Check, Please!

I remember the first time I took my son – then three months old – to a restaurant.  We had been walking by outside, I smelled the food and my mouth started to water because I had not eaten lunch (like so many moms!).  But as I followed the hostess on the short walk from the front door of the restaurant to the table as I began to question – “Is this a good idea?”   

I certainly let my anxiety of whether the baby would cry in the restaurant get the best of me.  It went something like this: I skipped reading the menu, speed-talked my order to the waiter, all but bit my nails off while I waited for my food, ate my meal in about 5 gulps, practically screamed “Check, Please!,” and ran out of there as fast as I could after paying the bill.  The worst part?  My son slept in his car seat the entire time and never made a peep. 

The reality is kids may cry in a restaurant and it’s not a crime.  Looking back, I can certainly file this experience under the “pressure we put on ourselves” category.  So, be kind to yourself and take a minute to actually chew and enjoy your meal!  And next time you’re dining out and see a caretaker struggling with a little one who is not cooperating at mealtime, shoot them a smile – you never know just how appreciative that gesture could be for a parent feeling the weight of the pressure she put on her own shoulders. 

Sincerely,

From the Stork’s Nest ~

Liz

Taking your little one to a restaurant for the first time?  And here’s article chock full of useful tips: http://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/week-50/eating-out.aspx.