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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Eating out with kids?

193 replies

Lovingeachday · 22/09/2018 20:53

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.

OP posts:
Sirzy · 23/09/2018 07:38

As long as they are sat down and not being overly noisy then do whatever works for you!

Ghanagirl · 23/09/2018 07:42

@possumgoddess how lovely for fellow dinners🙄
When my two were aged 2-6 colouring books sticker books etc.
If on hols order then one parent takes quick walk with DC’s to nearby promenade beach etc.

BewarePregnancyHormones · 23/09/2018 07:51

My 4yo DS is great, I can take him out and just having conversations with him will usually distract him, unless the food takes a long time. I do love going out for lunch just me and him.

However I'm pregnant and when the baby comes I am sure that will change when I can give him less than 100% of my attention.

The buffet idea is a good one as then they don't have to wait for food & a lot of places are geared towards kids with play corners and things like wipe down tables they can actually draw on! 😂 🙈

megletthesecond · 23/09/2018 07:51

Sticker books.
Colouring books.
Games of nights and crosses, squares and hangman.
I used to squirrel away party bag toys and take them to restaurants.
There's only been a couple of times I've taken their tablets.

MsVestibule · 23/09/2018 08:01

I'm not sure why @possumgoddess has been criticised by two posters - unless she's talking at the top of her voice and trying to catch other diners' eyes so they can see what an an amazing parent/grandparent she is, I don't see how that's performance parenting!

We used to take colouring books when they were smaller and talk to them. No iPads or tablets - I think part of the enjoyment of eating out is chatting to each other and devices inhibit that. However, I have two relatively calm children - if they were excitable toddlers, I may have felt differently. SN aside, I definitely judge parents who allow children over the age of 6 or 7 to use their devices when eating out - but I've no doubt plenty of parents judge aspects of my parenting...

SweetheartNeckline · 23/09/2018 08:03

We don't eat out very much at all. We have a 6, 4 & 2 year old and no one gets their money's worth from the arrangement! We do occasionally go to a very child friendly cafe locally, or a Hungry Horse type pub which each provide colouring.

We do sometimes go out for a curry as they like the sense of occasion and all the side dishes, plus our local curry house opens at 5.30pm and is well priced and efficient. We just chat.

I love going out for a meal with just the 6 year old but the 4 year old "eats to live" and doesn't enjoy food especially so we do something different.

We eat at the table at home so have good sociable mealtimes but a meal takes 20 minutes, asking 4 times that is a bit much as a regular thing.

DaphneDiligaf · 23/09/2018 08:07

Tablet until food arrives.

WhirlwindHugs · 23/09/2018 08:08

They need entertaining - colouring is fine, so is trying to include gthem in the adult conversation. Or we'll draw on paper napkins to play pictionary or whatever if they're looking restless.

Sometimes we have allowed an ipod depending on context and which child is struggling (two have spd)

Mine rarely eat much so we under order for them and then ask for their pudding early if necessary.

Sirzy · 23/09/2018 08:08

Out of interest mrsvestibule how do you decide if a child has additional needs and as such if the parents need judging or not?

Elpheba · 23/09/2018 08:08

We have stickers and felt tips in my bag for 2 yo dd but definitely prefer restaurants where you can get stuck in straight away or else she needs snacks too! Favourite is Yo Sushi as lots of lights/stuff going on, and you can start eating off the belt while you wait for what you’ve ordered. When I was growing up my mum always had a pack of playing cards in her bag and we’d play rummy, card version of uno etc etc. Have very fond memories of pre dinner card games whilst on holiday!

IggyAce · 23/09/2018 08:10

Mine are 7&12 now but when they were younger we took small toys and colouring.
If we were having starters we used to order dcs main meal to come with those so they had plenty of time to eat and it helped stopped them getting tired and bored.

MsVestibule · 23/09/2018 08:13

@sirzy I work on the basis that if approximately 10% of children have SN (figure totally plucked from thin air) then I know that 90% of the parents of children who are allowing their children to play on devices are totally lax.

But as I only silently judge, don't even raise an eyebrow in their direction, they'll never know. Or care about what a complete stranger thinks about their parenting.

Shockers · 23/09/2018 08:14

We always took a pad and pen with us to play hangman or noughts and crosses. They also liked the shopping game (I went to the shops and in my basket I put...). Naming countries/capital cities etc in alphabetical order.

