Dining out Etiquette how to Behave Stylishly at Restaurants

It’s strange how perspectives on etiquette can vary so drastically. My (European) parents made it very clear to me how best to behave at the dinner table (or restaurant) from as long ago as I can remember. I certainly do not know perfect etiquette, but I like to think my parents taught me well.
Here is a list of things to note when dining out at a stylish place (or just dining out stylishly);

1. Appearance!
A t-shirt with your favorite sports team (yes, even the Red Sox), shorts, and sandals do not go with $30 plates. If you’re going out somewhere nice, dress the part.
Wear a dress shirt, slacks, a belt, nice shoes, maybe even a suit-jacket, etc. Give the impression that you belong there. Ladies, wear a dress.
Clean clothes, clean face, clean hands (no dirty nails!), clean smell (take a shower).

2. Behavior
a. General Behavior
No one likes rude people. Be polite: Say “Excuse me” when you’re trying to get a waiter’s (or waitress’) attention. When you ask for something, always say “Please” and “Thank You”. People react well when someone appreciates what they do for them.
Try not to give attitude. People make mistakes all the time -you do too! (Politely) repeat your request.

Try not to be excessively loud; there are other people in the restaurant who are trying to enjoy a peaceful meal. This includes burping and farting. If you absolutely must burp, it should not be heard or smelt. If you have to, excuse yourself (go to the bathroom). Farting should never happen under ANY circumstance. If you feel the urge, excuse yourself to the bathroom. The bathroom is your special fart-party. If you like to pass gas, that’s the place to do it.

b. Posture: Sit up-right. Do not slouch (even after you’ve finished eating). Keep your elbows off of the table -instead, rest your forearms on the table.

3. Eating
Rest your napkin on your lap -not down the front of your shirt/dress.

When you’re chewing your food, your mouth stays closed (not only is it rude to open your mouth while you eat, but it’s extremely disgusting; no one cares to HEAR you eat or SEE what your food looks like going down). Breathe through your nose. Cows open their mouths while they eat. If someone asks you a question while your mouth is full, finish what’s in your mouth (swallow) and then reply.

Do not pick your teeth! Not with your finger(s) or with your utensils!

a. Portions:
Do not stuff your mouth to the point where your cheeks bulge or you cannot close your lips. Ideally you should be able to stop chewing and someone wouldn’t be able to tell you have food in your mouth. SMALL PORTIONS: your food won’t run away!

b. Utensils:
USE THEM. Do not eat with your hands (this depends on the food).

Knife in the right hand, fork in the left hand. These do NOT SWITCH HANDS. Do NOT cut up your food, put down your fork, put down your knife, pick up your fork with your right hand and then eat your food. Don’t square-dance with your utensils. When they’re not in your hands, they should be resting on their respective side of the edge of your plate.

Use BOTH of your hands (knife and fork). If you’re eating a soft meal that only requires a fork (like fish), the free hand should have its forearm resting against the edge of the table -NOT UNDER THE TABLE ON YOUR LAP. This is a common misconception.

Cut away a small piece (secure with your left [fork], cut with your right [knife]), use the fork to bring the food to your mouth <- (that's important; your mouth does not go to your food, your food should go to your mouth -yes, even soup).
No matter how good your food was, do not lick your utensils -especially not your knife. Spoon? Maybe..

c. Drinking
Don’t slurp your drink (or soup!) -making noises will not make your wine taste better (this includes situations with straws -don’t suck air and drink through your straw to make sure you get every last drop.

4. Wrapping Up
If you’re satisfied with your meal, place your knife and fork on the plate together so that they’re parallel to one another. If you’re unsatisfied with your meal, place your knife and fork far away from each other -crossing their ends. Varying degrees define your level of satisfaction.

Do not slouch, undo your belt/pants/zipper, or take off your shoes when you’re finished: you’re not at home on your couch.

Wipe your mouth with your napkin, fold it and place it on the table to the side of your plate. This will also signal the waiter/waitress that you’ve finished.

Tipping:
Standard tipping is 15-18%. Often times at up-scale restaurants you should give 20%. For those who have trouble doing the math in their head;
Total: $84.36
Take 10% of your total (move the decimal): $8.43
(if you would like to make it easier, round [up]): $8.50
Multiply this number by 2: $17.00
(8+8 = 16) + (.5 + .5 = 1) = 17
So, about $17.00 is a good tip.

