Out-to-eat with Kids

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My hubby and I love to go out to dinner; I am a totally foodie and love to try new non-chain restaurants. Before kids, we could do this any night. Now we have to be more calculated on which nights we will go, we need to line up a sitter, and let’s be honest, the days of ‘before kids’ when we could blow $100 on ONE dinner are so far gone I can hardly remember them.

We still love to take time for dinner and time for ourselves, time to NOT be ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy’ for a few hours and just be husband and wife.  My parents usually watch our boys when we go out for dinner and I feel like we are 16 again and sneaking out after curfew when we leave the house.  The door shuts and we are like giddy teenagers as we hop in the car with new found energy.  We get to turn off the Pandora Disney channel and listen to whatever we want WITHOUT hearing “Noooo, sing Lion King!” We get to order a drink with dinner and “sip” it, instead of chugging the glass of wine as we try to finish dinner before the toddler has a melt down and the baby fills his diaper. I love having a nice dinner and a kid-free restaurant to catch up with my Hubby.

Although as they have gotten a little older I do want to take them out to eat, mainly to teach them the etiquette that I expect when we are out to eat. Yes, I know they are little. And Yes, I know sitting still is not easy for my active little boys. But I want to have the opportunity to have a nice family dinner out when they are 5 and 7. I want them to know that going out to eat is a privilege. I want them to know the etiquette on HOW to order, on how to sit still and be polite and eat. I want them to learn the patients of waiting for the food and not just freaking out because they are hungry. I want them to watch mommy and daddy as we show respect to the people who serve us our food.

 In today’s society there are many people going out to eat.  That being said there are many people (some of whom I have had to dine with) that could not be worst guest or patrons. I will not stand for my sons being rude or disrespectful to a waiter because they asked for “white toast instead of wheat” or whatever the stupid predicament is. I also don’t want my 13 year old to not speak loud enough for the waitress to take his order…enunciate! I don’t want my 7 year old throwing food, or running around the restaurant like a wild hooligan. But I know a lot of these things they have to be taught, they have to have the experience in a restaurant to understand “how-to” act.

We are trying to take them more places, No five-star restaurants by any means (we can work up to that) but restaurants’ to help them start to understand that there is stricter guidelines when going out to eat. That being said there are some times that my husband and I make it out of the restaurant and give ourselves a silence high-five, as both boys ate what was ordered AND they behaved while we were there. Other times, not so lucky….

We order the boys food and one of them doesn’t want what we order. Instead of just telling ‘US’, now the whole damn place knows that he wanted a grilled cheese instead of chicken fingers cause he is screaming it at the top of his lungs. The baby gets fidgety because he has had to be tethered into his high chair for so long so that he doesn’t go to the back and destroy the kitchen or something. So I just keep dishing out the applesauce in hopes that he forgets that he can’t get out and walk around. This usually ends with both my husband and I being utterly exhausted and when we leave we’re both still half-hungry since we were too busy with the kids to eat our own meals.  And yes all the other “non-kid patrons” I see your dirty looks. I know it was ‘so annoying that my kid fussed for like 2 minutes before I could calm them down.’ But seriously, were at Steak n’ Shake. Don’t mind me as I squeeze by and knock you in the head with my diaper bag…..(opps, didn’t see you there!...hahah)

I hope it gets better but whether we are home or out, dinner time is madness! One day I will have children that sit and eat what they originally ordered and they will be happy.  Until then lets pray we have a good behavior night, as tonight we are going out to eat with a large party for a family birthday. This could get tricky.