6 tips for well-behaved kids at restaurants
Post on 02-Dec-2014
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SSBE
6 Tips for Well-BehavedKids at Restaurants
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Taking kids to a restaurant doesn’tjust have to be about surviving...
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You can actually find yourself enjoying a restaurant meal with your family.
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How?
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It starts at home.
1
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Have orderly, routine meals at home.
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Eat the same meal,At the same time,
On the same table.
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Well, most of the time.
(because, who are we kidding?)
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Hold conversations—about school, your family, your work, and current events.
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Don’t tolerate poor behavior, even if you’re just at home.
That means...
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No: Food-throwing
YellingScreen time
Leaving the table
or whichever behavior you don’t approve.
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And make mealtimes a fun, peaceful experience.
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And make mealtimes a fun, peaceful experience.
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Pick a good time to go.
2
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The best time? Right after a nap.
When they’re hungry... but not too hungry.
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And keep it short.
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Pick the right place.
3
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Your ideal setting?No long wait.Not too quiet.
Family-friendly.Booster and high-chairs galore.
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Don’t bring distractions.
4
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At least, not too many.
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Why?
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Toys, gadgets and distractionsdiminish the value of dinner.
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You want to engage your kids, notisolate them from the experience.
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Or if needed, stick to simple items like crayons or a quiet toy.
(Even better if you can draw them in: “Let’s write your name on the paper.”)
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And bring a light snack just in case the bread takes too long to arrive.
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Pick your battles.
5
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It’s really okay if he slurped his soup.
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Sometimes just going along with it can help avoid tantrums and outbursts.
(Plus, do you really want to cause a scene because he doesn’t want to eat the bell peppers?)
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Set expectations.
6
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Yours and theirs.
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Theirs: Describe the restaurant experience
so they know what to expect.
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Yours: Remember: They’re still kids.
What may seem reasonable to you maynot be developmentally accurate for them.
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That’s it.
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Here’s to a successful dinnerwith the family...
and yes, in a restaurant.
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