In conclusion, try to follow these guidelines and you’ll be bound to impress your date. They may seem overwhelming at first, but repetition will make it second nature.
Bon Appetite!

Dining

Sooner or later those of you who enjoy dining out will have a bad dining experience. The waiter or waitress will incorrectly take your order, in that the meat will not be cooked to your liking or the side dish that you expected is not what you requested. Then again, the wine that you might order will be spoiled or not up to the usual standard that you expect. The eating utensils, dished and/or cups and/or glasses might be soiled. The dining room might, in fact, be filthy and is discovered by you only after you order the meal.

The truth of the matter is that one or more of a few dozen things that you expect to be right and proper puts you off and all that you want to do is seek another place in which to enjoy a meal. You are truly disappointed with the service and/or the meal that was served to you. You summon the server and tell that person why you are unhappy.

What happens next might or might not cause you to stay and eat the food, or you can become so outraged that all you want to do is walk out. Poorly cooked food is not a good reason to just leave, but if the food does not taste as it should taste something is wrong with the food. You do not want to get food poisoning and die. If you do not feel comfortable with ordering a different meal because the food that was served to you is, in fact, unfit for Human consumption, my advise to you is to leave. Yes, you should leave the place and do not pay the food check.

One thing that really gets me mad is when the owner tells me that there is nothing wrong with the way the food was cooked and he or she becomes insulted because you have a complaint about what was served to you. My reply. “So long buddy and it will be a cold day in Hell before I come back here again.” Yes, there are probably twenty or more restaurants within driving distance of your home so just pick another one.

On the other hand, the owner of the restaurant or the manager might want you to pay for the meal. You will pay for the meal if you are able to inspect the kitchen and determine for yourself if the food is not spoiled and that the kitchen is clean, as well as the people who cooked the food that was served to you. Then again, if the chef fails to cook the food as you requested then it is time to leave, rather than to send it back again.

Believe it or not, the owner or the manager knows if the kitchen is filthy or the food is not as fresh as it should be. If they have something to hide they will simply ask you to leave. However, a truly stupid owner and/or manager might even call the police, in an attempt to make you pay for the food.

By this time you are as mad as a person can be, but you must maintain your composure and obtain a sample of the food that was served to you. You can feed it to the cop who arrives and let him decide if he would pay for the food. You can also take that food sample and send it to the health department for testing. Just pay for the food and request a dogie bag for what you do not eat.

Get an itemized receipt so that you can prove where that food came from and get the names of the people who own, serve and/or cooked the food that was served to you. You might even need a witness who can state that you were in the restaurant and ordered the meal that you kept for further legal action, if you happen to get sick or seek to recover damages for the way that you were treated.

You cannot do much more than that, but by doing so you might save the life of a customer who might eat the food from such a place and subsequently die. Like it or not, some people could care less if you live or die. Their only concern is to make as much money as they can. If you had such a bad experience you should never go back to that restaurant and be sure to tell your friends about what a bad experience you had within that restaurant.

Should Cell Phones be Banned in Resaurants – Yes

It’s been a long, tiresome day and it’s one I get to spend with my wife; alone, while the children visit grandma. Once a month my wife and I get to act like children again instead of watching over them for a change. On occasion we will go catch a movie, visit the local book shop, attend a play but no matter what we always go out to eat first. It’s our treat to one another, a reward of sorts. It usually consists of a small, quaint local, but not always quiet, place.

Sipping on a glass of wine over the “catch of the day”, we converse about our day while trying listen to the pianist pound his keys, playing a melodic tune, sounds like Thelonious Monk. Alongside us a couple of about the same age are conversing over their dinner as well but not with one another rather on their phones. Their voices grew louder the more they talked, probably not even realizing so. This in fact enraged me. It wasn’t only that my wife and I were trying to enjoy dinner and each other’s company that bothered me but it also made me feel sorry for this couple and all the others we see on their phones at dinner or in the theater. It seems as though so few “couples” enjoy one another’s company anymore. If your significant other is sitting across the table and you are able to take that vibrating yet sometimes loudly ringing phone out of your pocket and begin a conversation with another, you deserve nothing but a quick little backhand upside the noggin. Sometimes I will see one texting away on their phone while holding it beneath their table with their head down and eyes focused away from the person they are with; how ridiculous.

