hannah help me! By Hannah Keeley

Dine In Before Dining Out Practice Restaurant Manners at Home  

Q Back before we had children, my husband and I would often go out to eat. We are both food aficionados and enjoy dining out. Since baby number two has come into the picture, however, I often wonder if we will ever get to enjoy a fine meal out again. It’s just too difficult to bring the kids along and even if I wanted to, I’m often too exhausted at the end of the day to even think about going out. Hannah, help me!

A Parenting throws you plenty of curves and your social life is definitely not exempt.  With that first child, you still blithely assume that your life will eventually return to normal. But when that second child enters the picture, somewhere in between gulping down macaroni and cheese and sipping the leftover juice out of the juice box, you realize that you are indeed living the new normal. And it’s not showing signs of changing anytime soon.

Believe it or not, you can be foodies and parents at the same time. Plenty of fine restaurants welcome children, so you may just have to change couples dining to family dining. Children of all ages can definitely be taken out to eat.

If you worry about behavior problems, then those should be dealt with right now, and the sooner the better. I was definitely raised “old school,” where kids can and should have table manners.

Practice good manners by doing some fine dining at home. This can even be a fun way to try out some new recipes or break out the nice dishes.

If you are worried about them becoming bored, then bring along some coloring books, crayons, or some small, quiet toys. It also helps to dine out at odd hours. You’ll get quicker service and often less stressed servers.

And if you are worried about them interrupting your fine dining experience, well, that you’ll just have to get over. Welcome to the new normal. 

Q My budding Picasso has not only taken over my home, but my wallet as well. Her pictures are everywhere throughout the house. It was fine when it just covered the fridge, but they are scattered all over my once beautifully decorated home. She also constantly wants new art supplies—new paint, crayons, sketchbooks, markers, etc. I want her to feel free to be creative, but it’s making me a bit crazy. Hannah, help me!

A Congratulations on having such a creative child! When others bemoan the fact that their kids are glued to the television or addicted to video games, you can proudly shout out, “Not mine! I have a genius in the making!”

Enjoy it—your home could never be more beautiful than it is right now, with pictures on every wall! Perhaps you can decorate with your child’s creativity in mind. Cover an entire wall with cork to pin up her pictures. Scatter frames throughout the house to show off her artwork, changing them out as you see fit.

As creative as she is, she may also have some good decorating ideas. Why not put your heads together and see what you can come up with?

As far as the money is concerned, kids are not cheap by any stretch of the imagination. I have always felt that art supplies were an investment. Compared to video games or expensive clothes, art supplies are definitely affordable.

Perhaps you could try buying supplies in bulk through a source such as Discount School Supply (discountschoolsupply.com). They have good quality art supplies at very affordable prices. So while you are enjoying your beautiful décor, you can also feel good about saving money!