Dining Out With Toddlers -- Ask Mrs Manners

on June 2, 2009 at 7:02 AM

Photo by Taralyn

The toddler years are the perfect age to start teaching your kids manners and good habits. And MrsManners aka: Angela Pitre, owner of the CM group Manners for the Modern Family and Family MannersMadeFun.com, is here to help.

Dear MrsManners:

My husband and I want to start getting back out into the world again, and we'd love to take our 2 year old to a restaurant, but my son has ants in his pants and he's the messiest eater in the world! Any advice for getting a child restaurant ready? -- anonymous

MrsManners says:

There are a few things you should consider:

1. First, always be aware of where you are taking your family. If you are going out to dinner, think about whether your child is age appropriate for the style of restaurant. If you have a young child, reconsider the linen table cloth restaurant for a more family oriented, draw on the table kind of restaurant.

2. Just like at home, you should have a series of pre-decided on rules that are well communicated to your child about how they should behave in public. Again, you are their best example. If you are chewing with your mouth open or talking with your mouth full, your children will often have those same bad habits.

3. The family table is a great place to practice some more formal dining techniques. Pick one day a week or even a month to practice your rules for dining out. This can be a fun time for the whole family. Get dressed up, set a more formal table and all of you use your best manners.

Angie aka MrsManners

Got a question for MrsManners? Ask it here! And check back every Tuesday for her answers.

Past Ask Mrs Manners columns:

Attention, Please!

Spoiling vs. Nurturing

Strangling the Dog

Please Don't Interrupt!

10 Signs Your Toddler Is a Brat

Banish the Burp

Should Kids Be Forced to Share Toys?

Winging the Pacifier

Should Parents Say 'Thank You'?

Toddlers Eating Everything

Throwing-Obsessed Toddlers

Are You a Hypocrite?

Pushy Toddlers

Taming the Messy Eater

How to Have Well Behaved Toddlers

My Son Won't Stop Touching Other Moms' Breasts!

Is Shyness Impolite?

Stop Peer Pressure Early

About the author Cynthia Dermody

is The Stir's Managing Editor who has trophies in her home for her skills at the Irish Jig. She makes cupcakes with as many fattening ingredients as possible, doesn't comb her hair for months at a time, and was probably a faerie in a former life.

Filed Under: mrs manners

Comments (2)

toriandgrace

on Jun 2, 2009 at 9:22 AM

I just teach my child (or try lol) to use good manners all the time.. no need for a specific day. She is developmentally delayed, so I don't always push the fork issue because it's still hard for her. Otherwise we never have problems with restaurants. She has been taught that she can't get down until we're finished, is always made to ask nicely, not given back things that she throws, not allowed to yell at the table etc. now she is 3, not 2 so that does make a bit of a difference. We normally take a few quiet toys, and if she gets ansy in her seat, she is allowed to sit with me. I never had a typical baby though, so I'm probably very naive about how dining out is with a typical two year old. Grace was always a very calm child, and we've been able to go to expensive restaurants since she was a baby (not that we can afford them, but our parents spoil us when they come to visit.)

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justanotherjen

on Jun 2, 2009 at 9:51 AM

We've been taking our kids out to eat almost weekly since they were new borns. At one time we had 3 toddlers and we still went out every week. They actually behaved better as toddlers then they do now (they are 8, 7 and 6). I am constantly complimented (more so when they were little) about how well behaved they were. I didn't let them misbehave. They know they are to sit as still as they can, be as quiet as they can (we're constantly reminding them to use indoor voices). Throwing food or running around gets you sent to the car or your food taken away. They learned from the start to behave at the table and we've never eaten anywhere but family friendly resturants (back then it was always Dennys, Old Country Buffet or Baker's Square).