw pictures, write words and practise letters and counting. We only eat places that are family friendly and where the food doesn't take too long! Quite often we'll order a side of veggie sticks as a starter so the dc don't get too angsty about when the food is arriving.

We generally prefer buffet type places as my two (6 and 8) still sometimes struggle to sit and wait nicely for their food. If the food does take a while they discuss football with DH, or we play games like Eye Spy or a game where we go round and everybody has to name a different animal eg, starting from A, all the way to Z. They absolutely love that and we have progressed to 'places', 'foods' and 'people's/footballer's names'. DS1 has a travel sized chess board which is also handy.

Dc 4 and 7. Usually happy with colouring and reading respectively. When I remember, they both love playing hangman. Sometimes though I just eat as quick as possible and cut my losses and leave. Ds in particular is unpredictable and has a tendency to want to lie down and flop around in restaurants. He used to be fine.

Books and colouring for my first dd with very occasional use of my phone for games if the food was taking ages.

Now she is nearly six we still do colouring if it is supplied but she is mostly expected to be able to sit and wait nicely.

Second dd is just 1 so who knows as I think mostly it is temperament

ipad.

Don’t care if I am judged.

Colouring, playing the alphabet game, pointing out any interesting things going on around us.

Mine are pretty good when eating out m but we have had moments in the past where food has taken an age to come out and they get fidgety. Even adults get fed up of waiting when service is slow!

Honestly i think it 100% depends on your kids. Spent 30 mins tonight with friends telling me they don’t eat out or ‘nobody eats out with kids.’
I beg to differ, mine will eat anywhere if he has conversation, food and crayons! I hate this lumping together like when people tell me ‘holidays with children arent relaxing/fun etc they dont eat/sleep/behave well ok mine do! Lots don’t. Lots do. Some are good. Some need an ipad. Some can’t leave the house after 7pm.
Whatever it is!

Ironically I keep food on me. It wouldn’t be the first time that mine have so many nibbles to keep them quiet that they aren’t hungry by the time the food comes.

Wee one mainly nowadays. That and wandering round and round and round

Mine are 8 & 7. We like playing Dobble or card games like Top Trumps or UNO (fit easily in a handbag). Chain restaurants often provide activity sheets which my DC enjoy. Both are getting into crosswords and Suduko now, so a pocket book of either and a pencil are handy to take out. Or we just chat to each other.
When they were younger we took colouring books (or aqua doodle for the v young toddler stage), pocket books for us to read with them (Mr. Men are a good size!).
There's no way I'd allow electronics at the table - sorry - but I think it's bad manners (unless there are special needs, of course).

Always ate out with our children, this was in the 80s, no phones, no iPads obviously. Conversation, played word games, had little fun quizzes, talked about the food. Do the same with my grandchildren, no phones at mealtimes, especially if we're eating out.

We just talk to her I suppose, or she does some colouring if the restaurant provides it. We eat out a lot though so DD is very used to it.

I love that most people say no iPads/phones. When we go out to eat, about 80% if parents are entertaining DC with screens! Perhaps they are not mumsnetters.

DS3 is happy with colouring/eye spy/guess the animal etc. DS1 needs food ASAP or he gets arsey. I throw bread etc at him until the food arrives. I suspect in years to come he’ll be the one who demands a screen to be entertained. Do what you need to do.

DD is 16 months and it is pretty hard! We walk around between courses / beforehand, have a sticker book and some colouring, and keep it short! She’s always disliked the highchair and cannot sit still for a second, even at home!

We tend to always eat outside where possible so she can walk around a bit with us.

We don’t eat out half as much as we did before!