Eating Out with Kids

When Katharine Keanan's husband Dan suggests that they go out for dinner, she doesn't head to the phone to call a babysitter to watch their baby daughter Molly. Instead, she puts a few extra toys in the diaper bag and the whole family enjoys a night out at their favourite restaurant.

"Dan works most evenings so going out to dinner together is an easy way to have family time," says Katharine. "I don't have to cook and Molly has a wonderful time. She sits up, her eyes are bright and she loves the attention from the waiters."

With a little thought and planning, it is possible for the entire family to dine in restaurants without serious incident and threat of ejection. However, there are a few things you need to consider before venturing out to eat with your little ones.

It is important that you have clear and age appropriate expectations of the outing. Dining out with infants is easy because babies will often sleep through the entire meal or nurse quietly while you eat. Toddlers find waiting in a line for a table or sitting still for long periods of time too frustrating so you need to choose a restaurant that seats patrons immediately and does not take forever between ordering and serving your meal.

If your older child is new to eating out, spend some time before you leave the house discussing the coming experience. Children need to know details like where they are going, what kind of food is served, and how they are expected to behave. If a child becomes fussy, a short walk with one parent often works wonders but be prepared to leave if a child is acting out.
Have you ever heard the expression "timing is everything?" Starving kids are a recipe for disaster so head to the restaurant a little before your regular eating time. It is a great idea to schedule plenty of physical activity before dinner so they will be less fidgety. When you sit down order an appetizer immediately and ask your server to bring it right away so that the kids have something to nibble on while they are waiting for their meal to arrive.
Many places billed as family restaurants have a children's menu with foods that are sure to please but part of the fun of eating out is trying new foods. If your child is finicky and you are unsure if she will like any of the dishes on the menu, ordering a selection of appetizers will give her a choice of foods to sample. The best part of this strategy is that you get to eat any leftovers.

Be creative. You can ask to have a dish prepared in a way you know your child will like. Some children hate sauces while others like sauce on the side for dipping. You can also ask for a side-plate of the fruit the chef is using for garnishes as an appetizer for your child.
Restaurants like Chuck E Cheese have a child-friendly environment but just because you are parents does not mean that you are condemned to eat in the middle of an amusement park until your kids graduate. At a grown-up eatery ask for a table near a window so your child can watch the activity outside or if the restaurant is structured so that the kitchen is open, ask for a table nearby so that your kids can see their food being prepared.

Restaurants near parks or beaches are wonderful because you can go for a family walk and explore the neighbourhood before or after dinner.
Boredom often leads to acting out behaviours, so make sure that your child is occupied throughout the meal. Babies can be entertained by chasing an ice cube from your water glass around their highchair tray. Bring a bag full of small toys, snacks, crayons and books you can use as distractions. It is a good idea to have special toys your child can only play with at restaurants so that your bag is always full of new and interesting surprises.

Restaurants with interesting interiors are child pleasers and seafood restaurants often have tanks filled with fascinating creatures. Try playing word and guessing games while you wait for your food.

Katharine likes to take Molly to eat at Hime Japanese Restaurant. "The staff respect family values," Katharine says, " No one will blink if you breastfeed, and if it's not too busy the grandma will walk your baby around the restaurant and show her or him the little flags and the sushi bar."

One of my family's favourite restaurants is the Naam, a funky vegetarian eatery in Kits that has live entertainment and a beautiful outdoor patio. We always ask for an order of their sesame fries with miso gravy just as we arrive at our table. If you find yourself awake for a night feeding at 2am and wouldn't mind a snack yourself, the Naam is open 24 hours. Some Bread Garden locations also operate around the clock.

Denman Street has a wide selection of restaurants to choose from and English Bay is just around the corner. In the evenings there are often performers on the sea wall and a picturesque playground at Second Beach is a pleasant stroll away.

Spend the afternoon picking strawberries or raspberries in Richmond and end the day with a fish and chips dinner at Pajo's on the water, adjacent to the Gulf of Georgia cannery. Then you can walk out on the wharf to watch the fisherman coming in with their catch and explore Steveston's Landing.

Sophie's Cosmic Café on 4th is filled with memorabilia that makes for a mean game of "I Spy"

At the Me-N-Ed's Pizza Parlours in Burnaby and Port Coquitlam children are invited to stand on a bench next to a window into the kitchen to watch how pizza is made.

Older children may enjoy eating at the Seoul House Garden Korean Restaurant on East Broadway because the tables have a built-in grill where they can barbecue their own food.