S/O taking LO to restaurants with you

Mis+Shapes · February 2011

Just wondering how everyone else's LO's handle going out to a restaurant...DD is 20 months old. We actually don't go out to eat that much with LO because it is very difficult to keep her entertained. She always wants to get up from her highchair and explore. I get nervous becuase I don't want her bothering other people or getting in the way of the waitstaff.

We started bringing a portable DVD player or crayons, but that only seems to last for 30 minutes or so max. Anyone else have the same issues? If so, any suggestions to keep her seated?

tigpom · February 2011

My LO is 18 months. I have learned he does much better in a booth so he can still stand and move around a little. I will wait extra just to have the booth because we are going to have a fight on our hands if he has to sit in a highchair. We have the DVD player as well and it works for a little bit. I try to always have some toys in his bag as well. I know it is hard but they will never learn if you do not take them. Just keep trying. That is what we do.

AutumnBride929 · February 2011

It seems like bringing a portable DVD player to a restaurant would be more annoying than walking around with her for a little bit, lol! We'll let DS walk around for a little while but he must be holding our hand and we obviously watch to make sure we are not in anybody's way. If he gets antsy towards the end of dinner and we are finished eating, then one of us will take him out to the car while the other waits for the check.

PrincessFiona9 · February 2011

I rarely go out to eat, but when we do DD never really gives us any trouble. The only problem is she throws her food everywhere, which she also does at home. We try to pick up after her as best we can, but I think the staff must hate us when we leave haha

LauranBilly · February 2011

AutumnBride929:
It seems like bringing a portable DVD player to a restaurant would be more annoying than walking around with her for a little bit, lol! We'll let DS walk around for a little while but he must be holding our hand and we obviously watch to make sure we are not in anybody's way. If he gets antsy towards the end of dinner and we are finished eating, then one of us will take him out to the car while the other waits for the check.

Yeah, a portible DVD player is a bit much.

mxpxgirl13 · February 2011

mooshagirl:
We rarely go out to eat with DD anymore for the very same reasons. She will only sit in the high chair for about 15 minutes and then wants to explore the restaurant. There's usually too much going on for her to actually eat anything. She won't sit on one of our laps, and since she is not walking, it is really gross to let her crawl around the restaurant. One of us usually ends up trying to entertain her while the other one eats and then we trade off. So, we really don't get to enjoy our meal and end up leaving as quickly as possible. I do miss the days of going to a nice dinner and having a couple drinks and dessert. I have a feeling that won't be happening again for a while!

Oh my goodness, I seriously could have written this. It is way too difficult to be taking DS out for these reasons! Poor DH and I have to take turns to eat/take care of LO if we go out to eat, I miss being able to sit down and have a complete meal for the both of us, lol.

shoeboxx · February 2011

We usually let him have snacks and give him toys/books to entertain him. We don't put him in the high chair until the food comes. 95% of the time, he's okay like that. Sometimes there is nothing we can do to entertain him, so one of us has to walk with him. That very rarely happens though.

sevans1975 · February 2011

I'm pretty lucky that DD is into looking all around at her surroundings and/or coloring with the kid's menu and crayons provided that she does really well at restaurants.

We don't go out often, but when we do, she is really good about it.

I think in your situation I would do the same things...bring stuff to entertain and snacks and hope for the best!

MommyMich · February 2011

I guess we are lucky, our kids are usually really well behaved at restaurants. We always get them the kid's menu and crayons and that usually is enough to keep them entertained until their food comes. We had a difficult time with both of them at Outback a couple weeks ago. DH and I were both trying to hurry up and eat so we could go because they were so restless (we had been out all day and they didn't nap) but when we were about done with our meal a nice old couple stopped at our table to commend us on how well behaved our children were. I guess even when they are "bad" they are doing pretty good!

A favorite place of ours to eat out at is Tijuana Flats. It is a casual atmosphere with short wait times for food and our kids love the cheese quesadillas.

Mis+Shapes · February 2011

LauranBilly:

AutumnBride929:
It seems like bringing a portable DVD player to a restaurant would be more annoying than walking around with her for a little bit, lol! We'll let DS walk around for a little while but he must be holding our hand and we obviously watch to make sure we are not in anybody's way. If he gets antsy towards the end of dinner and we are finished eating, then one of us will take him out to the car while the other waits for the check.

Yeah, a portible DVD player is a bit much.

It's portable. I am not bringing a 52" plasma tv. I don't mind walking around with LO, I just don't want to disrupt other customers or the waitstaff.

Anyway, thank you for the suggestions.

Mis+Shapes · February 2011

Duplicate post

Mis+Shapes · February 2011

Sorry! Another dup!

erino&chrish · February 2011

This might sound silly, but we carry him into the restaurant from the car. If we let him walk he gets into exploring and doesn't want to sit down. He loves brocoli and is a good eater so we order a side of brocoli as soon as we sit down and that keeps him occupied. I'd say one out of every 4 times we go out he's in a bad mood but usually calms down when the food comes out.

AmyCC1980 · February 2011

Dh and I used to love to go out to eat, now I dread it. DD runs all over the place refuses to sit in a high chair, hardly eats, etc. Even her favorite toys and coloring books/crayons won't keep her seated for more than 5 min. I am hoping this behavior improves, but I am thinking that if I want to enjoy a meal out these days I had better get a babysitter.

vmm0016 · February 2011

We just let Keira walk around. I usualy feed her and then let her walk around until our food gets to the table. That way it breaks things up and she is pretty good.

sasky · February 2011

DS doesn't walk yet, so maybe this will change. But he's perfectly content to stay in his highchair. He eats pretty slowly, so we just keep giving him little bites of his dinner and he looks around at all the people and decorations. It's really easy taking him out to eat so far (knock on wood).

AutumnBride929 · February 2011

tigpom:
I have learned he does much better in a booth so he can still stand and move around a little.

This, too. DS isn't so bad that we will wait extra for a booth but I have noticed that it helps when we do get the luck of the draw. Smile

MsAlyss · February 2011

LauranBilly:
AutumnBride929:
It seems like bringing a portable DVD player to a restaurant would be more annoying than walking around with her for a little bit, lol! We'll let DS walk around for a little while but he must be holding our hand and we obviously watch to make sure we are not in anybody's way. If he gets antsy towards the end of dinner and we are finished eating, then one of us will take him out to the car while the other waits for the check.

Yeah, a portible DVD player is a bit much.

I agree. I'll admit it...I'm the one side-eyeing you in the restaurant.

benkari · February 2011

We brings crayons and paper and sit in a booth that way they can walk around the booth a bit, color then sit and eat when the meal comes!

TSD · February 2011

We've been bringing him out like once a week since he was an infant. I just make sure to bring lots of food with me, one of those magnetic small drawing things, crayons, etc. It's not really relaxing, but we want him to be used to it. I will not bring a dvd player because I don't want that habit. I've never let him out of the high chair or he'd never get back in. We just make sure if we order him other food than what I've brought they bring it out first, I ask them for a bunch of straws and napkins which he likes to play with, and we don't eat leisurely. We don't order dessert- we just eat and go. We also take him to a wide variety of restaurants from a burger place to semi-fancy.

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