Tips For Dining Out With Your Kids

Dining out can be a special time for families. It's a great way to celebrate time together, and it’s often very relaxing to have someone else do the cooking -- not mention the dishes! However, almost every parent has been embarrassed by child who has had a temper tantrum in the middle of a restaurant. If you want to dine out successfully with your children, follow these simple to making sure that the entire meal goes smoothly:

1. Make sure that your children know that dining out as a special treat, one that requires special rules. Make sure that your children understand the rules of dining out. Before leaving for the restaurant, role-play with your child so that he or she can see the best ways to order and behave in public. You can also try practicing table manners and behavior at the family dinner table. Discuss what might happen during a restaurant meal, and make sure that your children know what is expected of them.
   
   
2. Only head out to dinner when your children are fully hungry. A young child who is not interested in food will quickly grow restless and irritable in a restaurant. In many cases, this is one of the reasons why it is often better to head to family restaurants that do not require advance reservations. You can simply head out when you child is starting to get hungry. Family friendly restaurants also tend to offer plenty of seating. This is important, since even the best behaved children will become irritable when forced to wait for a long time before being seated.
   
   
3. Choose your restaurant carefully. A restaurant that welcomes children is more likely to have high chairs, children's menus, child-appropriate food, and so forth. If you take your child to a restaurant clearly intended for quiet adult evenings, your child will be bored, and other diners may be upset by the presence of a child in a restaurant where children are not usually permitted. Call ahead if you're not sure whether a restaurant welcomes children.
   
   
4. Time your visit well. If your child has not dined out often, consider arriving at a restaurant during non-peak hours. You can call ahead to ask when a restaurant tends to be least full. This will tend to get you better service from the waiters, ensure that your food arrives quicker, and can allow your child to be less distracted by lots of other customers.
   
   
5. Be prepared for the wait. One of the most challenging things for young children in a restaurant is the long wait between ordering and being served. A good idea is to order a small, light appetizer to snack on while looking over the menu. This will arrive quickly and will keep the children from becoming overly full on bread before the meal arrives. You may also want to pack some crayons and papers so that your child can draw or doodle while the food is being prepared.