Some people believe it’s the people not the phone that is to be blamed. Well I agree with the fact that the people are just as much to blame for their “crack berry” addiction, but its not them that we can ban from these restaurants. If so I would love that job of picking them up from their table, giving them a quick, little smack and tossing’em out back into the alley. But it won’t ever happen; the most we can do is put up those signs that read “please be courteous to others while using your cell phones”. These signs are generally so tiny and hidden that one probably never sees them. It’s our duty, us people who do not use our phones in a restaurant to say something to the ones that do. Hopefully after a few times they will get the point; but I highly doubt it. “We live in a technical age, and these times require constant cell phone use.” This is such a simple statement, a shortcut to thinking. If it’s that important send out a mass text to those in your phone stating “I’m having dinner for the next hour.” I guarantee you no one will call you in that hour. Relax, put down the phone and enjoy the company that’s across from you because if you keep doing what you are, next time you look up, he/she may be gone!

Tips for Eating at a Restaurant with an Infant

Everyone has experienced the annoyance of going out to eat at a restaurant only to find that halfway through the meal an infant nearby starts to get fussy and then starts making enough noise to ruin the outing for you and your dinner companions. No one wants to be the people that are the source of that annoyance, it just seems to happen sometimes. There are things you can do to help avoid such a situation though, if you will be taking an infant to eat with you at a restaurant.

The first thing is to only do so when the little one is at the height of his or her happy time. That’s the time for infants after they have been awake long enough to be completely lucid and happy, but before they have started getting sleepy again as they approach their next nap. If you’re going to take an infant to a restaurant, always try to do it during that happy window, so that you, the infant, and everyone around you will be able to have the best experience possible.

Another thing to consider is the type of restaurant where you will be eating. Most people expect fussy children at McDonald’s or other fast food places, so they are not nearly as annoyed or upset if an infant gets a little loud. It’s when people are paying more for their food that they get more upset. In these cases, the people at the restaurant feel they are paying not just for the food, but for the whole experience as well; thus if something occurs to ruin that experience, they tend to get upset. This is why you should be wary of taking an infant to a more sophisticated restaurant, and should generally only do so if the infant you are bringing along has demonstrated an ability to eat rather quietly.

Something else you might consider is taking your infant out during times of the day when there won’t be as many other customers at the restaurant, and then when you arrive, ask if you can be seated as far from other people as possible so as to not disturb others.

And finally, if you are going to take an infant to a restaurant, you should be prepared to abort your meal if the infant you have brought along becomes unhappy and starts to make a lot of noise and you are unable to mollify him or her. As the person who has brought the child along, it is your responsibility to act as the mature adult. If your baby is crying or screaming, it’s up to you to accept defeat and head on out there because anything else is clearly rude and unacceptable.

How to Pretend You’re Enjoying your Meal when you Aren’t

Even the most unfussy eater can sometimes be trapped in the situation when the meal on one’s plate is not to one’s taste. This is less likely to be the case in a restaurant where one has had the option of choice. If it is bad then one can simply have a quiet word with the waiter and suffer whatever consequences the chef deigns fit after you have insulted his masterpiece. As a dinner guest, though, it is not quite so easy.

I have on occasion been a guest where the food was not only not to my taste, but truly vile. A prime example is at Easter when the traditional mayeritsa soup, made from goats innards and lemon is served. No Greek can believe that anyone else does not think this is the most wonderful food on earth.  If you don’t share this opinion I would recommend sitting by a plant, to pour the contents in. Never effuse and say how much you enjoyed it after feeding it to the plant or you could end up with seconds. This should be avoided at all costs.

Another way to deal with unspeakably disgusting food without offending your hosts is to distract them whilst wrapping it into paper napkins. It is always advisable to have small plastic bags on your person or in a bag, to stuff these napkins into and carry away to the nearest bin. Again, if you can achieve this without being detected you will avoid any awkwardness with your hosts.

More likely the food isn’t going to be of the three days locked in the bathroom with the toilet for company type. It could just be that you don’t enjoy it. The best way of dealing with this situation is to say how good it is and insist on passing a large share of it to one of your companions. Men are handy for this as they tend to be less fussy about what they eat. As you do this ask for the recipe.

