Are you stressed out about taking your kids out to eat? Stress no more after you follow my tips for dining out with kids!
Weirdly, taking my kids out to eat was one of the most stressful activities for me when I first became a mom. I felt like I had to prepare (both mentally and with stuff) a ton before we went. Then, when we were actually dining out with kids, I was a nervous wreck the whole time. I was so anxious about the whole thing that we just didn’t ever take them out to eat.
But after a few years, I really missed going out to eat. I needed an occasional break from cooking and dishes. I also really wanted a draft beer every now and again. So, I had to figure out how to take my kids out to eat without it being a horribly stressful experience.
The good news is that I figured it out and now I want to share my tips for dining out with kids with you. It doesn’t have to be stressful! You can actually enjoy dining out with kids, I promise!
Tips for Dining Out with Kids
Frequent
Consider my first tip for dining out with kids to be the rip the band-aid tip. If you want dining out with kids to eventually be enjoyable, you’ve got to do it more than once a year. The more often you take your kids out to eat, the more comfortable they’ll be with it. That’s just the reality of the situation.
Now, I’m not saying you need to take them out to eat three times a week. Even once a month can set up a routine for them. After just a few times dining out within a reasonable amount of time, they’ll know what to expect and how to act. You will also have had time to practice my tips, so you’ll feel more comfortable dining out with kids too. There is a reason I put this tip first – don’t skip this tip!
Family-friendly
Next up, you need to know where to take your kids out to eat. Not all restaurants are created equal when you’re dining out with kids. You really need to do some research to determine if the restaurant you’ve got your eye on is the right place to go with your kids. Don’t know where to start to determine which restaurants might be good options? I’ve got some tips within this tip for you!
Breakfast
I highly recommend that you start your journey of dining out with kids with breakfast. Your kids are well-rested and usually on their best behavior in the morning, the restaurants aren’t typically slammed (especially if you go early), and caffeine is readily available for you.
Casual
Dining out with kids is not the time for fine dining. Stick to casual restaurants when you’ve got your kids in tow. Your kids will feel more comfortable when other kids are there, you will feel more comfortable if you’re not the only one bringing kids, and the restaurants will be more used to dealing with the particular needs of kids.
We like family restaurants, bar and grill type places, and breweries that serve food when we take our kids out to eat. Steer yourself toward places without tablecloths that use paper napkins.
Outdoor space
Outdoor space at a restaurant is not a requirement when you’re dining out with kids, but it sure is a nice bonus! It’s super nice to be able to let your kids run and play where you can see them while you enjoy an adult chat as your family waits for the food to arrive. When the restaurant has lawn games or gives the kids frisbees, you know this will be the kind of place for you!
Early
When you’re dining out with kids at dinner time, I highly recommend arriving before 6:00 pm. We like to shoot for 5:00 pm if we can. Going early means that the restaurants aren’t as busy as they are at a more “conventional” dinner time, which comes with several benefits. First, your wait time will be minimized. If you’ve ever had to wait for a while for a table with kids, you’ll know that this wait can be agony. Avoid it by opting for an early dinner. Second, you won’t feel weird when your kids are acting like kids if the restaurant isn’t jam packed. Third, eating early fills bellies before anyone’s hanger sets in. There is no quicker way to completely ruin a family meal out than everyone being super hungry. See why eating early works to your benefit?
Make it an event
In my experience, your kids will be way more cooperative at a restaurant if you eventize going out to eat.
Celebrate something
Come up with a reason to be celebrating something when you take your kids out to eat. We like to use meals out to celebrate milestones, good behavior, or happy things that have happened in our family. Any excuse is a good enough excuse to celebrate with a meal out with the kids!
Dress up
My son flat refuses to dress up for pretty much anything, but my daughter will take any reason to wear a cute outfit. If wearing a cute outfit and dressing up will get your kids more into going out to eat, lean into it!
Cheers
My husband loves to start every meal out with our kids with a simple ritual that really sets the tone for the meal. We cheers. That’s it! Getting the kids to clink glasses and say cheers makes them really buy into the experience of eating out with the family, even if they’re just cheersing with water. Let them get a root beer or a juice and they’ll buy in even more!
Set & enforce rules
You should have rules when you dine out with kids, just like you have rules for meal times at home. These should mostly be the same. No standing on chairs, no getting up and walking around, no throwing food. There is no reason to come up with any rules that are out of the ordinary. The important thing is that you enforce them. If you enforce them at home, your kids will be more likely to follow them when you’re taking them out to eat.
Distractions
Waiting for food at a restaurant can be extremely boring, even for older kids who can tolerate a little boredom. Heck, sometimes conversation alone isn’t enough for adults to fend off this boredom. I have found that bringing some sort of distraction helps both the kids and the adults get through this waiting period without having meltdowns. Now, what you bring as a distraction will vary depending on the ages of your children. Here are some options that we have found to work well over the years.
Cars
When my kids were little, a few matchbox cars did wonders at the dinner table. Simply zooming the cars from one side of the table to the other, visiting the mechanic, or narrating the car’s drive around the table passes sufficient time between ordering food and eating food.
Crayons
Although lots of restaurants provide crayons and coloring sheets to distract kids, it never hurts to bring some of your own. My daughter loved to bring a zippered pouch filled with crayons and a dollar store coloring book when she was little, and she still asks to bring these things every once in a while. They are easy enough to throw in a bag, so I always oblige.
Games
Lately, my kids have been loving simple card games when we go out to eat. Our favorite game to play at a restaurant is Uno, but we also like Eye Found It and Go Fish. A deck of cards is super easy to bring along, play, and clean up while you’re at a restaurant, so I see no reason not to throw one in your bag the next time you take your kids out to eat.
Order quickly
Even though you’ve brought a distraction or two with you, you’re still going to want to minimize the wait for food to the extent you can. The best way to do this is to order quickly. It can be a high pressure situation to have everyone’s full dinner order ready quickly, so we like to just decide on an appetizer quickly. The appetizer gives everyone something to nibble on, and buys some time for everyone to decide on what they want to eat. Some go-to appetizers that kids love include soft pretzels, nachos, and hummus (as long as no one has a sesame allergy!).
Don’t force food
It can be exciting to share your favorite foods with your kids. I get that, I really do. But, especially when they’re young, it’s not ideal to force new foods on them when you’re dining out. Instead, order safe foods for them (think chicken fingers, grilled cheese, a hot dog) and let them have a bite of a new food from your plate if they want to try. Trust me, this is for the best.
Other posts
Interested in other tips for parenting in the wild? I’m so glad you asked!
I hope I’ve given you the confidence you need to try your hand at dining out with kids. What’s your favorite meal or cuisine to eat at a restaurant? Share down below or over on Instagram @sarainseason!