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     Once you have kids, going out to eat is never the same. Gone are the leisurely dinners at classy restaurants with wine glasses and linen tablecloths. Say hello to noisy chain restaurants that serve nothing but fried foods and sugary drinks.
Eating out requires a lot of patience from all parties involved. Unfortunately, patience is not always on the menu.
     Pam Blevins, a Chester mother of two, sums it up: “There is a difference in the service I want when I go out to eat with my kids than with my friends. When I go out to eat with my kids, I am not looking for a dining experience. I want my order taken quickly and my food brought out immediately.”
     Considering that children under the age of 6 have the physical inability to sit still for longer than 20 minutes at a time, is it any wonder that for so many families, dining out means going somewhere with a “ball pit” and a drive-thru?
     Despite the trials and tribulations of dining out with kids, it isn’t impossible to have a pleasant experience. David Rushnock, a local restaurant manager who has been in the business for 15 years, states, “As a former waiter, I’ve seen first-hand that parents who have planned ahead when eating out with their children, instead of just expecting them to behave properly, have the most successful dining experience.”
With Rushnock’s help, I have come up with a few tricks to ensure that your next eating-out experience is pleasurable for all involved, including your friendly neighborhood Service
Industry Professional (SIP). Bon appétit!
Seating Choices
Mom says:
I have problems with my small children constantly running out of the booth.

SIP Tip:
Make sure children sit between a wall and their parents in a booth so all escape routes are blocked. In cases where there is only one adult for more than one child, the adult should sit on the end with the youngest, most nomadic child wedged between the adult and the oldest sibling.

Sugary Drinks
Mom says:
I like to give my kids their favorite drink as a treat when we go out to eat. Unfortunately, they drink it all before the meal comes, leaving them not only full and unable to eat their dinner, but also hyper during the rest of our visit.

SIP Tip:
Try ordering water first. Ask to have the favorite drink served with the meal so they won’t ruin their appetite.

Meal Timing
Mom says:
I like to order the kids’ meals first so they will be able to sit quietly while the adults’ food is being prepared.
Dad says:
I like their food to come with the adults’ so the children are occupied while we eat.

SIP Tip:
Mom runs the risk of the children being antsy later while the adults are trying to enjoy their meal. Dad runs the risk of children getting so hungry and fussy that they have to be carted out of the restaurant for “A Little Talk.” Meanwhile, his food will arrive and be cold when he gets back.
Try this: Order one kid’s meal that all the children can share as an appetizer and then order a different kid’s meal to share when the adults’ meal arrives. This will lengthen the children’s actual eating time.

Bathroom Visits
Mom says:
I make the kids use the restroom before we leave the house, but they always seem to need to go as soon as our meal is delivered.

SIP Tip:
Take your children to the restroom right after their food is ordered. This will allow the children to move around a little and minimize wait time for their food.

Desserts
Mom says:
The kids’ dessert comes with the meal. Send it out as soon as possible.

SIP Tip:
Let the kids know before their meal that dessert is a treat and a reward for good restaurant manners. This should be communicated to the SIP in front of the children when ordering. (Having a third party passing judgment on their behavior seems to help.)

Check Paying
Mom says:
By the time the meal is over, the kids have very little patience when it comes to waiting for the check to be paid.

SIP Tip:
Ask for the check early so there is no waiting around. Have one parent pay the check while the other one gets the kids to the car.

Even though Colleen R. Lee used to wait tables, she still, oddly enough, went on to have children. She writes The Frumpy Zone for Richmond Parents Monthly.

  
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