Toddler making a mess in restaurant

[Anonymous]

How do you handle a toddler who's well behaved in restaurants but a messy eater? I was embarrassed leaving lunch today when I noticed that my toddler had left a lot of food on the ground and in the highchair. Do I offer to clean it up? Or just don't take him out anymore?

[Anonymous]

I clean up the bulk of it but many people, including the restaurant employees, tell me not to worry about it. I just don't feel like it's appropriate to leave a huge disaster for someone else to clean up. I know I'm in the minority.

[Anonymous]

I have a 2 year old and an infant. I don't go anywhere nice, I tip well, and I clean up the floor/table, high chair as best I can before I leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I clean up the bulk of it but many people, including the restaurant employees, tell me not to worry about it. I just don't feel like it's appropriate to leave a huge disaster for someone else to clean up. I know I'm in the minority.

+1. I could never bring myself to leave the mess for someone else. It seemed rude.

[Anonymous]

If I have access to paper napkins, I run over the area with one of them and grab up what I can. If only cloth, I don't know that they want their cloth napkins dragged on the floor so I pick up the big pieces and leave the rest. I have DD assist (or at least try to).

[Anonymous]

I clean up as best I can, and leave a really big tip (especially since kids meals are so much less expensive, despite probably generating more work in the end with the mess).

[Anonymous]

I clean up as best I can (wipe table with napkins, pick up any big pieces of food off the floor) and I tip well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I clean up the bulk of it but many people, including the restaurant employees, tell me not to worry about it. I just don't feel like it's appropriate to leave a huge disaster for someone else to clean up. I know I'm in the minority.

Do you clean up the floor?

[Anonymous]

I always clean up the floor and at least try to stack the mess neatly on the table. I used to wait tables so I know its a pain to clean up after waiting on tables with kids. My 9 month old leaves a ton on the floor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I clean up the bulk of it but many people, including the restaurant employees, tell me not to worry about it. I just don't feel like it's appropriate to leave a huge disaster for someone else to clean up. I know I'm in the minority.

+1. I could never bring myself to leave the mess for someone else. It seemed rude.

+1. What is wrong with you op? If cloth napkins, ask for paper. We always need extra paper napkins.

[Anonymous]

Really? I just leave it, and leave a 25% tip...

[Anonymous]

We clean it up as best we can - floor included and tip well.

[Anonymous]

I used to work at Shoney's in the mid90s and one night a week kids ate free from a special food bar. That was a nightmare. fruit loops ground into the floor, whole hamburgers laying under the table with only one bit missing, mac& cheese everywhere.... those were the days. lol.

[Anonymous]

I agree with all pps. Clean up as much as you can, floor included, and tip well. Also, we try to move things out of the way.

One other tip to consider as your child ages. Keep using high chairs. Ours use boosters at home and are generally fine. The can get up but they don't much. At a restaurant, high chairs are the way to go. There is too much temptation to get up and turn around and look at other people. High chairs just stop it altogether. It makes your dinner and that of the other diners much better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I clean up the bulk of it but many people, including the restaurant employees, tell me not to worry about it. I just don't feel like it's appropriate to leave a huge disaster for someone else to clean up. I know I'm in the minority.

Do you clean up the floor?

Yes. That's where most of it usually lands!