How to have a restaurant meal with a 16 month old?? Tips?

I was wondering if any of you Mom's had tips for getting your little one to actually sit at the restaurant long enough to get your food and actually eat it. We have being getting a baby sitter when we want to go out but I feel like if we don't start taking her out she will not get used to the restaurant setting.  My hubby wants to stay in and avoid the problem altogether.

When our children now were babies (but i just recently gave birth 5 months ago) i would take our own small box of crayons and paper for them to color on this kept them entertained.

 

Clarice

We quit taking our son out to eat when he started to outgrow his carrier.  By that point, he'd learned that screaming and throwing food was fun (well, for him).  We took him out on Mother's Day, and he actually did well (he's 2 now).  Crayons are a great idea!  We went to a restaraunt that provided them, and he actually stayed entertained. 

We rarely go out to eat, but I'm really not worried about my son not getting used to the restaraunt setting.  We just try to make him sit still at the table at home and teach him how to use utensils, not throw food, etc.  I'm sure he'll sit and eat correctly once he's old enough to understand how to act in public.  And until then, we'll just continue to eat in. :)

I have a two year old son, and he has always come along with me when I would go out to eat. One thing that worked for me was to order an appetizer that could come out almost right away (or even his meal) so that he wasn't hungry and waiting. Try to order your food as soon as possible too, but make sure there is a little something for the little one to snack on/sip on from the get go.

Also, at 16 months you might want to bring a couple toys that she likes....maybe several (in your purse) so that you can give her something to play with. Let her play with the silverware, if she wants....let her enjoy the experience too!

I think another thing that made a huge difference was that I included my son in the conversation. He tends to get bored if adults just talk, talk, talk and leave him out.

I have also heard obvious tips such as don't go when your baby is crabby, or sleepy because it will only get worse once you are out. And try not to go at the peak dinner time rush, food will take longer and it will be louder and possibly a little overwhelming (for baby and mommy).

I dealt with the food 'dropping' stage a bit, too, but with my son he only did it if he wasn't hungry (thank goodness!) and we would pick up before we left.

Kudos to you for wanting to bring your daughter along, I am sure you will have a good time.

One Word BUFFET!!!  I quit eating in resturaunts with a wait time for about two years. My DS was only mildly entertained by crayons and toys at the table. Every resturaunt was a place that had to be explored during waiting time and it DROVE ME NUTS! 

I second getting appetizers.  And bringing a hungry child with you. I never really understood feeding a child junk while the parents waited for real food.  I remember fixing my DS a plate at a buffet and seeing two families near feeding their kids the same age Yeast rolls.  Ak. 

You can also play restaurant. Although this game didn't ever go over well at my house.  You start by preparing the food.  You then sit your baby down and play with them as you would in the restaurant.  After about 20 minutes bring the food to the table.

Thank you for the tips!! I'm going to try them for sure. LOL I'll be the Mom with the box of toys and crayons heading in for dinner if you are out in central North Carolina for dinner this evening!  She does get impatient with the length of time so hopefully with these ticks I can keep her occupied longer. 

Enjoy your dinner!

Always go to a family friendly restaurant. And even then, expect some people without kids to give you the evil eye. Just ignore them, and make sure the flying food goes in their direction! :)      

My kids, 4, 3,3, and baby, go with us out to eat alot. We ALWAYS order their kids meals as soon as the hostess sticks us at the table (usually in the corner away from everyone else!) My kids don't often have candy, but I find a sucker can really occupy some time and keep them busy.   I agree about keeping them in the conversation. It helps them pay attention to you and not the fact that the food isn't there yet.  We usually try to throw in a few extra bucks for the tip because our table requires alot of work (refills, clean-ups, etc)

Good luck!

Well we went out armed with my new tips and tricks last night and I'm proud to say that it was better than the last time we tried.  Lucky this place was not crowded so we were able to "walk" the little one around after she decided that she could sit no longer in her high chair.  All the distractions definitely helped keep her occupied longer than normal.  Of course the food came out really really slow!!  It kind of worked out for a table of 8 my food came first and I started eating right away-lol and hubby played with Sarah.  By the time hubby's food came out (his was last)  I was almost done so I took over the entertainment of the little one.   It wasn't perfect (what in my life is!) but it did work to get us out of the house for some social time with our friends.

Thanks again everyone!  Oh yeah and Lulufit you are my hero 4 kids under 5 and going out to eat a lot! You are doing something right--you ROCK!

Original Post by lulufit:

We usually try to throw in a few extra bucks for the tip because our table requires alot of work (refills, clean-ups, etc)

This is very important, especially if you're going to go back to the same place.  My hubby and I do this, and because of it, the kids' food tends to come out a little faster, and one particular waiter makes a point of making jokes with my oldest boy, which entertains him to no end.  (This gets him an even bigger tip.)

All of the above suggestions are what we do, although we did have to go through some behavior modification at home with my youngest because of his love of the "drop everything on the floor" game.

Playdough helped a lot with us as an alternative when they got fed up with the crayons.

I have two kids, 16 months and 2 1/2, and we take them out to eat a lot (it is our only vice :)  Most of these things have already been mentioned, but this is what has worked for us:

 

For the diaper bag:

1.  Toys - lots of them and preferably ones that can be tied/attached to the high chair.  For babies napkins, chopsticks, straw wrappers and the like make good impromptu "toys"

2.  Sippy cup (unless already proficient with a straw and patient enough to wait for drinks to be delivered)

3.  Snacks like crackers or dried fruit

 

Avoid long waits - we find our kids' patience has run out by the time we get sat and then the meal is miserable

Pay attention to your child's mood and skip table service if cranky or tired. 

If the kids are likely to be very hungry, we will often feed them before going out and then let them munch from our plates if they  still want something at the restaurant 

Bring lots of patience and realize sometimes it goes really well, sometimes not so much.

Be prepared to bail if things really go south - remember other people are spending their hard earned money on a meal out too!

We like noisy places (loud music or high ambient noise from conversation) because if the kids are being (happy) loud no one is bothered

Sometimes we still get a highchair for the 2.5 yo so we can strap him in place ;)

I like being able to take the kids into restaurants, although it is harder with friends along because unless they are being exceptionally self-sufficient and quiet it is hard to make conversation and keep them happy/behaving at the same time.  It also helps us work on table manners as mealtimes at home are a bit chaotic.

Oh yeah, and we always tip the server well for having to put up with us, even more if they were really good with the kids, and we clean up (at least most) of the detritus that lands on the floor around our table before we leave, and consolidate the table trash/dishes since the floor will need to be swept regardless.  Just common courtesy - I used to wait tables in a family restaurant and the toddler set would always make such a mess....

 

And one more thought (I really have a lot to say about this) for the new parents out there -we found our newborns to be *really* easy to take out to eat, as they slept most of the time right in the car seat carrier and we could have a nice "adult" evening out.  Nursing moms might want to bring a blanket or head to the car for feedings, or pump in advance.  We almost never got through a sit-down meal with our daughter without her needing to eat.  I loved breastfeeding but I do not miss a lot of things about those days LOL...