Make excuses if you must for picking at the food, but don’t make a meal about your alleged allergies. You could plead lack of appetite and say you were force fed some choice morsel just before you left home by a desperate neighbour who needed her own dinner party food testing out in advance. Your hosts will be sure to understand that one as have probably been worrying about their own offerings.

You could try discreetly knocking your water glass into the food and making a simple assurance that you really don’t mind, not to worry, then point out the large imaginary spider across the room to take attention away from yourself.

Smile and focus on the conversation throughout the meal, whilst piling as much of the food under the rest of it as you can, so it looks as if there is less of it than there really is. This technique can be improved by watching children who hate what is on their plate.

Remember that the company is more important than the food, and people probably aren’t paying that much attention to what is on your plate; after all everyone else may be thinking the exact same thoughts. Praise the food in a subtle way by saying it is the same as your grandma used to make. After all no one else knows she was a terrible.  Ask for the recipe, even though you never intend to replicate it.

Above all don’t let the food detract from the enjoyment of your evening. If you followed the plastic bag tip do remember to discard them as soon as possible before your clothes or bag begin to smell rather odd.

Eating Gluten Free in Restaurants

If you have celiac disease, it is important to be avoiding certain foods when dining out in restaurants.

This is easier than done as an astounding eighty six percent of people have stated that they found it very difficult, and challenging, to eat out at restaurants and that they found it very frustrating for them!

However, it is possible to overcome this obstacle providing that you are inquisitive!

Here are some suggestions of the things you can do:

1. Do not ever go to a restaurant feeling very hungry.

The hungrier you are, the more chance you have of picking the wrong foods, as we all love to eat whatever we want when we just want to stuff food into our mouths!

2. Be knowledgeable about celiac disease, and gluten free diets in general, as then that is more power to you, to avoid eating particular foods by mistake, especially when certain ones contain wheat, barley and rye without you ever thinking it does.

3. There are directories on the internet that tell you which ones to eat in, and that contain gluten free foods.  A quick search on google, just by typing in “gluten free foods”, does the trick!

If this is not possible for you, call your local restaurant in advance and ask if they have gluten free food items, so you can prepare yourself.

Go online again and see if there are menus available for your particular restaurant. You just may be surprised as more and more are becoming available today and this can be used as a useful tool to know whether there are gluten free foods!

4. Be sure to tell your waiter that you are gluten intolerant, although telling them you have allergies, a little white lie, will be a tremendous help to you, as many managers and, especially waiters, may not know what involves being gluten intolerant.

5. Tell the chef and your waiter that cooking utensils need to be as clean as possible, and that they cannot have traces of other foods on them because of the possibility that you can still suffer effects from the small traces.

6. Tip well, as this will bring good service to you from the staff regarding your condition, in the future!

7. Appreciate what you have!

I know this may sound condescending, but if you think negatively about your gluten free problem, and that you have more limited foods to consume, than the average person then you will only be upsetting yourself, causing the whole occasion to be negative!

8. Don’t guess! Taking a gamble on which foods are gluten free is never good and you can end up paying a heavy price if you are wrong!

As mentioned, take your time and ask the right questions.

9. Be particularly wary of soup and salad dishes!

Many of these contain gluten without you ever thinking they would and they can catch you out!

Ask questions about everything!

10. Do not be afraid to send food back if it contains gluten.

Staff at restaurants will make mistakes, so be patient and politely explain why you cannot consume a particular dish that is on your table.

11. If the restaurant stocks it, drink cranberry juice, as there has been research to suggest that the ingredients in this will lower the effects of accidentally consuming gluten. However, do not treat thing as some wonder drug, as it has been known to fight only against minute amounts.

Things you should never do in a Restaurant

It goes without saying that the average tourist or foreigner in Greece will be clueless about certain Greek ways, and thus behave in the wrong way, or what Greeks would consider stupid foreign ways. From baking in the midday sun to drinking too much coffee at the wrong time of day, foreigners just can’t seem to get it right. The biggest difference between Greeks and non-Greeks are probably found over food, and these can be observed in restaurants and tavernas, where some things you should never do are invariably done. 

