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.

I used to dread taking the children out for dinner. When they were both small, one kept running away and the other kept throwing things off the table. I hated taking them out for meals. Now they are older, they are great. The last two meals they both sat still for the whole thing. I actually enjoyed it.

We just avoid eating out with the kids if we can, they are 2 1/2 and 1. They aren't terrible but it's just stressful keeping them stationary and quiet-ish. We've taken colouring books for the 2 1/2 year old and that does work for a bit. The 1 year old likes to be off exploring so keeping him still is more the issue, he gets fed up sat in a high chair after a while. We decided before we'd even had kids that we'd say no screens at the table, one of our relatives did this on family meals, the child basically sat in his own world and didn't speak. We're going to stick to no screens as much as we can, it kind of defeats going out together!

We did go out for a meal without kids a couple of weeks ago, I highly recommend getting a babysitter!! You forget how enjoyable and RELAXING it is eating out when you've had kids. We ate the food hot and chatted. When we finished eating we sat and ordered another drink !

In my own defence (although I don't see why it should be needed) having a quiet conversation between yourselves while waiting for a meal need not impact on anyone else and if it was performance parenting I would be making sure EVERYBODY knew about it, which I dont. The whole idea of actually talking to each other is to enhance our own enjoyment and to make sure that the children are fully engaged and therefore NOT making a nuisance of themselves. I make no apology for expecting good manners and for treating the children in my family as people rather than as small uncontrollable appendages. Of course they are sometimes absolutely horrible, but in those cases we just go home rather than inflict that on other people. I realize that we are probably lucky in that they aren't difficult children and they have no special needs or other problems but, at the risk of being shot down in flames, for most ordinary children you get out what you put in. If you bring them up to know what behaviour is expected you (mostly) get fairly well behaved children, at least in public and until they reach puberty, which is another matter altogether!

Chatting. Colouring. I keep a small toy or two in my bag.

Then if it's a long meal and she's getting bored I let DD have my phone after the main course.

Wind up toys.
We got these and they're amazing. I throw a few in my handbag to bring out when a bit of entertainment is needed.
www.amazon.co.uk/Assorted-Clockwork-Original-Color-Toddlers/dp/B076XV2CR9/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=wind+up+toys&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1537693602&sr=8-1

I always try conversation first and then when that gets old I pull out my phone. I've a couple of games DS likes to play.

We do go out a lot and over the years (he's 5) I've found that it's more conversation and less phone. Sometimes to the point of no phone. But he's an only so he's not battling for my attention.

I try and avoid taking mine out (1 & 3yo) but if we do, I choose the place very carefully. Family sort of place, early lunch times, pray the food arrives quickly, let them eat, sorry colour with the crayons etc. Sometimes i take some cucumber to munch whilst the food arrives. Carverys where you can go up and get food immediately work well, or places with a playground or kiddie corner. I often take them out by myself and the worst bit is when the food finally arrives and the 3yo immediately needs the toilet ( despite toilet visits prior to ordering) meaning all 3 of us leaving the table/food! Everytime!

Stickers, i-Spy, phones. DS1 loves looking at photos of himself on my phone

Oh and although I'm all for whatever works for people, I never use screens eating as my DC is the sort who would then refuse to ever eat again without the presence of a screen in or out!

We have taken ours out since babies, they know the drill. When they were toddlers we took colouring or a small toy. Little snacks to stave off hunger during long waits. They've always been really well behaved, despite being over energetic.

I don't feel smug though, supermarkets are our nemesis. The combination of bright lights and too much choice are a sensory overload for me and I get mega stressed.

Nobody should need to be defending themselves unless they are letting their kids run riot.

I recall watching a table of ladies in a safari park canteen. The canteen was huge and almost empty yet they chose to sit between two tables of children (in a safari park - who could imagine?)

One table was mine where my baby was tiny and older one was being chatty. The other table was two women with a number of kids who were playing a team game thing over two mobile phones. On both tables the kids were being interacted with and were happy and relaxed. Yet the ladies spent their entire meal staring, tutting and rolling their eyes at the table with the phones.

Both lots of kids were being great but this table wasted a whole load of energy openly judging. Arseholes

2 year old watches Blippi or nursery rhymes on the smart phone. We all get to eat, he doesn't run riot, other diners are happy. He gets plenty of conversation, stimulation, activities the rest of the time. Can't bear the judgement on the use of iPads when out and about.

Mine all have additional needs so we pick carefully when eating out. We take Ipads as a back up but usually puzzle books or colouring. Then they get ipad after dessert so me and dh can have a coffee in peace

I'm obviously another meany. Conversation here to. But also skipping starters, and not going to the sort of places where dinner is expected to take hours.
I wouldn't allow colouring books or tablets at our dining room table, so why in a restaurant?

iPads and earphones. And that’s what everyone else is doing in the restaurant. Apart from those without headphones who I do judge.

Do you expect everyone to sit at the table while food is prepared at home dunes?

Yep me too!! @ionising I’m a great mum, they’re great kids so nothing to prove here just love an easy / uncomplicated / happy life ☺️

Just thought of one...... I’m not sure how old your kids are but we have a game / app that we play quite a bit called heads up. It’s like charades really but it’s so good and well worth the 99p and dobble is a good game. We carry that around with us - it’s not on the phone / tablet x

I had my two before I pads, we would talk to them or they would draw, sometimes take a little toy but they would mostly look around and watch what's going on in the restaurant, it's quite interesting for little ones to people watch. We regularly ate out with them so they were used to it

I make no apology, for judging parents, who stick their kids on a tablet at meal times. It's LAZY parenting, at it's finest. How on earth do you expect your child to learn how to interact and behave in a restaurant, if all you do is plug them in to a device? And it's doubly bad if they have earplugs in as well. They are not part of the experience at all. Why not just leave them at home with a sitter?

I also judge adults, who are sat on mobile phones at dinner. I've lost count of the number of times, I've seen couples out to dinner, and there is no conversation, as they are both glued to their phones. Why are you even out together, if other people are more interesting?

I dread to think what things will be like in 50 years, if we carry on like this. Everyone plugged in to their devices, rather than enjoying the people they are with, and their immediate surroundings.

It's a bit like the film Surrogates. Terrifying.

Sirzy no I don't, but equally it's very rare I get the 20-30 mins before dinner to sit and interact with my kids. Going out to a restaurant guarantees I get some time with my family, and a nice meal to go with it. Extra bonus is no washing up.

Life is great now mine are 14, 10 and 8! Meals out are a pleasure and we do it as often as the budget allows. When they were younger it was harder but we would take crayons and paper, Lego, small toys etc. We’ve always eaten out and made our expectations of their behaviour clear. It’s not always been fun but I think it’s worth doing as regularly as you can so they learn how to behave in restaurants as early as possible!
Dinner table at home can be nightmare and sometimes they all argue and fidget but in a restaurant they are good as gold. The early years are tough though!

DS is only 14 months so too young for screens. We use (non-noisy) toys, take it in turns to cuddle him, and only sit him in his high chair when the food is on the table.

Colouring, books, stickers, little toys