Dining Out with Kids is Rarely a Good Idea

It’s the same question every time… why, oh why, did I think it was a good idea to go out to eat with the kids?  It’s like I periodically develop amnesia when I suggest we go out to eat, forgetting what little monsters they were last time. They each have their vices – Brogan can’t sit still to save his life and he needs to be the center of attention.  Beckett screams at the top of his lungs any time he doesn’t get his way.  Looking back on my childhood, there was probably a 5-year stretch where my mom rarely took my two brothers and me to a restaurant.  She was very, very smart.  I, on the other hand, am a glutton for punishment.

Dinner tonight was with my in-laws, sister-in-law and niece. We had the kids out numbered 4 to 3 – totally under control, right??  For Brogan, more adults just means a bigger audience for the misbehaving show.  I am not one of those moms who thinks it’s okay for your kid to be running around a restaurant.  It’s not okay in my book.  But there he was, getting out of his chair, scurrying over to dance in front of a glass door where he could admire his skills in the reflection.  Never mind the fact this door was where the wait staff was rushing through with huge trays of food.  For Beckett, he was really hungry and pretty frustrated that he wasn’t getting fed (or fed as fast as he would have liked).  I am not one of those moms who thinks it’s okay for your kid to be screaming in a restaurant either.  Also not okay in my book.  But there he was, screaming his high-pitch, blood-curdling scream when I wasn’t doing something to his liking.  I was his hostage – willing to do whatever it took to keep him quiet.  He was throwing things on the floor, swatting things off the table.  He was pissed.  Luckily when the food came, he calmed too, but man was it rough in the interim!

So to everyone who was eating outside at the Cheddars inWarner Robins tonight, I’m sorry.  Just know, it was more miserable for me than it was for you.  I’d like to say that I’ve learned my lesson, and won’t try this again until they’ve learned to behave, but that would be a lie.  So instead, I’ll try to wipe this from my memory and head naively into my next dinning-out-with-kids experience.  Fingers crossed it goes better than tonight.

This hat was made for me by a waiter at Dick’s Last Resort in Panama City Beach after observing my two crazies in action.  I’ll pretend he was referring to my choice to take them out to eat. LOL