Dining Out with Children
Dining out with your child can be successful, with some small preparation beforehand. Each time your child has the opportunity and experience of eating at a restaurant, they will be better prepared for the next time. It is also another way to show them how family meals or gathering of friends is a time for conversation, connection and enjoyment of food.
To Prepare in Advance:
Makeup bag (something novel they have not seen or used before, only for restaurant experiences). Filled with (and rotated out) with some of the following options:
As your children, get older you can invite them to pack their own go-bag.
During the Meal:
Set up the expectations and guidelines around how the bag is used when you introduce it. They can play while they wait for their food, but when the food arrives it is time to focus on eating.
Encourage conversation too! Engage them with topics that they can participate in so they feel included throughout the dining experience.
Invite your child to begin ordering or participating in the ordering. Making eye contact with the waiter and asking politely for what they would like to eat or drink.
As your child gets older, offer some autonomy in their independence. Send siblings to the bathroom together, or send them alone and wait outside so they can manage on their own.
If necessary, invite your child to go on their own to ask the wait staff for crayons and paper. Or order desert for themselves at the end of the meal.
After the Meal:
Debrief! How did it go? Even if there were moments of your child under the table, or struggling to sit still, it is a good time to process together in preparation for the next time. Note and appreciate the well behaved moments, and comment on the moments for improvement. Everyone enjoyed when you were sitting so calmly and talking with us about your day at school. Remember when you crawled under the table? I know the next time we eat at a restaurant, you’ll remember to stay in your chair.