7 Tips for Eating Out With Toddlers

The first time we took the twins out to a restaurant, they behaved impeccably simply because they were only 4 months old and slept through the entire meal. We took them out a couple more times after that but only for really quick meals in restaurants within our neighborhood. They were pretty manageable then. We just had to be really quick in whisking them outside of the restaurant until they calmed down. After which, they would fall asleep for the rest of the meal. But now that they're over a year old, dining out with them has definitely become more challenging. 

For starters, they want to eat and grab everything in sight. They also refuse to be buckled to high chairs and are quite vocal about it. During our dating and newlywed phases, Joey and I loved going out to eat and we both agree that it's something we want to continue enjoying even now that we have the twins. But at the same time, we don't want to upset other diners around us whenever the twins throw a fit.  Thankfully, through a bit of trial and error, we have found tricks to make dining out with our twin toddlers a possibility.

7 TIPS FOR EATING OUT WITH TODDLERS

Call ahead to check if the restaurant has a kids' menu and high chairs. If they do, this is a good sign that they welcome children and that they're used to a bit (maybe even a lot?) of noise and mess.

Go off-peak. Chances are you'll have a big section of the restaurant to yourself so you'll disturb less patrons. Plus, wait time is shorter, the staff is less stressed, and the place won't be too loud for your tots.  We once tried having dinner with the twins at a busy restaurant thinking that the noise will drown out their noise but they got so riled up and ended up shouting which garnered us irked looks from adult-only tables. Yikes! 

Avoid restaurants with tablecloths and keep all tableware on the opposite side of the table. If your children are anything like my twins, they will always pull stuff and reach for knives and forks so just keep everything sharp, hot and breakable out of their reach.

Yes, your children's part of the table will look like this. But better safe than sorry, right? Oh and don't worry, those wine bottles are farther from the table than they look.

Bring some books, toys, and snacks to keep your tots occupied while waiting for the food to be served. We love buggy books with rings. We attach them to high chairs to keep our high chair-resistant twins happy. It also saves us from having to bend over a thousand times to pick up fallen books. 

Go straight to the main course. No matter how many books and toys you bring, active toddlers won't be able to handle sitting on a high chair for more than an hour. Enjoy your main course and get dessert at another place. The walk from the restaurant to the dessert cafe usually calms children down or even gets them to sleep. If you have a minute, try to pick up the pieces of tissue and puff snacks your children scattered under your table before leaving.

Use the magic words. Say please whenever you make a request and thank you for great service. Aside from introducing your children to new dishes and environments, dining out can also be an opportunity to teach them good manners. It wouldn't hurt to leave a good tip either.

And when all else fails... bring the best caregiver: Grandma. See the picture below, as always, my mom is so great at making up games to distract the twins whenever they start acting up so at least one of us could eat in peace.

I hope these tips work for you. If not, always remember that all the noise and mess our tiny tots create while dining out won't last forever. Just ten more years.