Last night we took the kids out for dinner. The two older girls were well-behaved and kept themselves occupied with quiet colouring while they waited for their food to arrive. Brinley, on the other hand, reached her quota for sitting still in her highchair after about 3.7 minutes at the restaurant. By the time our meals arrived, she was writhing in her seat, screaming, trying to dive-bomb out of chair. She ate two French fries, smeared some ketchup on her clothes and then pooped her pants. If someone you knew did that when you had a meal with them, it would probably be a deal-breaker.
And THAT’S why we almost never eat out with our kids. It’s expensive, and stressful and messy and frustrating. I would way rather spend the money on a baby-sitter than on the wasted chicken fingers and crusty fries our kids end up just tossing on the floor. Mind you, seeing how my five and three year-old behaved last night has given me a glimmer of hope that someday we’ll be able to enjoy dining out as a family.
Do you eat out with your kids? Do you think it’s worth the extra effort or do you prefer to just dine with adults?
It’s hard when you DO get a sitter and the table beside you has the screaming kid (s)! It is a social, public space, not your living room. At the Chateau Fairmont in Whistler, BC my fifth wedding anniversary dinner came complete with a string quartet and a screaming infant three tables over. It was an ugly scene as many objected to the babies presence and the mother hell bent on having her dinner. “Having a baby shouldn’t change where I eat for dinner.” Her partner was super-uncomfortable.
I am a big fan of the whole family going to a nice upscale restaurant to eat. I have always brought my daughter to restaurants, Indian, Thai, Japanese and we go monthly for something new. Our average dinner date time is 4:30 to 5:00. I’m sure we won’t crash any dates that way.
Other than the occasional quick pub meal, we avoided dining out as the experience was one that was more stressful than just pulling together a quick meal at home.
The boys are older now and while we are not hitting any fine establishments, they understand the luxury of going out is just that, a luxury and the more they act out, the better chance they will stay at home with a sitter the next time it come up.
I am such a hard ass. Swiss Chalet for everyone!
J.
growing up we ate out in “real” restaurants (no french fries on the menu!) and i think because my parents did that i have a real appreciation for different foods, how to “behave in public” and respect for the others around. i can’t remember if i was young enough to poop my pants or not but i think it’s an important life skill…how to act when one is “out”.
that being said, if you know your kids’ limits (not meanings specifically “you” i mean the “general-all-of-us” you) act accordingly. maybe it’s harvey’s for 5 years and then you can work your way up to swiss chalet 🙂 just maybe not auberge du pommier right away 🙂
That picture is a RIOT! I eat out quite a bit with Will – we have one restaurant where we go all the time- the waitresses know him, the food is great and they are totally family friendly. But I agree, it’s better to spend the $$ on a sitter and enjoy time out – especially with three!
We don’t eat out often with our little ones, usually only when we’re on an outing or on holiday. I always try and keep a small bottle of bubbles in my purse (actually a bottle in every bag I could possibly take with my kids ;), I’ve found that has helped many times to pass the time while waiting for food (or other things). They are usually quite unobtrusive or at least get smiles from others because it keeps the boys from being bored and too restless.
We like eating out with the girls …. but alone is nice too. We’ve always eaten out with them, right since they were babies, so I think in part they are used to the restaurant annoyances like having to wait for food, sitting still and all that. But the wasted food and the expense is definitely a pain!
I tend to prefer adults… though, now that my two are getting bigger, and are learning how to behave in restos, I’m more open to it. Still? The expense of food not eaten, etc… I’m still opting for the sitter for now. (It’s good to try it out once in a while though, right?)