Tips for Teaching Young Children Manners at Restaurants

Posted by Susan Epstein on September 27th, 2010 at 01:18pm

Guest Post by Alisa Gilbert

Nearly everyone who has been a patron at a restaurant has experienced it before settling down to tuck into a meal only to be blasted with the sound of a screaming child from two tables away. What can make the situation even more uncomfortable is if that screaming child happens to be your screaming child. Fortunately, you do not have to settle for glares from fellow diners every time you eat out if you follow these tips to teach your young child manners at restaurants.In fact, now that numerous restaurants have publicly created rules banning bratty children, it is a great time to put these tips to the test to save you and your family from getting glared at, or worse, from getting kicked out mid-meal.

1. Begin teaching proper table manners early on at home. If your child typically wails, runs around, and throws food while eating at home, it is only logical that your child will do the same when eating in public. For this reason, it is imperative that good table manners begin at home. Do not underestimate your child’s capacity for understanding the difference between good behavior and bad behavior. Even at an early age, children as young as three years old can be taught to stay seated, use an indoor voice, and avoid making messes. If you keep these lessons regularly enforced at home, then keeping your child behaving well in a restaurant will be much easier.
2. Point out inappropriate behavior as soon as it happens. Make no mistake, your child will still slip up and behave inappropriately from time to time. After all, children need to make mistakes in order to learn. It is important to point out any incidents of inappropriate behavior as soon as it happens so that your child will be aware of it. However, also be sure to do so in a calm and gentle manner. If your child begins whining and you respond in a loud and angry manner, chances are you will only get a louder and angrier protest from your child. Instead, correct the bad behavior calmly to show your child that keeping calm is an appropriate reaction.
3. Prepare your child for a trip out. Before you head out to a restaurant, explain to your child where you are going and what manners you expect. Children like to know what is going on, and if you take the time to tell them where they will be eating and what they could enjoy there, chances are they will be less likely to arrive there in a bad mood. In addition, remind your child of the good behavior that you will be expecting, such as talking with an inside voice and staying seated throughout the entire meal. This way, if your child breaks any of those rules, you can gently remind him or her of your previous discussion.
4. Prepare yourself for a trip out. Just as you must prepare your child for a trip out, you should also prepare yourself with backup plans to keep your child occupied while eating at a restaurant. The truth is that the majority of children under five years of age have relatively short attention spans, making it difficult for them to stay put for longer than 45 minutes. Bring along crayons, a coloring book, or a favorite toy to keep him or her busy while you finish eating. Also, be prepared to give your child plenty of attention during the meal. A lot of times, children misbehave as a means of getting your attention, so if you give it to them before they throw a fit, you will likely avert a public meltdown altogether.
5. Leave if your child is still misbehaving. Sometimes, despite all of the preparation you go through, your child may still misbehave and refuse to cooperate. If this is the case, promptly pay for your meal, store the uneaten courses in takeaway boxes, and leave the restaurant. Your child will quickly learn that misbehaving will result in fewer fun family outings. Do not become angry, but do calmly express your disapproval of the bad behavior. Explain to your child why their behavior was unacceptable and why you had to leave early, and how this could affect future trips out to restaurants. This way, not only will you prevent disruptions to other diners’ meals, but you will also teach your child how to behave appropriately in the future.

This guest post is contributed by Alisa Gilbert, who writes on the topics of bachelors degree. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: alisagilbert599@gmail.com.

Tags: Children, dinner, eating out, misbehaving, parenting powers, restaurants, susan epstein, table manners, teens

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