Both of my younger children had ADD, plus DD has LD, so we needed to be very proactive if we took them out. I have received compliments on their behaviour though! DD (19) still takes a pad and pen out with us, but doesn’t need quite such intensive interaction as she used to.

Shmithecat · 23/09/2018 08:14

Ds is nearly 3 and has always been a bloody nightmare in restaurants. He does not like to sit still for too long and is not motivated by food in the slightest. The iPad might give us half an hour or so. Or luckily for us, last night he fell asleep in the car on the way to the restaurant we went to and stayed asleep until we woke him upon leaving. I was thrilled.

Lookingforadvice123 · 23/09/2018 08:16

My DS suddenly started behaving when we go out to eat, she's about 2.5. We usually take a few toys or bits to distract him, little hot wheels cars etc, and we just talk to him loads until the food arrives! If they're young, only go to family friendly places - pizza express, wagamamas, las iguanas, family pubs or cafes. Places where you're guaranteed to have other children around and where the food is served quickly!

Don't listen to those saying don't take them out. We did this for a period with DS and it actually means if you do take them out, they won't know how to behave.

Lookingforadvice123 · 23/09/2018 08:16

*he's

Pissedoffdotcom · 23/09/2018 08:18

DD is now 6 so not much of an issue, she can happily sit & join in the chat or colour/draw. When she was younger it was absolutely tablet & headphones if waiting for dinner. Once the meal arrived it went away.
DS is 13 weeks so he's happy with his teddy & being rocked in the buggy or sitting with daddy so he can be nosey.

Embracethechaos · 23/09/2018 08:18

Find a pub with a playground for lunch.

RoseMartha · 23/09/2018 08:21

Colouring
plain paper for drawing or hangman
sometimes play I-spy
kids puzzle book ie word-searches or spot the difference etc
cheap sticker book
small toy ie car or plastic figures like My Little Pony.

NastyCats · 23/09/2018 08:24

When ours were little we didn't have the money to eat out a lot. When we did it was often when on holiday in the UK or pizza express and the places usually had colouring or activity books. Otherwise we chatted. If we were going out with other adults I would take activity sticker or magnetic books like the Usborne ones. My friends who have young children now give them a phone and they watch Peppa pig or similar. I wouldn't do it myself but it's effective!

My parents and I have been in a pub in Devon on different occasions when a group has commandeered a large space, moved all the tables and sat their collective children down on the floor to watch a film, out loud, on an iPad! Lucky other diners got to join in with watching a free film!

underneaththeash · 23/09/2018 08:30

Smaller children, colouring/activity books and colouring pens - I usually take my own with me. Saying that we didn't eat out much when the children were very little, its not relaxing at all!
Now that they're older, I take games - we like exploding kittens, dobble, old maid, go fish, uno, pen and paper games like hangman.

I'd be really annoyed if someone put a film on for the children next to where I was eating.

Bear2014 · 23/09/2018 08:31

DD 4 has colouring books / travel snakes and ladders etc. Also I Spy type games. She will also sometimes have her kindle, which she relied on a lot more from age 3-4 but not so much now. DS 13 months lasts 30 mins tops so we're eating out a lot less for now.

Foenie · 23/09/2018 08:38

With a very young child under two I always took a book or two or a small toy they could use. Over two years old usually either take up the offer of colouring in places, which do that stuff, or just talk to my children.

I have to say, the more often you go out, the better it gets. A usually excitable child is going to be more excitable if it does something unusual, but when eating out becomes a normal activity, they often calm down and adjust. So you brace yourself for the first few times and bring entertainment and then allow it to trail off as they see eating out as just another part of everyday life.

anniehm · 23/09/2018 08:42

Colouring, puzzles, boxes and talking to them. It feels me with rage when I see kids being ignored by their parents in restaurants. We had no problems and they hadn't invented the smartphone.

TwoOddSocks · 23/09/2018 08:47

Some kids are definitely less energetic and easier to entertain than others. I remember my friend being shocked I didn't want to go for a long, formal meal with our 2 year olds ("why don't you just bring a colouring book?"). My Eldest was a nightmare until 4 when he discovered puzzle books, mazes etc and now he could sit for hours. My youngest has been happily colouring, playing eye spy etc from about 2.