Going Out To Eat With Three Babies

November 8, 2018 /
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No one wants to be the loudest table in the restaurant and no one wants to be the family that leaves the place trashed (trust me we’ve been there). But we’ve been able to take our kids successfully to some pretty nice restaurants. Below is my strategy of some success – useful for anyone whether dining out with one or three infants.

 

First things first practice if you can before going somewhere more formal – go to the local pizza joint or whatever restaurant seems the most kid friendly in your area. (If you’re in the Boston region check out Full Moon in Cambridge which actually caters to kids and has REAL food for adults). Try it out and get your kids used to sitting and waiting for food and enjoying the atmosphere! I also HIGHLY recommend frequenting places that have either a family restroom or changing table in the mens room – because there is nothing worse than being the sole responsible one for multiple diaper changes when you just want to eat your dinner (not to mention the challenge that the lack of changing area poses to some LGBTQ or single parent families). But that’s just my own personal pet peeve and could be a whole post on its own.

Step two – A.B.S.  Always Bring Snacks. This is pretty much a philosophy for life when you have three babies. My kids are happiest when fed so we always go to a restaurant prepared with a snack full of cheerios, tiny fruits or a pouch or two – especially in the early days in case there wasn’t too much they could eat on the menu or they were too hungry to wait for it.

Number three is back up toys – these are not your loud rattley/music toys but quieter teethers, chain rings, books etc. Those little vibrating car seat toys also work great. Bonus points if you can hook them on to a clip or onto the high chair itself! I always use a mommy hook or a carabiner to attach whatever toys I could to their seat so they couldn’t be thrown around the restaurant. If only someone would invent a cup on a leash too!

Step Four is the hard part – especially when you have more than one. You’re going to have to engage them when they are done and you’re not. Point out the art work, the fire-place, the cool fans (what baby doesn’t love Fans!) or play peekaboo.

Step Five is less about enjoying your meal and more about your options for going out next time (in addition to just generally being a decent human being). Clean up after your kids as best you can – the wait staff does not get paid enough to clean up the spills and mess so we always use our napkin to quickly scoop up what we can and throw it on our plate before we are done. We also always add a little extra to the tip whenever we go out with our kids – it’s just the decent thing to do and you know it.

 

Finally my personal advice – never order a kid’s meal! 9 times out of 10 they are garbage. When we only had one we’d order a side of veggies or risotto most places, but now we just order something healthier off the adult menu (like salmon or chicken) and split it between them. They enjoy having the real food and its great for trying new flavors. Plus at this point if you tried to give one of my babies a portion off the kids menu like one egg and a piece of toast for breakfast they’d be looking for more food before I got my first bite.

 

 

No IPad included, but to each their own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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