Dining Out with Kids
If I am super honest with you, dining out with kids is not something I love to do. I am a bit of a homebody and enjoy staying in—probably too much sometimes—and with four children between the ages of 11 and 4, dining out can feel like a bit of a … chore. Plus, dining out with a family of 6 these days is expensive! Anyone else relate?! Despite all the reasons I can come up with for not taking our family out to eat, I do realize restaurant dining holds great value for our kids. If you find yourself feeling like I do and maybe dreading to eat out with your kids, read on to find how other metro moms deal, where to go and which cool, local KC business can help you out!
Dining out with kids actually has great benefits for the entire family. Our current societal norms can undermine those, however, with the temptation to just hand over your phone to kids in an effort to keep the peace at a restaurant. But as Kristin Cotton, Olathe mom of two, puts it, this is a wonderful time to connect with your family: “There is so much that kids gain by having conversations at the dinner table. It’s kind of like going on a date … you don’t sit on our phone the whole time, so we should look at dinner with our kids the same. A time to hear about their day, get to know their sweet personality and help build their character.”
In addition to connecting with your kids, dining out together is a wonderful opportunity to teach your kids appropriate manners. Margaret Sarver, KC Parent editor, shares, “When my girls were younger, my parents would take them to a nice restaurant once a year to teach them ‘the art of fine dining.’ One of the things they worked on was how to make conversation with someone you don’t know well. It was a fun tradition.”
Our family has eaten out a bit more than usual this summer and we’ve used it as an opportunity to teach our kids how to order their own food, ask for what they need and use appropriate manners in a restaurant. Dare I say it has actually been kind of fun seeing them rise to the challenge?!
If you’ve decided you all are going to venture out to a restaurant, you may be thinking, “Now what?! Where do we go? What do I take?” Well, before you put yourself into a tailspin, take a deep breath! The most important part is choosing a place to go that will suit your family, which can vary depending on the ages of your children. If you have a small window of opportunity—perhaps you have a small baby who is napping—find a place close to home. If your kids are young, pick somewhere that has a kids menu to color or offers snacks ahead of time. Venture out to a restaurant with a few games you could play together as a family if your kids are older or varied in ages. We recently went to Tanners where we played Skee-Ball, darts and pool (attempted anyway!), which was a fun way for us to hang out together before our food came.
You may also consider choosing somewhere that is kind of loud or has a patio you can sit on, so you (or other patrons) won’t be bothered when your kids are loud, too. Kaylee Biller, an Olathe mom of two, says, “We weren’t willing to give up eating out all together when we added a child to our family but knew we had to adjust our expectations. We come prepared. We go early. We avoid waits. We work together.” Elizabeth Godfrey, Overland Park mom of four, has similar insight: “Pick a kid-friendly restaurant with a quick turnover to avoid waiting. Be prepared. Bring snacks, paper, crayons and cards. Also, get the check when they serve the dinner … when kids are done eating, waiting isn’t an option!”
Cotton has a great tip about keeping kids entertained: “The key is to bring a few different things each time so they don’t get bored.” In fact, Cotton and her coworker, both Olathe kindergarten teachers, started a small business called KC Kits that offers tons of learning kits, sensory kits, entertainment kits and pretend play kits! They’re all effective to keep kids busy, but the entertainment kits are particularly great for restaurants (or sibling activities or road trips). You can find them on Facebook at KC Kits, Instagram at KCKits2213, or their website at KCKits.net.
Do keep in mind you don’t have to turn cartwheels to make dining out a successful experience. Sometimes it is okay for kids to just sit and not be entertained by you or by things. Be realistic too—dining out isn’t always going to be successful, but that’s just part of the adventure. So, if you didn’t brave the Kansas City heat to eat out this summer, never fear. Cooler weather is almost here! You are now armed with some great family benefits of dining out, places to try and things to keep your kids engaged and busy while waiting, so what are you waiting for?!
Julie Collett writes from Overland Park where her family is braving restaurant dining a little more often … but never leaves home without her “bag of tricks” to help engage and occupy the kids!