Allowances will be made because you don’t know any better. However when you descend on a local taverna and are not  accustomed to Greek ways beware: possibly your every move will be observed, and eyebrows raised. A crash course in Greek may help you to understand what is being said about you, but it is probably preferable not to know.

Greeks are extremely proud of Greek cuisine and consider it to be the best in the world. It is rare to find a Greek who will actually admit to even tasting foreign food, as they believe Greek food is superior to all other food in the universe, backed up by the worlds foodies now declaring the Mediterranean diet to be the healthiest in the world.  So never ask for foreign food in a Greek restaurant. Forget your sour cream and peanut butter, and only order what is offered to you, or you will be insulting Greek food.

The first thing to remember is that Greeks eat late in the evening, after nine in winter and ten in the summer. If you want to sample the real Greek atmosphere never arrive for dinner at 7pm or your fellow diners will only be other foreigners. At that time of the afternoon, 7pm, the Greeks will be taking coffee in the kafenions. Never enter a Greek restaurant and complain about the smokers. It is a fact of life that Greeks smoke, and you can guarantee the chef has a cigarette in his mouth as he cooks.

You should never complain about how long the service takes. Greeks go to a restaurant to eat at leisure and you should expect to wait once your order has been placed. A wait of an hour for the food to arrive is quite common, though you will be brought some drinks, bread and olive oil. Learn to relax as the Greeks do. If you don’t agree with waiting then you must find an outlet of the Greek fast food chain Goodys, where you will be tricked into ordering onion rings never realizing they are in fact squid rings.

Do not order a Greek salad each as an appetizer, they are enormous. Greeks are quite happy to share food, hence the meze culture, where many small dishes are placed in the middle of the table to be shared as appetizers. It looks odd to see each person with their own appetizer. Never eat your lamb chops with your knife and fork, certain foods are meant to be eaten with the hands.

Do not comment if your fish soup comes as a bowl of soup with a piece of fish on a separate plate, this is normal. Do not struggle if you aren’t sure what the dishes available are, ask to go and look in the pans in the kitchen to see what is cooking. This is perfectly normal and acceptable behaviour.

Do not expect the dishes on the table to be removed when you have finished eating. Greeks eat at leisure and put their forks down between bites to have a cigarette, this does not mean the meal is over. Greeks are perfectly happy to eat cold food so the habit of sitting amidst the debris of your meal is normal. Do not allow your children to be noisy brats. Greece is probably the most child friendly country on earth and naturally the children are taken out with the parents, but Greek children generally know how to behave in public, and are told off immediately if start to misbehave.

Do remember that the fancy looking place with the high prices will not be the place with the best food. Instead look for simple taverna with a limited choice of food as most likely everything will be totally fresh and home made, with the vegetables picked from the garden that morning.

If the portion of food is too large then do not just leave it on the table, ask the waiter if any of the locals want it for their animals. This will go down much better than leaving food, which could cause much concern about your health, or even worse the implication that something may be wrong with the food, causing Mama in the kitchen to come out and demand to know why you didn’t eat it all.

Do not be surprised when you bill is written on the tablecloth rather than presented in the usual fashion and do not embarrass the owner by asking if they take credit cards, even if there’s a sun faded sign advertising he does. He may have a rusting old machine in the back which he’ll probably have to telephone another relative to come and use, and it will make the amount known to the tax man. Cash does nicely. If you need the bill for some reason simply take the tablecloth away with you.

You should not take offence if one of the elderly patrons tries to befriend you.  Chatting between tables is perfectly usual in Greek restaurants, and if some house wine arrives at your table raise a glass in acknowledgment. It probably means you’ve been accepted and not acted in a too obviously foreign manner. Do not be put off by the difference in style between a Greek restaurant and what you are used to. After just a few days you will have mellowed enough to appreciate and enjoy it to the fullest.

Tips for Eating out with Kids

 Everyone has seen rowdy, screaming children in a restaurant.  They interrupt other diners, fight, throw forks at strangers, and make it unpleasant to sit near them.  You want your children to act differently so you, and others, can enjoy the outing.

Taking your children to good restaurants is an important part of their upbringing.  They learn how to behave in public and get to practice table manners. 

Here are five helpful tips to make dining out a pleasure for your family and others.

