Eating out with toddler

[Anonymous]

What's your routine? How does it work for you? We go out a couple times a week and we've had very easy and tough experiences. One thing we have learned is to put a couple of napkins below the high chair so we don't feel as bad about the mess and can relax a tiny bit. What things do you do to get through it and enjoy the meal?

[Anonymous]

Toys, ipad, feed a snack or a meal before you go (and snack there, and only give enough food at a time for them to take (i.e. 2 portions). Also, go early so not to disturb anyone else.

[Anonymous]

Don't feed the kid first. Kid eats when everyone else eats. That way you can eat your own food while the kid is occupied with eating. If the kid eats first, you have to entertain the kid while you are trying to eat your own meal.

[Anonymous]

Go early. Go to kid friendly places. When you sit down and the person comes over for drinks, put your entire order in -- no multiple courses. Main dishes and drinks. Look at the menu online ahead of time if you don't have it memorized. When the food arrives, ask them to bring you the check. We always asked for them to bring out our daughter's food when it was ready, but some people prefer all the food to come at the same time. You will know which works better for you. Everyone eats and you pay the check and go. If your kid is having a meltdown, one parent takes kid outside *fast* and the other one settles the bill and gets the take out. Some people are friendly with kids at restaurants and some are not. If people aren't waving and gushing, leave them alone.