Read Mumsnet users top tips for keeping their DC entertained during dinner

[EllieMumsnet]

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Trying to keep your children entertained and not act like wild animals throughout meal times can feel like a bit of a struggle sometimes, especially if you go out as a family to a restaurant. Whether you have to make sure your children don’t throw food around or stay in their seat throughout the entire meal, Frankie & Benny’s would love to know what your top tips are for keeping your children entertained during meal times.

Here’s what Frankie & Benny’s have to say: “Launching this half term at Frankie & Benny's, we're giving away a free Squishie with every kids' meal. You're going to need to head down to your nearest restaurant to collect all ten before they’re gone! If you haven't heard about Squishies, they are cute foamy toys that you can squeeze to you hearts content, before watching them magically re-inflate. There are 10 different adorable Squishies up for grabs at Frankie & Benny’s, tick each one off on our Squishies Passport as you collect them!"

Do you only choose family friendly restaurants to eat out at? Perhaps for meals at home, you cut their food into interesting shapes to ensure there’s an element of fun? What about playing games at the table and if so what kind of games do you play? Or maybe you bring colouring and toys along with you to restaurants?

Whatever your top tips are for keeping your children entertained post them on the thread below and everyone who does will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thank you and good luck with the prize draw!
MNHQ

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Clear and attractive activity sheet with some colouring pens just enough to occupy them until food arrives. Nothing to encourage them to get up before food arrives. Toys work for happy meals so no reason why it won't be a it for frankie and benny. Something to do, again, to keep them on their bums!
Buffet can be quite good for slightly older kids but they're easy to keep happy and seated anyway.

We take iPads. This is necessary for children who find busy or unfamiliar environments sensorily triggering. I’ve seen people making judgemental faces and nudging their partners. As far as I’m concerned they can do the other. These are the people who are not carers and have no idea of what challenges neuro divergent children face.

My DC have always been pretty good when we eat out. I don't want them to be on screens at the table. They are usually fine just chatting to us. I'm always grateful if a restaurant has crayons and an activity sheet to keep them busy while we're waiting for the food...things for older children like wordsearches or crosswords are appreciated alongside dot to dots and colouring for younger ones.

Really try not to take the iPad as think children need to get used to behaving in public places. The phone might come out as a last resort if the youngest child won’t behave. We only go to family friendly restaurants where it doesn’t matter if they’re not sitting down the whole time. It’s great when there’s a small area separate for children to play. We always take the toy cars/planes etc or colouring pads. Or just trying to involve them in all conversations. Easier as they get older but sometimes easier to not eat out!

Also agree that children shouldn't need "entertained". If the restaurant provides an activity sheet then great, if not then we either chat or play simple games like I-Spy or going through the alphabet naming food/places/games etc for each letter.

We love the big standard pad and pens but like the activity kits more.
And also have been to a couple recently for Sunday lunches that have a balloon artist (if that's what you call them )

And that works well too

Quite lucky that our son loves his food and really enjoys it when it comes out however he can get a bit bored waiting for it to come out!

Its nice when places have pencils but we bring a few books and toys to distract him with. Otherwise he wants to get down and explore!

Family friendly restarunts are becoming more important as he gets older for sure.

Chatting and keep shovelling food into him :-). I like places that bring bread or breadsticks when you sit down because then you don't really have gaps that require entertainment.

Hate plastic tat, sorry Frankie and Benny's that puts me right off.

When going out go with lots of people. DS loves sitting down to dinner with loads of loved ones but can get bored with just us. Colouring in never amuses him for long.

Except for a few months around the time each DC was 18m old, we've eaten out whenever we could afford to as a family. We would never go to a restaurant with soft play etc and the DC are not allowed to get up and move around unless for the loo etc.

We have always brought stuff with us - colouring in, sticker books, comics, small jigsaws at one point when DD was obsessed. And we don't ignore the DC. We use the time to chat and do the activities with them. We don't get phones out either.

DD at 10 is usually very reliable. DS is more of a live wire at 6 yrs old but we all went as a family at 6pm to a lovely Michelin recommended restaurant in Devon. We were the only family in there. The rest were adults. DS is maths obsessed atm so I did adding up with him. We had a lovely time. It was very much clinking glassware and china but it didn't bother us. DC tried mussels and loved them. I was very proud of them and believe because they've been out and shown how to behave, it is a pleasure to take them out.

