Sibling dinners

[Anonymous]

After all our kids got all their vaccines and boosters, DH and I decided to institute sibling dinners. We have four kids and once every two weeks or so, we announce they're having a sibling dinner. We give them three options of places to go, they have to all agree, and we sent them out to dinner together. We change up which one we give the credit card to, tell them to tip 20%, and let them have a dinner out, on us, but without us. They are all in middle to elementary school.

DH and I agree its helped with their relationships and they seem closer since we instituted this. One time they tipped nearly 100% (they thought the waitress was "really good, plus we got free dessert") but it otherwise seems to go according to plan. Just wanted to throw this out there and see what other people are doing to promote sibling bonding.

[Anonymous]

Cute idea if you can afford it.

[Anonymous]

Where do you go while they are eating? That seems too young to be doing that.

[Anonymous]

I am honestly surprised that a restaurant is letting a middle schooler charge a meal on your credit card. Do you give them a note or something?

[Anonymous]

Ages? My sons would have ordered multiple shrimp cocktails, then dinner, then dessert.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where do you go while they are eating? That seems too young to be doing that.

Sometimes we run errands, sometimes we meet friends for drinks, sometimes we go to a different restaurant nearby, sometimes we just stay home. It's not too young at all - the oldest is 12. They're polite, don't make a mess and tip well - it's fine. They'd be too young if they needed an adult to help in some way - to calculate tip, to read the menu, to cut food, to take them to the bathroom, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ages? My sons would have ordered multiple shrimp cocktails, then dinner, then dessert.

12, 9, 9 and 7. They know they can only order one thing for each course, and that they don't need to order each course. Sometimes they get two desserts and share, or one time we got a text asking if they could JUST order appetizers and we said yes so they ordered seven of those.

[Anonymous]

Cute idea. And, I don't think my son can handle that right now, but it is something I can think of. Does restaurant allows kids to dine in by themselves & also charge on parent's credit card?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where do you go while they are eating? That seems too young to be doing that.

Sometimes we run errands, sometimes we meet friends for drinks, sometimes we go to a different restaurant nearby, sometimes we just stay home. It's not too young at all - the oldest is 12. They're polite, don't make a mess and tip well - it's fine. They'd be too young if they needed an adult to help in some way - to calculate tip, to read the menu, to cut food, to take them to the bathroom, etc.

You 12, 9, 9, and 7 all do this? Right. The poor 12 yo is in charge, so you and DH can have free time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where do you go while they are eating? That seems too young to be doing that.

Sometimes we run errands, sometimes we meet friends for drinks, sometimes we go to a different restaurant nearby, sometimes we just stay home. It's not too young at all - the oldest is 12. They're polite, don't make a mess and tip well - it's fine. They'd be too young if they needed an adult to help in some way - to calculate tip, to read the menu, to cut food, to take them to the bathroom, etc.

You 12, 9, 9, and 7 all do this? Right. The poor 12 yo is in charge, so you and DH can have free time.

Oh FFS, 9 year olds are old enough to babysit

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cute idea. And, I don't think my son can handle that right now, but it is something I can think of. Does restaurant allows kids to dine in by themselves & also charge on parent's credit card?

Yes they do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where do you go while they are eating? That seems too young to be doing that.

Sometimes we run errands, sometimes we meet friends for drinks, sometimes we go to a different restaurant nearby, sometimes we just stay home. It's not too young at all - the oldest is 12. They're polite, don't make a mess and tip well - it's fine. They'd be too young if they needed an adult to help in some way - to calculate tip, to read the menu, to cut food, to take them to the bathroom, etc.

You 12, 9, 9, and 7 all do this? Right. The poor 12 yo is in charge, so you and DH can have free time.

Exactly! I was the oldest kid and remember being stuck with similar kids of fun "parenting" aka free babysitting assignments! Oh to be a fly on the wall at a dinner while they are out having fun sibling time!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ages? My sons would have ordered multiple shrimp cocktails, then dinner, then dessert.

That’s lesson kids need to learn.

I have a rule that when there with another family they don’t order anything more expensive than the least expensive thing somebody else orders, generally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where do you go while they are eating? That seems too young to be doing that.

Sometimes we run errands, sometimes we meet friends for drinks, sometimes we go to a different restaurant nearby, sometimes we just stay home. It's not too young at all - the oldest is 12. They're polite, don't make a mess and tip well - it's fine. They'd be too young if they needed an adult to help in some way - to calculate tip, to read the menu, to cut food, to take them to the bathroom, etc.

You 12, 9, 9, and 7 all do this? Right. The poor 12 yo is in charge, so you and DH can have free time.

Exactly! I was the oldest kid and remember being stuck with similar kids of fun "parenting" aka free babysitting assignments! Oh to be a fly on the wall at a dinner while they are out having fun sibling time!

OP here. We've heard from people we know a couple of times who saw them out that they basically just laugh a lot, and do various accents (I don't know what that's about).

[Anonymous]

Maybe one day I will let my kids to this, and I allow them to only order from kid's menu plus a dessert. They are 6 and 3 now, so it is really far away for me to dream of now.