Every parent or adult who has experienced bringing kids to a restaurant knows that any fine dining experience could quickly become a nightmare once a child starts throwing a tantrum. But kids are kids. So guess how the Internet reacted when a popular restaurant in rural Georgia charged some extra dining surcharge for what they called “bad parenting.”
A surcharge, anyone?
The Toccoa Riverside Restaurant in Georgia has had enough crying babies and unruly toddlers. To shun them, the restaurant blatantly warned parents that they would shell out a surcharge should they fail to parent their little ones. The warning on the restaurant’s front door unsurprisingly created a heated buzz.
Luckily, this surcharge does not apply to most restaurants in the United States. But just in case other diners decide to do so, here are nine tips you can use to avoid paying the hefty sum:
1. Avoid peak hours
Timing is the first thing you must consider when making that first restaurant visit with your young one to avoid a pre-dining meltdown. Avoid the dinner rush! Adding the usual chaotic diner rush would only spell nothing but disaster — primarily for you.
Avoiding peak hours also means you don’t have to fall in long lines or wait too long for your orders to arrive — limiting your baby’s time to wait or whine.
2. Mealtime is the best time
Though you’d want to arrive at the restaurant a little earlier before every hungry soul comes, a hungry baby would more likely throw a tantrum than a well-rested, fed one. So before heading out, make sure that the timing of your restaurant visit is aligned with your child’s usual eating time. Or if not, that they’re not so hungry to cause trouble.
3. Practice table manners at home
One way to ensure your family dinner won’t go south is to encourage good table manners at every meal.
Before bringing your child to a fancy restaurant, ensure he knows throwing food, or shouting is unacceptable in formal dining settings and should not be tolerated even at home. Teaching them what’s appropriate and not would translate into good restaurant behavior.
4. Choose kid-friendly restaurants
Unlike the restaurant in Georgia mentioned earlier, other diners accept and embrace children. Before setting up your first restaurant rodeo, research kid-friendly or family restaurants that will not fine you for a crying child. Some diners have special menus and even spaces for kids to enjoy. Pick them!
After choosing a restaurant, also try to pick a secluded spot that would give your family privacy and some space away from rude diners or the crowd in general.
5. Stick to the kid’s menu
Having an unfamiliar environment when eating out already puts you at a disadvantage. So limit the uncontrollable variables by ensuring that your child likes the food that you order.
In times like this, sticking to the kid’s menu or getting their regular fried chicken or fries will lessen the chance that your child may react negatively to the food. You may also try to skip desserts altogether, as kids and sugar are a sure recipe for disaster!
6. Bring ‘good’ distractions
To allow some familiarity, make room for your child’s favorite toy or an interactive game that can distract them when they start feeling fussy or bored. Some crayons and coloring books may help them be occupied while waiting for food. But take this as a last resort.
7. Engage with your child
Meal time is an excellent opportunity to engage as a family. So please take this opportunity to talk to your child with a genuine interest in what they’re feeling or thinking. Ask them if they enjoy it or like to do other things after eating so you’ll know what to add to your itinerary next time!
8. If all else fails, take a break
Set expectations, but allow room for mistakes so as not to put too much pressure on your child. If things get too overwhelming for your child and they scream, take a deep breath. Understand that, like you, they’re feeling anxious for this new adventure as well. Go outside. Please take a quick walk and talk to them until they behave better.
Scolding or punishing them in front of the diners will only add to the noise and won’t help your child remember dining out as an experience they’d like to repeat.
9. Enjoy yourself too!
Remember that the dining experience is not just for your child; you must enjoy it, too! Order your favorite dish, take a bite while feeding your baby, or get that cake you’ve been craving! Ensure you also have a good time since dinner is your time to relax.
Make dining out memorable
Your first dining experience with a child will surely be memorable — no matter how it goes. But it is more important to understand that this will be among their core memories, so don’t mind the other diners glaring. Most importantly, you and your child enjoyed your first dining experience together.
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