I don’t know about your little one, but mine loves nothing better than going out to eat.
The thought of eating out with your toddler can seem a little daunting,
here are some great tips and tricks to make your meal out a success
Research the restaurant beforehand.
You don’t want to find yourself in a restaurant that is not children
friendly. There is nothing worse than having people looking and mumbling
because your child is innocently making noise. Do they have a Childrens
menu? if not are there foods on there that you know your child will eat.
Bring your own snacks,
I know it might sound strange to bring food along to a restaurant. But
it doesn’t hurt to bring snacks like dry cereal or crackers if your
food takes a while to be brought to your table.
Bring
along some entertainment.Colouring books, stickers, small toys anything
that will keep them busy. Also Apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime allow
you to download shows to your phone or tablet which are lifesavers.Some restaurants have colouring books and crayons
Offer
your toddler a choice. I notice my little one eats better when she
picks her own meal. It makes her feel like a big girl, I don’t worry
about what she has chosen as most restaurants offer an array of meals with nutritious choices. Also this the perfect opportunity to introduce their foods by offering them to try a bite of what you are eating.
Bring
wet wipes, they are multi useful. From wiping down the table before
your little ones eat, to wiping messy faces and hands after they have
eaten. Most importantly, do not feel embarass by any of the mess made, resttaurants expect some degree of mess even from adults!!
So those were my tips for eating out with a
toddler, they are not fool-proof and I would be really interested to
hear what your tips are.
