https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 06 Jun 2026 22:36:54 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1567964 Mon, 14 Apr 2014 14:05:15 +0000 gingerbebe 1567964@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't have personal experience with this, but I have friends who use a special lunchbox just for eating out. Their daughter gets to pick the lunchbox and thermos and they fill it with special/favorite snacks, crayons, coloring books, stickers, etc. that she can only use at the restaurant. Sometimes they pack her a complete meal from home that they know she will love if they are going some place where they know it will be harder to find something for her to eat. They make the meal/snacks extra special by using fun shaped sandwich cutters or packing a cute bento-style meal or something.</p> <p>Once they get to the restaurant, they make a big fuss about her being a big girl who gets a special big girl restaurant box. The plus side is that she gets something to eat and drink right away without waiting and she's usually occupied with food and activities while the parents relax and have a glass of wine. I remember being struck by how genius an idea it was. They gave her the blank side of the paper placemat and told her that big girls get to eat at restaurants with placemats and that she could decorate her very own. So she got to work with her stickers and crayons and had a blast. She sat there the entire meal (plus a long wait time for the food to come out) without any problems. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1567953 Mon, 14 Apr 2014 14:03:24 +0000 TyranLitmos 1567953@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>haha. It never gets easier*</p> <p>* Not until they move out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1567951 Mon, 14 Apr 2014 14:02:42 +0000 mrs. wagon 1567951@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just realized I never answered the actual question :( Sorry!! It got easier around when Wagon Jr. was 3.5 years old. But by then LMW was 1 so... ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1567947 Mon, 14 Apr 2014 14:01:35 +0000 keiki_mama 1567947@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO is 2 and it's kind of hit or miss. He usually gets antsy after we're done eating so we're the type to get in and get out quickly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1567921 Mon, 14 Apr 2014 13:54:24 +0000 googly-eyes 1567921@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Restaurants are probably the place we are most likely to let LO play with the iPhone. Other places are the car on a longer drive and the airplane.</p> <p>We also have found that getting a booth and letting LO kind of have her own space works. She's only 18m though so climbing around the booth is still entertaining for her. The more people around to talk to her and amuse her, the easier it is.</p> <p>Also, we do the opposite of what's mentioned above... We want LO to be hungry so she'll just want to sit and eat! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1567755 Mon, 14 Apr 2014 13:11:53 +0000 2PeasinaPod 1567755@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: When you figure it out...let me know. LO is a disaster when we go out to eat. We've resorted to one of us eating and the other roaming around with him. It's definitely really hard right now at 18 months since he wants to be all over the place. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1567744 Mon, 14 Apr 2014 13:08:19 +0000 mrs. wagon 1567744@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We order the kids' food as soon as we sit down, and until their food gets to the table, we use crayons, cups of ice and a bread plate, and a tiny bit of water in a cup with a straw. Once the food gets there and they start slowing down with their eating, we break out the tablet with a video. For us we just see it as a necessity if we want to eat out. We want to be able to eat our food and not worry about our kids disrupting other diners' meals. If we didn't want them to watch a video while they ate, we would just stay home. </p> <p>We also ALWAYS choose a place to eat where there is space for them to run around after the meal. It's great for getting their energy out post-eating, and if all goes to hell, one of us takes one or both kids to run around while the other pays the check and packs up the food. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1567625 Mon, 14 Apr 2014 12:27:26 +0000 alohaorchid 1567625@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My SIL won't take her kids to a restaurant at all. At our wedding the kids were 3.5 years and almost 6 and they couldn't sit still.. We rented out a restaurant for our reception and they spent the whole time running around and screaming. Not fun! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1567590 Mon, 14 Apr 2014 12:18:04 +0000 sumer08 1567590@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Like many of the other moms have mentioned, we usually try to feed our 19 month old a small snack before we leave for the restaurant, and then once we arrive, we order his meal right away (with our drink order). Dining out can be hit or miss for us, but we bring along toys/books and we make sure to have our iphones with us in case he REALLY gets fussy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1567413 Mon, 14 Apr 2014 11:16:00 +0000 yoursilverlining 1567413@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Knock on wood, LO is good out at restaurants but we also have better success with behavior when implementing the following:</p> <p>iPhone/iPad (YouTube clips, it's a "treat" to get this, so she usually behaves for them)</p> <p>Food - ask for them to bring out LO's meal first; or at least some bread for the table</p> <p>Books</p> <p>Not having to sit in a high chair, and the "threat" of having to sit in the high chair if she doesn't sit nicely in a regular chair/booth/on my lap.