Eating out? Is it me

[Lunafortheloveogod]

Ok am I being uptight or is it perfectly reasonable to still not want to eat out.

You need a mask in Asda but not in a cafe that’s half the size.. the tables aren’t all distanced and I’ve seen places that don’t clean. What are they cleaning with? Toddler gives me the fear cause everything is licked so I wouldn’t want him licking bleach.

A few weeks ago we were to stay in and avoid each other now it’s ok to pop for a pub lunch.

MIL has a milestone coming, not major, and wants us all to go out to eat.. I’ve said no offered to do something at home, atleast then I know anything the toddler licks is clean.. menus are limited dh is fussy and me and the kids have allergies so we’d be having a plain dry baked potato if we went. But I really don’t feel comfortable. Latest idea was leaving me and the youngest home still taking the licker with them I still said no. It’s been the conversation every night for a fort night.

Am I mad? Is everyone just back to normal now? Would you take small children out to eat at the mo?

I would and I have. It was fine. Why on earth would you be eating a dry baked potato?!

I'd go out for a birthday meal and would not be impressed if someone offered me a home cooked meal instead, tbh.

It's up to you but we need some normality and where do you eat that the only thing you aren't allergic to is a dry baked potato?

What allergies do you have that limit you to only eating dry baked potato. Awful to be allergic to soft potatoes

Also yabu

How do you think you’re ever going to get comfortable if you don’t go out and restart normality again?

You can’t avoid everywhere forever. Covid isn’t going to go away even with a vaccine; we have to learn to live with it.

As long as you follow the social distancing guidelines you’ll be fine.

We've eaten out, we've been on holiday in the UK, swam in pools etc.

However, I have colleagues who do not feel comfortable going anywhere for drinks and food. A small meet up of 6 was suggested but two don't want to, including one in their 30s (so younger).

I respect their decision. Each to their own. If you don't feel comfortable don't go, but you don't need other excuses - just say it's because of C19.

We’ve eaten in a few major chains and it’s been fine- well spaced out, confident of cleanliness and the menu has been limited but not excessively so. YABU.

I’d go out and have but we have no dietary requirements and haven’t taken DC anywhere.

The restaurant we went too had very spaced out tables and rules about how we were served and we ordered via an app.

I don’t think you should base you idea of eating out on the Asda cafe but if you are not comfortable with it yanbu to skip it. However, unless you are vulnerable, yabu to stop DH going without the licker if that’s an option.

Also they can take anticbac wipes and gel if going with the licker...

We've been for a couple of pub lunches and it was fine. Loads of space between tables, staff wearing PPE, table service only, organised queuing system for the lavs etc.

However, it was just the two of us. I don't see how you can socially distance from people eating with you, tbh and it's not clear from your OP if "all of us" is just your immediate family plus MIL, or if it includes other siblings and their partners/children. If the latter, I'd say no.

Where do you eat that menus are limited? What allergies do you need to cater for? There must be somewhere that can deal with everyone's dietary requirements, surely?

The toddler licking everything is an issue that I don't know how you could get round though.

And why are you using Asda cafe as an example? It isn't typical of most eating places.

How do you know they aren't cleaning if you haven't been out to eat there? Also, there is no reason to think they are using bleach. It is well-known and publicised that soap/detergent and water are best.

I can certainly understand why you wouldn't go out to eat if all you can have os a dry baked potato though. We are going out to dinner on Sunday night, full menu available (as it also is at our local pubs).

YABU about eating out atm in general, but YANBU to not want to take a licky toddler out to eat (coronavirus or no) or to go somewhere where you'd have zero choice of food.

It's obviously your call , there's no law to say you have to go out
I am happy to eat out and we are back to eating out at least twice a week
But you can't expect others not to want to go out,a night at home is not the same,most of us have had more than enough of that !

Yes I absolutely would, but then we’ve almost certainly had it already and even if not we’re in the least risky categories and it’s not something I’d be terrified of. That’s not to say I don’t obviously understand that we all have a role to play in not spreading it on etc.

And yes as to a PP I think it’s reasonable that they don’t want another meal at home after months and months of nothing but.

If I had a big birthday coming up I’d want to celebrate in a bar or restaurant probably. Anyone could refuse to come, as is their right, but having another meal in someone’s house isn’t quite the same.

It sounds like you don’t eat out normally if you only eat a dry baked potato so what’s the issue?

And have you actually been in many restaurants and cafes to form an opinion about how they have adapted?

And yes, I’ve taken my kids out several times.

Checked the menu it’s a cafe type place.. can have dairy (so no butter for the potato) can’t have celery, parsley, dill, wheat, oats, citrus, tomatoes and lentils/barley place serves sandwiches, burgers, cakes, tray bakes and spuds with various toppings. Limited menu with covid.

So yeah dry spud unless one of their toppings are ok.

Id rather cook us all something nice. Not a birthday.. not an event for most people but she’d celebrate new shoes if we’d come.

I could see it being better if it was distanced properly and all adults.. we don’t lick the table and won’t touch anything we don’t need to.

Your mil doesn’t want you to cook, she wants to go out. So either decline or go and suck it up with a smile.

You can't really have a toddler going round licking things in a restaurant, pandemic or no pandemic. It is unhygienic both for the child and other people who come into contact with the surfaces your child has licked. On that basis, I would suggest to your MIL that a restaurant is not an appropriate place if you can't stop your child licking things.

Does your kid really lick the table?!🤢

You do you, but we've eaten out several times now since the restrictions were lifted.

No restaurant/pub wants to be publicly shamed and then shut down as a superspreader hot spot - everywhere we've been has been clean, spaced out, vigilant about regulations, and we've been careful ourselves. That, and the fact that there've been no reported cases of CV19 locally for well over two weeks where we live makes me feel reasonably confident about eating out again.

But not sure I'd go out for a dry baked potato at the best of times. That's a very different question than 'am I being uptight?' though.

jesus just take some vegan spread for the potato and stop being a drama lama

Or contact the venue beforehand and discuss your allergies.

I don't quite understand - is the main issue your allergies and the lack of choice, the virus or the licky toddler?

To be honest any of the three are perfectly good reasons to just say no thanks. Just say no ta because of of the above come to ours afterwards for a cupper or whatever.

YABU.

It is fine to eat out. Go and enjoy yourselves, don't be uptight about it.

I do eat out.. I’m not an alien. Just don’t fancy bringing home more than a stained bib.

Literally sat n watched a beach front cafe while eating a pack up, not a thing wiped up between customers. So that’s obviously stuck as an issue, had friends who’ve been out and said they were elbow to elbow with others too.

It’s not an Asda cafe.. Christ they’d at least have fruit . And it’d be my immediate family, mil, partner, her partners family and bils family. I’d find plenty at bigger restaurants but not in a greasy spoon.