Eating Out With Little Kids!

Let's face it - when we go out to a restaurant we're usually not thinking of the kids; we're thinking of a nice meal with hubby or catching up with friends and family. We're thinking the kids will wear that cute outfit and everyone will think they're adorable and charming.

We are all mad!!We're mad to try to wrangle children when they're all hyped up and excited into an environment that requires them to be quiet, still and require little to no attention - apart from praise. IT NEVER HAPPENS!

That is why I was so very proud of my kids last Tuesday night! Both of them behaved as well as I could have asked at while out to celebrate DH's new job.  They weren't perfect - but they did as well as I've ever seen a child do! Afterwards (and again the next morning) I was able to "descriptively praise" the kids' behaviour and I took great joy in announcing that because they had been so good we would be able to do it again - maybe next time with some more people!

They we're polite, not screamy, ate every bite they could fit - without a fuss, didn't make a mess, enthusiastically coloured in the papers they were given and were generally pleasant to be around. So by now if you know me and my kids - your probably saying "yeah right - bull***" or "OMG Wow!!".

But the thing is - it was because of me - that they were so good! (self congratulations count!!!)

You see, when Travis was little I did a lot of research on places to eat and how to take kids out without being the embarrassed Mum standing out front of the restaurant alternatively pleading or growling for the kids to behave - as I was sure I was going to end up!  It's taken time and quite a few moments of embarrasement - but finally we're happy with our "eating out manners".

The main thing all sites said was "practice". So we did. We eat out with the kids when we can and expect the same good manners at a HJ's as at a good restaurant (except there is a playground time instead of deserts at HJ's).

Another thing they said was to "pre-prepare the evening". So we do: naps are had early, the kids are told what will happen in advance and how we expect them to behave. We pack a mini bag of quiet entertainments in case of boredom or delayed meals.

Also to "know your limits". When the meal is over we don't push it - we head home (its usually past bedtime by then and the kids are getting tired). We book tables earlier so that we're not eating when they're trying to go to sleep. But if we want to hang around - we make sure that we have extra entertainments on hand and the kids know that at a certain point they have to sit and have quiet cuddles until its time to go.

I cobbled together a list of restaurant desirables to cater to our needs. The restaurants have to have:

1) kid friendly meals - well that's obvious right? There's no point in paying for a meal that they won't eat!

2) high chairs. Again a basic - if they cant see the plate......

3) family atmosphere. I refuse to be glared at when my children occasionally get too loud or I am heard to ask "Do you need to poo?" or "Did you poo or have you just farted?" (yes I say fart to my kids - but they don't say it back!).

4) background noise. A silent place makes us stick out like a sore thumb! We're pretty loud people and as a family there's no way we can all be whisper quiet!

5) kids meals delivered first. There's nothing worse than kids waiting for dinner but not being able to move. They're not very patient at all! Not to mention they take three times as long to eat half as much! If a child's meal is delivered 1/2 hour before mine I'm probably still going to finish before them!

6) patient & forgiving wait staff. My last waiter had to clean up 2 spills, fetch extra napkins and had to stop by twice as often at our table for extra lemonades and Mummy's cocktails :D (yes we did make a point of tipping the awesome fellow)!

7) children's entertainment. A playground is nice - but I'm not talking about going to Micky D's here so there are very few places that have this. All I'm talking about is something simple; a TV (music videos work on my kids), an environment that invites questions and conversations from young minds, a colouring page and crayons etc etc.

8) a fair price. Yes it seems obvious but family's will come out more often if they can afford it without having to save for months! 

So all in all we have been to a few places that are great with kids but our favourite (that also happens to be closest to us atm) is Hogs Breath cafe. They go as far as to treat the kids like people - not just an attachment to the people with money. It has everything we could ask for and even the gentlemen at the front counter makes a point of offering a balloon at the end of the evening and shaking my sons hand (makes him feel like such a big boy that hes simply bursting with pride on the way home).
We will be going back.........at the very least for one of their yummy cocktails :P