My kids have always been great when we eat out, which surprises me tbh as we do it about once a year because of cost! But maybe thats why they behave so well, because its a real treat and they are so excited to be eating dinner somewhere other than at home!

We do play dinner games at home sometimes, my youngest kids favourite being 'This is a Spoon!' or another favourite, Shut the Box.

Never been to Frankie & Bennys, I don't even know what kind of grub they do :-) but my lot love their squishies, so might have to look into it for my son and daughters shared birthday! x

Have meals always at the table at home. So lots of conversations that usually start with 'mum/dad why....'
Helps when we eat out that eating round a table us regular not special - however restaurants have waits for food sometimes so a regular crayon and paper usually does the trick. Occasionally very quietly played calm videos are played but only whilst waiting for food/drinks to arrive.

Books, little cars, pad with crayons, sticker book are all essential for trying to keep my energetic 2yo occupied. I do like places with a little soft play or some toys for him to play with while we wait for food to arrive, helps to keep the peace. We also have some really entertaining conversations at meal times. I'm sure a squishy would go down well!

We don’t allow tablets or phones at the table. To be honest I rarely bring anything out nowadays - our youngest is 5yo and he’s perfectly happy chatting to one of us or completing the activity sheets many restaurants give out now.

That said, we do pick family friendly restaurants, which makes things less stressful in itself.

We don't allow tablets / phones at the table unless the meal is going on for ages! I do expect mine to behave! They do love the activity sheets you can get at some restaurants and they know that if they behave then they get a big, fat pudding!

I hate it when parents ignore their kids, and the kids stare at screens. There's no excuse other than lazy parenting. We didn't have such devices when my kids were small, and despite my dd#1 being autistic we ate out a fair amount and not in noisy family friendly places as she hated the noise of other kids misbehaving. We have always eaten at the table, never had a tv nearby so it's normal to sit still. Pens/crayons and colouring books were our restaurant kit though even quite smart restaurants we found produced puzzle books. I'm proud to say I've never had to reprimand them for getting down from the table during the meal, shouting or any other bad behaviours I see whenever we eat out before 8pm - we always got compliments on their behaviour but I know it's because we did the same at home, good habits are from consistent rules. Oh and we still sit together most days now even though one is an adult and the other an older teen, no tv allowed!

If it is a place without a playarea i tend to go when after we have done an activity or been out with the children so that they dont want to get up and run around. i try not to go when the children are starving as waiting for meals to arrive at busy times can result in stressed out children and adults. We like family friendly places, the activity pack in Frankie and Bennys has always been well packed with different things to do suitable for a range of ages. But i also pack my own pencils and paper just incase.
I always order starters and drinks as soon as we arrive so occupy them whilst the mains arrive.

I’ve always taken an activity book and some colouring pencils for when the dcs were younger but now that they’re a bit older, we chat.
Sometimes we’ll play a ‘would you rather’ game or ask a silly question which prompts conversation.

Have an assortment of small, quiet toys to play with in between.

Conversation and people watching works well for us, but if they are available pencils/crayons and activity sheets always go down well. I used to take picture books and stickers when they were younger, but now I don't take anything.

A few restaurants near us have a small football pitch with a goal outside, which is a nice touch to get children to run off any extra energy after a large sugary dessert or while they are waiting for food to be served.

We have conversations about our day. We also normally make some kind of face or something funny with the food which gets the children giggling

Books - we read books, we talk, or we colour

When they were younger a notepad and pen was the best thing, now they just chat quite happily. At home we always let them get down from the table after they'd finished.

If our DD is hungry she will stay still and eat but may be cross and figity before the food arrives. A drink (water or a couple of sips of a soft drink) and a toy usually keep her occupied but we have struggled in the past to keep her in her seat! I wouldn't use a mobile at a restaurant (I know it's annoying to others) but it's useful if we can get some bread or something to nibble on if there is a wait for the food.

We generally choose family friendly restaurants to eat out at where they have paly areas or colouring for kids. Meals at home we always sit down as a family and eat together.