To a Restaurant With a Child

Contemporary people begin to visit cafes, bars, and restaurants more often. Why? - Frankly speaking, there are many quite various reasons.

First of all, it is a kind of pleasant entertainment, of course. For example, you can organize kids ride on toys in the open air and then come somewhere to have a snack. Then we can't but mention that some modern families have a perfect tradition to go to the restaurant on certain dates or more often one day a week. It sounds terrific, doesn't it?  Such visit can also be a necessary measure, for example, in traveling. And, and last, even if you're not going to eat in a luxury restaurant with a three-year-old child, somebody may invite you there. The question is that whether it is really worth to refuse?

There are parents, who are sure that if a child is already grown up to ask for a real hoverboard for sale or to play simple computer games, why not to eat with him/her in a respectable place? Let's try to imagine some most typical situations. - You can go with him/her to the seaside resort or on another trip. Or have decided to dine outside the home.  Or you go to a restaurant with a company, which in addition to your child, there will be some other children. At the first sight, everything is okay, but the typical question is that how comfortable you will be there with the child?

The experienced moms and dads think that the most convenient restaurants to visit with the children are the ones where there is a buffet and unlimited amount of approaches to the dishes. Perhaps that is the main reason why this kind of restaurants is so popular among the contemporary families with kids. As a rule, they try to stay in hotels working on an "all inclusive" system. It is common knowledge that young children hate waiting.  But there is nothing to wait there, everything is ready and all you can see.  Take your little gourmet and try to choose the tasty dishes together. Look around, ask what he/she wants but not put much. Take one or two dishes from the dishes the child has chosen. And then choose something to your taste, and ask for the child to try. It will be like a funny game. Perhaps, your kid will like the fish, which he/she has always refused to eat at home before or something else.  The child will try everything carefully and then tell what he wants again.

If you go to a restaurant where there is a custom menu, then, of course, ask in advance about the range of offered dishes. Some restaurants have the so-called children's menu, which tastes most children. Pay attention to that fact, that for your child it is much more difficult to make a choice. - Why? - The matter is that your son or daughter doesn't see how the dish looks like, and therefore, there is no absolute guarantee that he/she will eat what he chose.  Be ready for the fact that a toddler wants your dish, not the own one, or even refuses to have it at all.  And the most difficult thing is, of course, waiting. Especially if there are some dishes and lunch may take an hour or even longer.  Actually, for a meal, your child needs 10-20 minutes. What will he do the rest of the time?

 If it is summer and the restaurant is arranged in the country or has an outdoor terrace, you can take your child for a walk around the neighborhood. For this case, you may even prepare some new remote control toys for kids. Well, the best variant will be the existence of a children's playground nearby. Some restaurants have a very interesting interior: paintings, statues or aquariums. Walk with your baby and see everything around while you are waiting for the next dish. Please, mind that here there are a lot of people and the waiters are serving drinks and hot meals that are why it is impossible to run.

It won't be difficult for you to take a coloring book with crayons, notebook, or tablet in advance. All these things will take the child's attention for a while. And you will be able to eat in peace. By the way, some restaurants offer special coloring books (or just pictures) and toys for children.

The best variant is to find the restaurant with a special child's room, which usually has enough equipment to watch cartoons or to play with other toddlers. Just keep in mind that you will need to take care of your child by yourselves if there is no permanent animator there. In this situation, it is recommended to book a table next to the children's room. In this case, you will be able to control your child without any problems.

Certainly, the best idea is to give preference to a restaurant with a hired animator, who is always ready to propose all sorts of entertainment: face decoration, tricks, sand painting etc.  If you are going to a restaurant with a big company, which will involve several children, give preference to this choice.  In this case, lunch or dinner will be suitable both for adults and for children. All will be well-fed, no one will be nervous and everyone will have a perfect rest.

Avoid fast food restaurants, do not accustom children to these meals.  Of course, the dishes there can be seen properly and a children's room is available, but according to the specialists' point of view the dishes there are really unhealthy.     You see, junk food may cause some serious problems, including obesity.  

And now about the advantages of eating in a restaurant together.

The joint trip to a restaurant teaches the child to behave properly in a public place. In the course of time he/she will communicate politely with waiters; behave correctly with visitors; choose the food properly and carefully.  And these skills are really necessary for adult life.