how do you control a screming 15 month old when you go to dinner?

Question

hi my daudhter is now 15 months but when we go to eat if my husband or i try to fix her a plate but she refuses to eat and kicks and screams to the point where we have to leave we've tried spanking and yelling what elese is there to do?

the reason we spank is because when we go to pick her up she bites i don't think its because she is hungry we have tried bringing toys but she just reapeatdly thorws them on the floor and at people i have no clue wat to do any more? help......

Answer 1

A 15 month old is too young to take out to dinner, esp if she isnt a well behaved child during the dinner. You are spoiling the experience for everyone else in the restaurant. Some children get REALLY out of whack when their schedule is disrupted. Are you doing it close to bedtime? Did you try to feed her before you went out? If you want to go out with your husband, I would suggest leaving your daughter with family members or a sitter.

Answer 2

At 15 months most children are aware of what they want but don't have the skills to express their point or make you understand.
Don't spank the child; they only gather that physical hurting is the way to deal with their frustration thus leads to the biting.
Try to work on her table manners at home before going out to eat. Try some pretend time and put out some different colored and textured foods such as fruits and vegetables. Have each food on its own plate and have your child go and pick out the foods she wants to eat. Be sure to tell her to only take what she will eat. Give her clear instructions (short but to the point) on what behaviour is acceptable when she is at the table and when you are somewhere special like a restaurant. If you find that she is doing this well then perhaps you should try salad bars or all you can eat buffets where she has a choice in her menu. I mean nice restaurants at that age can be intimidating and you can't really expect your child to act perfect in a setting like that. Try more family friendly eateries where you don't have to worry about everyone elses comfort.
Talk calmly to your child and make sure the point is brief such as, "No! Don't throw your fork!" or " Stop! Don't bite!" Very matter of factly but without raising your voice. Save the voice-raising for more serious matters. The issue has to be dealt with immediately, not when you leave the restaurant or get home because by then she may not be aware of what it is you are upset about.
Find a sitter if you feel that you and your husband need a nice relaxing night out to enjoy a prepared meal.
Cut out the yelling and spanking and give lots of praise when she does something that you like so she can establish what good feedback is and how it differs from the negative responses such as the yelling and hitting.
Good luck and remember that she is only 15 months old and she is counting on you to make her the best possible little person in the world! She is yours to mold into what ever child you wish. Take care!

Answer 3

She screams for attention, so idealy the best way to deal with it would be to ignore her when she throws a tantrum. Don't give her any attention at all and she will soon realise there is no point to her throwing tantrums if she never gets the attentions she wants (remember, to a child- negative attention is still attention!). I wouldn't force her to eat if this causes trouble. Get some food for her but only offer her it once and if she tantrums then don't offer again and let her kick and scream. If she's really hungry she'll eventually eat.

Of course most of the time ignoring her isn't really possible in a resturant if she is causing a scene. So the only thing i'd suggest in the end is eat at home! Or get a babysitter. Because i'm not sure how you can deal with this behaviour right now, without ignoring it, which could cause problems in a restuarant.

Sorry wasn't to much help!

Answer 4

Some things that work for us...

We order our toddler's food as soon as we sit down, usually with the first drink order, so that she can get busy eating while we wait for our meals. It keeps her occupied during the long wait, and allows us to concentrate on our own meals when they finally arrive.

Let her sort and count the sugar and sweetener packets.

When things really get out of control, get up and carry her as you take a short walk around the restaurant. Sometimes toddlers just want to see what's going on in this new place. And don't worry - the restaurant staff is not going to mind. They would rather see you do this than listen to a tantrum throughout the entire meal.

And most importantly, NEVER attempt to go to restaurants if your child has not had a good nap beforehand. And never go too close to bedtime. If you schedule it just right, you could get lucky and not have to deal with problems at all.

If all else fails, hire a sitter or call up grandma, and go out on your own.

Answer 5

It takes longer for some children to learn how to behave in a restauant. Fast food places are the way to go when they are very young. Not every establishment is geared to kids. Even so a child should not be permitted to scream or act out to the point other patrons cannot enjoy their meal.You might be bettter off hiring a sitter and dining out yourself.It certainly is not pleasant for anyone to have an expensive meal ruined by a child who is tired,cranky, hungry or bored. Usually the server can bring crayons but a restaurant is not a child care centre. The server can try to push your order ahead but they are not in control of the kitchen.Most restaurants cannot guarantee a meal out in 15 minutes or less.Your child will fuss.My issue is with parents who expect young children to sit quietly in a restaurant for a couple of hours. They get tired,restless and cranky.It is not their fault ,the parents are selfish.These same parents yell at their kids or ignore them, it is truly a sad and upsetting scene for everyone but the parent. You may have to just resort to gettting the food to go if she does not settle down.

Answer 6

Maybe she's just so distracted by all the fun things to watch that she doesn't want to take the time to eat. So why don't you just eat your own dinner, and if and when she's hungry enough, then present her with the plate of food, but not until she asks for something. You can always give her a box of raisins or another snack on the way home, and she'll be fine, and you'll enjoy a peaceful meal.

Answer 7

Maybe you are expecting too much of her before the food arrives? Maybe if you tried a less formal restaurant (like a buffet) during off times, she can have a little more freedom to move around b4 the food comes without it disturbing many other people, and then she'll be willing to sit down when it's time to eat? Or bring some toys for her to play with and keep her occupied.

Answer 8

Rather than giving her negative attention (spanking, yelling), try giving her positive attention (praise). Bring activities to entertain her--sitting in a restaurant is really boring!!! We don't feed our kids at the restaurant, we feed them before we go out and then just let them try a bit of our food if they're interested from a smaller plate. If all else fails, get take out (even Applebees and Chilis have it now) or hire a sitter and have a real date.

Answer 9

I began laughing after I read this. My niece's 15 month ancient kinda makes use of a spoon but notice the phrase kinda. The food does not most commonly become in her mouth. She makes use of her palms, quite often. Nonetheless, my daughter, who turns 1 this Sunday makes use of her hands and if i don't control the variety she'll stuff it all in. My husband nonetheless makes use of one of the crucial stage three meals throughout the day however at night she eats what we eat as long as it's gentle. She handiest has half of a teeth. I am so pleased she's not the only late teether! Funny story. MY sweetheart's mother can not fairly get previous the fact that Katie eats 'real' food. For easter dinner she gave me Stage 2 fowl. I just set it apart. She sent it house with us. My husband tried to feed it to her. She REFUSED to consume it. After I told my sister she mentioned "just right for her!" Are you sure you aren't my twin concerning the Sunday garments, bows and taking part in gown-up disorders??? LOL

Answer 10

All children are different ,bringing toys and snacks may work but not for all kids,My daughter would not even get in the chair let alone wait for the plate so we just had to
stop going to restaurants all together! You will probably have to wait till she's about 21/2.