Tips for Eating Out at a Restaurant With Your Kids

Waiters shrink from you, hostesses seat you in the far corner by the kitchen. Bad manners? No, just dining out with the kids. From newborn to adolescent, children create special challenges for parents and restaurant staff. If you plan right, though, dining out can be a satisfying experience for everyone, even that petrified waiter.







Subhead: Don't set kids up for failure







Choosing the right restaurant is your first challenge. Look for a restaurant that is "kid friendly," which doesn't mean reflexively heading over to Chuck E. Cheese's. A restaurant doesn't have to have a jungle gym to fit the bill: Look for places with a children's menu or one that offers crayons or other enticements upon entering. This at least indicates that children are welcome and that the staff will be trained to accommodate them.







Noise level is important to consider. Your kids may disturb the peace in a place where you could hear a pin drop, but they may self-destruct in one of the new breed of airstrip-loud restaurants. Make sure you choose a place where tables are widely spaced; booths can help pen in little ones with a will to roam. By law, restaurants must have a high chair, but toddlers often feel too far from the table in these. Booster seats keep them right there with the rest of the family but have a tendency to tip over. For the family that eats out often, most baby stores carry inexpensive seats that clip safely onto the lip of the table.







Go early, before the rush, and make a reservation as opposed to walking in and hoping for the best. This will cut down on loitering time when kids tend to run amok. As in the rest of life, your family only has one chance to make a first impression on the staff. If their expectations are low, your service may reflect this.







Subhead: Negotiating the menu