How do you go out to restaurants with a 2 year old? If you force him to sit he screams, if not, he runs around

Question

Is there a solution other than hiring a baby-sitter?

Answer 1

Practice teaching your child how you want him to behave when you have meals at home. If he is expected to sit down and eat at home, he will do the same at a restaurant. Be firm, and don't give in. If you threaten to leave if he doesn't behave, then do it. You can also try going to the restaurant a little before normal dinner hour, so he won't be overly hungry, and bring some books or a special toy he enjoys to entertain while you are waiting.

Answer 2

Keep practicing, but be firm. One warning and then leave. If he acts up, take him out. When he calms, try again and if he acts up again you need to leave. He may not be ready to handle a resturant situation yet, and if that's the case, you'll need a sitter. It's unfair to subject the other restaurant patrons to a screaming child when they are trying to enjoy their meal (and may have paid for their own sitter to avoid just this situation).

We have a small bag of toys that are kept in the car for use only when dining out. Because he only gets to play with the toys in that bag if he's in a restaurant - and if he behaves - he seems to enjoy them as much as we enjoy our meal.

Answer 3

You can't really expect restaurant manners from a 2 year old yet, but you can probably keep him occupied enough to get through a meal (or mostly anyway!). Bring along some small, fun toys or books for him to play with at the table. Play with him or read to him to keep him interested. You might need to bring some snacks to keep him happy until the food arrives. It helps if you choose a restaurant with quick service. If the service is slow, you can walk around with him to look at the decor or whatever while waiting for the food. Let him know that it will be time to sit at the table when the food arrives. Good luck!

Answer 4

If you don't take him into those situations ever, he'll never learn how to behave.

You have to teach him how he is to behave in a restaurant. Go to a family-type restaurant that's more understanding about kids and when he screams, take him out of the restaurant immediately. Very matter -of-factly tell him you won't go back inside until he quiets down.

Same thing goes if he gets up to run around. If he won't sit still, then take him outside and do the whole thing again.

Do this when you're not tired or hungry. It might take a couple of tries, but your kid will get the message and behave. You just have to be very patient.

Answer 5

You don't. Developmentally, 2 year olds can't manage the required behavior for restaurants. Unless you go to a very family friendly restaurant, you're setting everyone up for failure.

Use the baby-sitter. The cost is worth your sanity.

Answer 6

sit him in a high chair or in your lap and then keep him engaged so he's not screaming. if you're bringing a 2-year-old to a restaurant, don't expect to spend the meal sipping your wine and discussing work with your partner. you really have to entertain a 2-year-old if you expect them to sit still (and please do expect that ... it's not safe for them to run around). bring some paper and crayons and color with him. talk to him about what's in the restaurant. sing songs (softly). play this little piggy. bring a snack to tide him over until the meal comes. don't plan on getting coffee and dessert after ... you have to keep it short. if none of that works, leave a check, take your food to go, and take him out of the restaurant. he's not ready to go to a restaurant yet, so hire a babysitter and try again when he's a little older.

Answer 7

He is 2-year-old. He is doing exactly what any typical 2-year-old will do. It is not fair to him (or to the other patrons of the dining establishment) to expect him to sit for a long period of time. Of course he will be loud and active. 2-year-olds do not belong at a restaurant. Your options are either to hire a babysitter or to eat dinner at home. It is not developmentally appropriate to bring a child to a sit-down restaurant before age 4 at the youngest.

Answer 8

All the above are great answers!!

Just to add to what they've said...

Go at it slowly. Try going to the resturant for only appetizers then gradually start staying longer. You have to understand their attention span is SHORT to say the least! But also remember, they have NO idea they are in a public place. They will behave according to how they are allowed to behave at home. If mealtime is hard at home, relaxed, playful, running around in between bites, they will most likely act this way at the resturant. Only bc they think its OK. You know the difference but they dont.

Start at home and it will get easier!!!!

Good luck!

*The only reason I say slowly is bc its nice to be respectful to others while they are eating. Your child crying and running around is not their problem. ;}

Answer 9

Take lots for him to do, little toys, coloring books and crayons, and his fave teddy,
Also his own plate and knife and fork that he uses at home, Keep calm, And may be try a more child friendly place to start with, and the more comfortable you all get, take him to more grown up places, I f you don't take him then he isn't going to learn how to behaive in the environment,
Also when you are at home get him into the routine of being good at dinner time, and keeping quite, Its hard at the beginning but it does get easier,
Good luck xxx

Answer 10

You need to teach your child how to behave at a restaurant. If this means making him sit in his seat while he screams the entire time, so be it. No means no. If you let him get up, you're just teaching him that if he screams long enough, he can get what he wants. Bring activities to keep him entertained and also bring snacks for him to munch on while you're waiting on the food. That should help a lot.

Other customers may not appreciate it, but you'll just have to apologize and go about your business. Or you can ignore them all together.

Start teaching them proper dinner time etiquette at home. Make them sit at the table and eat all of their dinner before they are allowed to get up. Once they get up, dinners over. Don't give in to this. He needs to learn that you sit at the table and eat. You don't get up and run around as your please. He's still young, so he may not get the hang of this right away.