</p> <p>Little toys, or things that can be manipulated (ie, taking crayons out of the box and putting them back in again)</p> <p>Coloring book and crayons</p> <p>The biggest thing that helps is giving her a snack right before we leave the house; so she isn't starving and seeing all this food she can't have. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1567338 Mon, 14 Apr 2014 10:48:31 +0000 pinkcupcake 1567338@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it was around age 2 that it finally started to get better. She hates the high chair so we let her just sit in a regular chair and kneel so she can reach the table (or we sit in a booth). Peeling straws usually keeps her busy for awhile. So do appetizers / breads that bring out early. Lately I've been letting her watch full episodes of super why on the iPad. That keeps her happy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1567014 Mon, 14 Apr 2014 09:08:37 +0000 HLK208 1567014@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't want to jinx it, but I think we are finally there at 22 months. We went to brunch the other day, it was a really long wait and she sat quietly the entire time (we were there for over an hour). She's communicating a lot better so we just asked her questions and talked to her the whole time. A month ago, she would have been pushing menu's on the floor, dropping crayons, barely eating what we offered her and screaming. Just in that short time, I feel like she's mellowed down a lot.</p> <p>With DS, he was great in restaurants since 2.5. We never have to worry about him acting up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1566754 Mon, 14 Apr 2014 07:43:38 +0000 winniebee 1566754@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: yeah we have to get him some food right away to entertain him. If it's breakfast they bring out a sweet cake. Dinner it's chips and guac. That usually entertains him for 10 mins. Cups with ice. Getting a booth so he can stand and walk around and peer at weird people. We bring his cars and trains and some books. If it's an important dinner (family member bday or something then we would whip out the phone for him if he gets too antsy. If we do dinner at 530 it's usually ok. Breakfasts are the best. Lunches are hit or miss but usually decent. We had a horrendous dinner out in Saturday night because it was 7 by the time we got our food. Horrendous. We always try to take him to loud restaurants because all the people are interesting to him. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1566753 Mon, 14 Apr 2014 07:43:29 +0000 Mamaof2 1566753@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: My kids are 3 and 5 and its still hard! I always place their order when we get our drinks - the faster the food arrives - the better!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1566749 Mon, 14 Apr 2014 07:41:18 +0000 looch 1566749@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: I feel like the problem is the longish wait to get the food, so it's limiting...but there are options. I was just thinking a tapas place might be good, but my son's not a good eater, so it's a waste for us.</p> <p>Also a diner where you can order somethng to come out quickly or a place with a buffet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1566725 Mon, 14 Apr 2014 07:26:10 +0000 mediagirl 1566725@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Toys don't seem to work with her, though the sugar packets keep her entertained for about 3 minutes. :) We don't do tablets or phones when we're out of the house. She is just go-go-go the entire time. </p> <p>@looch: so essentially, eating out is never going to be an enjoyable adventure again unless we go alone? :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1566652 Mon, 14 Apr 2014 06:34:42 +0000 looch 1566652@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We can go out to lunch, but we choose places that are self serve, meaning, we divide and conquer. I head to the table and my husband places the order. We eat, and then we get out of there.</p> <p>We've tried a brick oven pizza place, and it was surprisingly un kid friendly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1566614 Mon, 14 Apr 2014 05:36:31 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 1566614@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlek: not the iPad, but we do bring small toys for distraction. Lately it's been her princess pets. </p> <p>We have to catch her at the right time. Around 5:30-6 is a good time for us to go out &amp; know she will be patient and well behaved. </p> <p>We have the best dinner if we go to a quicker restaurant &amp; don't have much down time in between ordering and getting our food. </p> <p>It took 45 mins for a chain to bring our lunch out and after 20 minutes waiting it was game over. We ended up getting our food to go! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1566181 Sun, 13 Apr 2014 19:42:01 +0000 littlek 1566181@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We bring an iPad with his apps on it. When he gets antsy we bring out the iPad. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1566174 Sun, 13 Apr 2014 19:39:34 +0000 winniebee 1566174@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Some meals it's great and some meals it's awful. We do best with breakfast. Lunch and dinner he is usually too tired and is distracted. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1566172 Sun, 13 Apr 2014 19:38:48 +0000 regberadaisy 1566172@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know we've talked about this before but what does she do and what have you tried? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/eating-out-with-toddlers-when-does-it-get-easier#post-1566119 Sun, 13 Apr 2014 19:17:47 +0000 mediagirl 1566119@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you struggled with a toddler who wouldn't sit still through meals at restaurants, when did it get better? I'm guessing when she can understand consequences? </p>