dining with toddlers

[lynnzrae]

Good morning everyone. Our trips is a few weeks away. Our party will include a 4-year-old boy and 18 month old boy/girl twins. We have been "practicing" our restaurant skills/behaviors for months by going to a local family friendly restaurant every week. (A lot of this is for me to learn expectations, etc.)


We were doing great until the twins got interested in drinking out of straws. We are slowly working on the cups with straws not being toys and it is getting better. My 18-month-old son is very fond of constantly dropping his toys on the ground for us to pick up. (He does this at home with his sippy cups sometimes as well.)

I was wondering if anyone has had experience/tips/advice on how best to entertain toddlers at restaurants. I am thinking about starting to bring paper and stickers as well as a few toys...maybe the more different types of things they can jump around to the better? I was also thinking of getting a few new things to hold their interest as maybe some of it is because it is the same "restaurant toys" every week. I also know that I need to manage my expectations and to expect that the four adults will likely have to take shifts to allow for the children to run around.

We will be dining out for every meal and if possible I don't want to lug a toy chest worth of stuff everywhere we go to entertain them. Many of our meals we intentionally did character dining in hopes of the entertainment but I am not sure what to expect from that as well.

Anyway, any positive, supportive help is welcome and much appreciated.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

It sounds like you already have some good ideas with stickers, small toys, etc. I would also suggest downloading some kid friendly apps or shows onto your phone or iPad. We generally have a rule of no electronics during meals, but for a meal here and there on vacation it would probably be a big help. It sounds like you've already made your ADRs so this might be too late, but in addition to character meals there are a few other options that I think are really entertaining for kids -- Biergarten has great live music and dancing, T-Rex or Rainforest Cafe (although these can be a bit scary for some little ones), and Raglan Road all come to mind. You didn't mention if all of your meals are TS or not....but overall my advice with toddlers is not to overdo it on the sit down meals. Mixing in some QS where the meals are faster and not as formal might save your sanity

 

[Nancyg56]

We had crayons and some of the coloring pages that were available in the lobby for our DGD. My DD also had a few games loaded on her phone thing, an ipod I think. It can be difficult for children to remain entertained or quiet during some of these meals because there may be unexpected delays, so having a few things that you normally would not offer at home can be a lifesaver for parents.

 

[sponica]

Everyone is different, but my 20 month old was more than content with crayons and something to scribble on. And teddy grahams to play with/eat before the food came. We ONLY did table service (with the exception of one lunch) and she even slept through lunch the last day we were in the parks. (thanks to Tiffins for letting her sleep in the stroller). She was only using sippy cups though so I didn't have to deal with the "straws aren't toys" conversations.

 

[Michelle James]

I had a little "restaurant kit" for my son when he was that age. I packed some things into a little lunch bag and just kept it in my car. I'd sometimes rotate things in/out. I had crayons (if you can find the little triangle shaped ones, they don't roll off the table!), little pictures to colour, a dinky car or two (he luckily wasn't a thrower - you might reconsider this if yours are), goldfish crackers / fruit leather to ward off the hangry if dinner was delayed, a toy called a Stikbot (eg: for your older son), a deck of flash cards, a small book, etc. And wet wipes. ALWAYS wet wipes.

And the character dining will almost certainly help. Even if the characters aren't at your table, kids are often fascinated with watching them across the room.

 

[unrequited23]

We've had a lot of luck with hot wheel cars or the small plastic animals that are about 2" tall. My boys would only spend a minute or two coloring until they were around 4. The idea to have some snacks is a good one--no one wants a hangry kid. I saw you mention 4 adults...another trick is to have the kids not sit next to you all the time. My boys are sometimes better behaved when they are around other people.

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

I have a pencil case sized bag that I toss a few things into to bring to a restaurant. Small toy cars (Little People has some), crayons and paper, and I have a small set of collapsible stacking cups.

I'm not too proud to just throw snacks at the situation either. If my 2 yo has a dinner that largely consists of animal crackers and goldfish crackers one night, it's not going to kill him. Not ideal, not a daily thing, but one night is not going to be the end of the world (let's be real, he tosses plenty of his "regular" dinner on the floor as it is).

I really try not to resort to electronics or the phone (this is my personal preference because batteries die and then I'd be out of luck) but in a pinch, I'll show him pictures on my phone and ask "who is this?" and make a game of that for as long as I possibly can.

Other than that- wine, prayers, and the constant reminder that I can't be the only person who has ever had her 2 yo lose his mind in a restaurant.

 

[PlainJane]

I’m planning on all or mostly QS when we go to WDW, but I can tell you what we do at home.

We try to pick places that have lively atmospheres. There are some “quiet” places that my toddler even just talking could draw scorn, let alone if he were to throw a fit. Places with loudish music are nice too because this helps keep him entertained. He also does better eating outside than inside because there is more to look at. He also does better by windows.

We bring coloring books and crayons everywhere. One of us will take turns coloring with him, while the other eats. We use a video in worst case scenario situations because he tends to be worse later if he watches videos (even though it makes him behave better in the moment).

