by Ronnie Tyler
Lamar and I have different view points on taking our kids out to a sit down restaurant for dinner. Since they are so little, he does not want to take them to restaurants at all because they usually cry or have an episode that causes one of us to take them out of the dining area. He can not truly enjoy his meal and also he does not like to ruin other people’s meals with our crying kids. Me on the other hand, I like to go out with the entire family from time to time to a family friendly restaurant. And I don’t mind taking the kids out of the dining area if they get rowdy. I see this as a natural part of having small kids. And some of you might say, well I don’t have small kids. Well yes, but you were once a small kid and if you don’t want to deal with other folk’s kids, then I am sure there are other restaurants that are better suited for older crowds or dates…etc.
Overall, I think I am respectful of other restaurant patrons. But I have to admit that I don’t take the kids out of the dining area as quick as Lamar when the kids get loud. If you even look like you are about to cause a scene, Daddy is going to snatch you up and have you in the lobby before your eyes blink. While I tend to try to negotiate and reason with kids before ultimately having to take them to the bathroom or lobby.
With that being said you have to know that I was delighted that Lamar agreed to take us out to dinner one Saturday afternoon.
Here is a picture of Lamar and the kids at the beginning of the meal. Everyone looks happy.
Then… Uh oh… a potential breakdown is happening. Me and all of the girls are trying to console the baby before Daddy presses the eject button.
Over all we had a good meal, notice all of the kids ended up sitting next to me.
And where is Daddy? Sitting across from us looking like he has just been through an ordeal 🙂
BMWK Family – what’s your view on taking small kids out to dinner? Does it bother you to hear other people’s kids while you are having dinner?
Tara says
I love this!!! I especially love the pictures – Ronnie, where did you get that shirt? I want one! 🙂
We recently took our almost 3 year old and a 1 year old out of town so of course we went out to dinner.Ugh. Nope, didn’t get to enjoy my food. Barely got to taste it. The kids weren’t bad, per se. They just always needs something, needed a napkin, needed to be reassured that yes the food was coming, needed to pee, needed a diaper change, needed more apple juice, etc. It’s a workout.
But y’all made it! 🙂
TP2 says
This is a classic article and the pics take it to another level! Sometimes, I’m a little hesitant to take the kids to dinner, esp. my 2 yr old son. He can make a scene really well, and when he makes a scene, then Daddy has to do the same. So, it can get interesting at times…
And, being that my family is “that family with the upset child”…I don’t mind crying kids at dinner, but, I do mind the other parents that are looking at us as if they’re 10, 11, or 12 year old kids just came out the womb acting civilized in a public place. Sometimes I wanna press the eject button for them!
Cindy says
We’ve been taking our little ones (now 3 and 6) out weekly since day one. Well, day three to be exact. My daughter was three days old for her first trip to Denny’s. We feel very comfortable taking them anywhere. On the occasions that it has happened, I was usually the one to press the eject button.
We try very hard to make sure they’re well rested and not overly hungry and we rarely have issues with behavior. I find that 99% of meltdowns (both theirs and mine!) come from being tired or hungry. We used to always have a baggie of Cheerios and to ask for crackers immediately. Now we make sure we have crayons and coloring books. I do not allow electronic games or anything that makes noise.
All in all, I expect the same behavior in a restaurant that I do at home every night during our family dinner. We practice at home so it’s nothing different being out.
I’m more bothered by adult’s behavior than kids in restaurants. The last time we went to Chili’s, there was a woman behind me that did not shut her mouth the entire time we were there. I don’t know how she ate because she never stopped talking! I felt sorry for her husband and the other couple they were dining with. I don’t think I could have politely paid attention through her yak-yak-yak!
Ronnie says
Cindy,
I totally agree with you..the breakdowns are mostly due to the kids being tired or hungry or just restless because the food is taking a long time to come out and they are tired of coloring.
King James says
How often do you all go out as a family?
Ronnie says
@King James – Not too often to restaurants. We go to church and little league, and barbeques, and parks and things like that often. But as for restaurants and movies, we don’t take the entire crew very often.
LA Momma of 2 says
I think it’s a MUST to get the kids accustomed to dining out. It’s just like anything else, set the rules, set the example and go from there. It’s difficult in the beginning, but well worth it! Well…………………until your 10 year thinks that she should be able to order an entire crab dinner off the menu!!!!
simply beautiful says
I agree with all. The pics are priceless. Hang in there Dad…it does get better! Yes, take the kids to a family friendly restaurant. It is very important that they learn at an early age how they are expected to act. My child is now 20, but I still remember the days of throwing things (he’s a lefty, too), crying, running thru the dining area..etc. But stick with it. There’s a lot to learn as a parent and as a child. There has to be a balance of activity–going to the park, going to church and learning to sit still, going out to eat in different environments. Let them experience it all. Take a deep breath and don’t worry so much about what other people think. They’ve been exactly where you are in one form or another.
Happinessexpress says
First off, I want to tell you how beautiful your family is.
My comment is about people who bring their kids into eating establishments. I think that if parents knew that their kids were going to make all of that noise they wouldn’t bring them in the restaurant. This seems to the case with our own. I can not speak for the other side. I do have to admit, it drives me up the wall when they start going crazy. i went to lunch once with my friend and her child and she went embarrassingly nuts. I sat across the table from the white friend the way your husband sat across from you. It was a wonderful picture that conveyed just as I felt. I told my Caucasian friend please take your child into the bathroom and she came out of the bathroom, smiling. Her child apologized promptly. Don’t know what she did. More parents should remove their child instead of allowing them to make a scene in the public. That’s what makes me angry. But then a gain, I don’t have children. However my husband and I agreed we would not take our child to a public restaurant until he or she is three years of age.
Lamar says
@Happinessexpress- I’m with that, I’m not crazy about taking kids out until they are really old enough to be able sit still through the meal. I do have kids and I still don’t like when people bring their kids to a restaurant or the movies and the kids are acting crazy making a bunch of noise and the parents just sit there like everything is everything.
That’s why I remove my kids if they do get wild, it’s out of respect for everyone else who paid their money. Same thing at church, I really don’t play there and hit the eject button with the quickness so my baby isn’t distracting and taking away from the service.
Tiya' says
Ronnie, this is so cute, the pictures are adorable. I use to go through the same thing when my girls were younger and I would get so stressed, but I noticed the more we went out the better they got, not just dining, but at the mall and other places too. I don’t get bothered at restaurants when I hear the little ones crying because that’s what little ones do and I really don’t mind when I’m in a family friendly restaurant, I know I have other dining options when I want a quiet evening.
SingLikeSassy says
I don’t mind kids and understand they are going to be cry and stuff sometimes. I do mind when their parents, who I realize are often immune to their outbursts, just eat their meal or whatever and allow the child to cry or scream. That’s the method you use at home. At a restaurant, movie this impacts other patron’s enjoyment and I don’t think you should just ignore it.
MrsT says
Small children at a family style place like Appleby’s or Chili’s is just fine, they do need to learn how to act while eating out. But I hate seeing small children at an expensive restaurant like Ruth’s Chris or Capital Grille. If I’m paying more than $30 per person for my meal I do not want to be serenaded by crying babies. Unfortunately this has happened to us more than once.