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Original poster

Eating out with a toddler

29 replies

helloandthankyou · 30/08/2020 20:20

I think I just had the worst meal out I’ve ever had with my DH and our DS who is 23 months.

It’s my birthday and I didn’t plan anything because I’m six months pregnant and didn’t want any pressure. However I thought we could go for a quick sandwich at a lovely Farm Cafe up the road. DS fell asleep in the car on the way there. I had previously tried to put him down three times and he wasn’t having any of it and in hindsight I shouldn’t have bothered with the cafe when he hadn’t napped but I was optimistic. We tried to transfer him into his pram but he woke up after a few minutes of sleep.

He started whining pretty soon after waking up. We got all of his diggers out and he threw them all off of the table. I got his ‘water colour’ pen out and he threw it into the water jug on the table and then proceeded to climb onto the table. We took everything off of the table and told him to get down. He got down and started pushing his pram around (he can’t see over the top of it so was pushing it into peoples tables). He then proceeded to run out of the restaurant and DH said ‘I’ll go’. Meanwhile our puppy started crying as DH and DS had gone outside and she doesn’t like the family to be split up. I order our food, leave the table and take the puppy out to stand with DS and DH. DS is running all over the place including into the road and around other people’s tables. We all stay outside until the food arrives. I do a nappy change outside whilst DS screams because he doesn’t want his trousers back on. I tell DH to go and have his but he doesn’t want to leave me as it’s my birthday. So I decide to bring all the food outside. There aren’t any tables so I have to put the food on the floor. Meanwhile DH has gone into the distance to chase DS who has run off so far we can’t see him. I eat my food quickly. So unbelievably stressed out that I go and get DS and tell DH that he’s we are leaving and to please get all our things which are strewn all over the cafe inside and outside. We try to put DS into his pram and he starts screaming and having a huge tantrum. He throws himself onto the ground and won’t be picked up. DS throws him over his shoulder and we walk back to the car. Meanwhile our puppy has jumped into a pond and then does a poo on the way back to the car and there aren’t any dog poo bins on site. So we have to get a screaming toddler into his car seat, wet, muddy puppy in the back with a bag of dog poo in there and DH has to go back and collect all of our things, attempt to eat some of his cold meal that’s on the floor outside and pay up.

Worst £30 I have ever spent. The most stressful meal I have ever had. Contemplating never ever ever eating out again.

Please share your stories! I so need some cheering up

X

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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leasedaudi · 02/09/2020 14:14

My god I had a similar experience with our 2.5 yo on Monday. Thought we should do the last eat out to help our thing. Bad idea. He wasn't interested in sitting still, we got a high chair and he promptly stood up in it, and just wanted to run around the restaurant. We ended up leaving our meals half finished, toddler ate nothing. We are at our wits end with behaviour and I don't know what to do. At least we aren't alone!! We will never go to a restaurant until he's more trustworthy!

Thattwatoverthere · 02/09/2020 14:17

My DD was an absolute horror from about 22m until now at 2 and a half. I could keep her occupied for maybe 30 minutes with a tablet but she liked to bolt and cause mayhem. Now she's great, she'll have a little wander but only around our table and likes to be seen as a 'grown up' with her food and drink being eaten nicely. Her little brother is 16m and I can see him beginning to be a menace already...

There is hope, I didn't think we'd be able to eat out again with her for a long while

Indoctro · 02/09/2020 14:18

I was with a friend, my two kids ages 3/5 and her kids the same age.

It was outside tables on a patio due to covid. My kids are sat nice at table , hers she allows to run about. So I personally didn't notice the kid wasn't sat at table

Another guest shouts ..

Excuse me your kid has just shat under the table

Her 3 year old had pulled his pants down and done a large log under the table

Mortified , to make it worse every heard the man tell her so we're all looking

Just glad it wasn't my child WinkConfused

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Claire123e · 01/09/2024 09:43

helloandthankyou · 30/08/2020 20:20

I think I just had the worst meal out I’ve ever had with my DH and our DS who is 23 months.

It’s my birthday and I didn’t plan anything because I’m six months pregnant and didn’t want any pressure. However I thought we could go for a quick sandwich at a lovely Farm Cafe up the road. DS fell asleep in the car on the way there. I had previously tried to put him down three times and he wasn’t having any of it and in hindsight I shouldn’t have bothered with the cafe when he hadn’t napped but I was optimistic. We tried to transfer him into his pram but he woke up after a few minutes of sleep.

He started whining pretty soon after waking up. We got all of his diggers out and he threw them all off of the table. I got his ‘water colour’ pen out and he threw it into the water jug on the table and then proceeded to climb onto the table. We took everything off of the table and told him to get down. He got down and started pushing his pram around (he can’t see over the top of it so was pushing it into peoples tables). He then proceeded to run out of the restaurant and DH said ‘I’ll go’. Meanwhile our puppy started crying as DH and DS had gone outside and she doesn’t like the family to be split up. I order our food, leave the table and take the puppy out to stand with DS and DH. DS is running all over the place including into the road and around other people’s tables. We all stay outside until the food arrives. I do a nappy change outside whilst DS screams because he doesn’t want his trousers back on. I tell DH to go and have his but he doesn’t want to leave me as it’s my birthday. So I decide to bring all the food outside. There aren’t any tables so I have to put the food on the floor. Meanwhile DH has gone into the distance to chase DS who has run off so far we can’t see him. I eat my food quickly. So unbelievably stressed out that I go and get DS and tell DH that he’s we are leaving and to please get all our things which are strewn all over the cafe inside and outside. We try to put DS into his pram and he starts screaming and having a huge tantrum. He throws himself onto the ground and won’t be picked up. DS throws him over his shoulder and we walk back to the car. Meanwhile our puppy has jumped into a pond and then does a poo on the way back to the car and there aren’t any dog poo bins on site. So we have to get a screaming toddler into his car seat, wet, muddy puppy in the back with a bag of dog poo in there and DH has to go back and collect all of our things, attempt to eat some of his cold meal that’s on the floor outside and pay up.

Worst £30 I have ever spent. The most stressful meal I have ever had. Contemplating never ever ever eating out again.

Please share your stories! I so need some cheering up

X

Hi
hope you don’t mind me asking . Have things improved ? X

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