The dropping can be so frustrating. He’s almost 2 now, and he’s thankfully pretty past that stage. We would take things away for awhile if they had been purposefully dropped, but really only time and outgrowing the stage changed anything.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

Well, the good news... You're vacationing at the right place. I think for the most part people are tolerant, we've all had children, good, bad, and every child and parent has their breaking point, and the heat doesn't help anything. Everything you stated in your post I did when mine was young and I agree, you don't want to have to bring the whole traveling circus with you to entertain. But should a full blown meltdown occur, then you or your husband should take a step out, sometimes a change of scenery, helps. If not, have the restaurant bag it for you and retreat to the hotel. And, I always tipped a little more when my son made a bit of a mess, it happens, but how else are they going to learn, unless we teach them. Most importantly, have fun, laugh and apologize if you need to... it's what I did when my 3 year old son bit into a cherry tomato and squirted the man (not in our party)sitting catty corner from him, right in the eye, oops. Thankfully, he was good natured and we had a laugh about it! Some Disney restaurants pack patrons in a bit too tightly.

 

[Magical2017]

Disney restaurants do an excellent job of getting food out quickly when there are small children in the party, in our experience. If it takes longer, many restaurants have things you can take a walk and view. Places like Rainforest Café are so stimulating you may not have to do much. Plus, the restaurant is really loud, so if our kids were a little boisterous, it is not as obvious. I agree with a pp about the extra tipping, too. You have great ideas for entertaining your toddler--have fun.

 

[KrazeeK120]

We’ve been going out to eat about once a week since our son was a few months old. He will be 3 in October. I don’t, and never have, brought anything special for him. He’s typically happy with the crayons and paper most restaurants provide. Otherwise, we use it as family time to talk to one another.

 

[AnnaLuC]

I buy Table Toppers from Amazon and those have been great for keeping my kids entertained. They are disposable placemats with games/activities. A few come with stickers as well. For kids that like straws try wikki stix to get a similar bendable toy. The most coveted toy in our “restaurants only” bag is a book that uses magnets instead of stickers. Reusable and won’t end up stuck to the table or chair.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

How verbal are the 18 month olds?

When my trio were that age, flash cards really held their attention well. I had a few packs from the dollar store (first words, colors and shapes, opposites) and I'd ask them to name things in the pictures. That might not work for you, though, if the kids aren't that verbal yet or if the 4 yo is the type to jump in and answer every question right away.

Come to think of it, could you get the 4 yo to be the one asking the questions? Then all three are entertained!

 

[TeresaWen]

Who knows, they may be ready for a break from all the stimulation in the park they may enjoy the break and surprise you - she said hopefully

As stated above don't worry at all, relax & enjoy your children. As long as they are not running around, kicking chairs, or throwing stuff at people you are fine. I find the servers are awesome about interacting with little ones.

Something to play movie if all else fails and you need s rest!

 

[Candycane83]

We actually did DxDP when my son was 2.5 and went to a lot of signature restaurants. We found that this was actually not bad for him as he had a break. I wrapped some small ‘gifts’ - cars and colouring kits from the dollar store and would let him open a new one each time we went to eat at a TS restaurant.

 

[LovesTimone]

Here's some tricks that I have learned, I'm a mom and a grandmother. Here's a few suggestions.

1) Let the kids burn off some steam before sitting down for a meal.

2) Hit the dollar store, target dollar zone, wal-mart - for crayons, coloring or activity books, drawing pad or paper, Sticker and those sticker set where you can peel the stickers off and on, puzzles, small plastic toys, our grandson loves dino's, we have a few that stay in the back pack. Ahead of time make up a ziploc baggie's one for each day and one for each kiddo. Divide up everything 3 or 4 crayons, a coloring book, stickers, some type of plastic car, or doll. They only get this when you are sitting down to eat. Change out the baggies daily this way everything is new and fresh, this was they don't get board.

3) Movie or games on your phone or Ipad/ Tablet - with ear phones so that they can hear it, but other guest don't have to listen along to it.

4) Have some snacks in case they are hungry when you sit down, crackers, gold fish crackers, or ask the server for some crackers or bread for them... If I know that we are doing table service I will keep some set aside for meal times, so its not something that they snacked on already during the day.

5) Over tired or really hungry kids are not going to be able to sit quietly. Try to keep to their normally schedule, or even add in some extra down time at the pool, nap or rest time. This will also give you a break.

Have a wonderful trip.

 

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[gharter]

We took our kids to almost every restaurant with us including the nicer restaurants. As long as you have things to keep the kids busy, you should be good. whether its crayons, books, toys, etc.
Nobody expects the kids to not make noise at a restaurant.
The servers were always great about getting snacks early for the kids until the food came.

Agree with pp about keeping the kids on schedule. Naps are important. One of us always took the kids back to the room for an afternoon nap. Made a huge difference. Sleeping in a stroller, wasn't the same for our kids.

 

[kiddywhompus]

On our first trip with our 3 and 7 year olds, I was surprised by their behavior. With so much stimulation in the parks, they were very loud and rowdy walking around, waiting in lines for rides, etc. Restaurants were a little more "calm" and seemed to offer break from the excitement. That is when they would take a nap! At first, I would think "We just paid $35 for a kids meal, and all they ate were a pickle and a cookie, and then they passed out!" I wanted them to experience everything, so the hardest lesson I learned was that there is never a bad time for a nap! (It was the only time I could hold a conversation with my hubby!)