Just take them

Do not wait for a special occasion.  Decide to take them on a regular basis.  Repetition helps them learn and practice the ways you expect them to behave.  Over the years, they develop poise when in public places. 

Discuss behavior ahead of time.

Tell your children what you expect of them.  Review with them the rules you expect them to follow, whether that means no fighting, use an inside voice, or whatever else you value. 

Also, remind them of proper table etiquette.   Empathize that you trust them to take responsibility for their actions and to make the experience pleasing to everyone.    You are teaching them skills that they need for a lifetime.

Entertain them

While waiting for the order to come, spend some quality time with the children.  Discuss the menu choices, play a quiet game with them, color together, talk about their day or school concerns.  Make all discussions pleasant.  This is not the time to scold or berate a child for misdeeds.

Engaging your children makes them feel important and quells boredom with consequent misbehavior.  Plan on more than one activity.  Children’s attention spans are short.

Order from the adult menu

Save the burger and fries and the grilled cheese sandwiches for a fast-food trip.  You want your child to experience different foods and appreciate new flavors and cooking methods.   Ask that the chef make a taste sample plate with smaller portions for your child.  Include some foods that he loves, but add something new.

Arrive early

Take advantage of early evening dining when there are fewer people and a more relaxed atmosphere.  Little appetites often cannot wait for dining at eight.  If necessary, get a table near the exit and close to the restrooms.  You will be able to remove an out-of-control child quickly. 

Be prepared to tip well.  Children are messy and it takes extra effort to clean spills and sweep up dropped crumbs.  The staff will appreciate this added courtesy.

Conclusion

If you follow these tips, you will be well on the way to introducing your children to a lifetime of adventurous good eating in restaurants.  They will, over time, develop poise and good manners and be welcome wherever they find themselves.  As adults, they will thank you for their good fortune.

Should Cell Phones be Banned in Restaurants – Yes

Picture this: You and your boyfriend of four years are eating a romantic dinner together. He is looking deep into your soul; the comfortable silence is more then either of you can bear. He leans across the table, gently caressing the palm of your hand while reaching into his jacket pocket with the other hand. As he pulls the small jewelry box out…

The gentleman at the table behind yours opens his ringing cell phone and proceeds to loudly bark orders into the contraption.

As Americans, cellular telephones have become a way of life; the operative phrase in this sentence being “have become.” We have lived without having people at our beck-and-call for many years; why and when did it suddenly change? This is because we want to be more accessible to others. Mothers want their kids to be able to reach them whenever the necessity rises, and vice versa. Men want their employees to call when a problem sprouts up. Unfortunately, though, phones are not used only for those reasons; they are also used for the teenage girl to confirm which movie she’ll be seeing with her friends, the business man to “go over” a few more things while in a meeting, the young mother to contact her mother every hour to make sure “everything is going as it should.”

While this is going on, the poor server is standing by the patrons’ table waiting on them to finish their call to place their food order or purchase a beverage. Servers are stuck in a tight spot on this one: wait for them to complete the call and take the order, or move to the next table and risk the previous patron’s anger because she didn’t wait on him. The quiet mood of a relaxing night out is ruined for yet someone else, and this is because someone couldn’t leave their phone on silent or simply return the call outside or even in the restroom.

Please, leave the phone in the car or put it on silent and/or vibrate. If it is important, they will leave a message – then you will be free to return the call elsewhere. Please respect those around you who do not care to hear your conversation, and take it somewhere so the only person hearing it will be the person who it is intended for.

Babies Eating out with Baby Eating out Tips for Parents

New parents need time together. When there is no baby sitter available taking the baby to the restaurant can be the only way that you are still able to go out. There are ways to make the entire situation less of a nightmare. Keep the following things in mind and the everyone involved should have a pleasant night.

~Day and time. Some restaurants have days that are busier or slower than others. Typically mid week in the middle of the afternoon try get find a time between the lunch rush and the dinner rush as these times tend to be a little less crowded.

~ Bring distractions. While children, teens, and adults can participate in conversations, and can convey what they would like an infant cannot. Sitting strapped into a high chair watching their parents eat will hold very little interest for a baby. A way to avoid the boredom that leads to screaming is to take some quiet toys to distract your child. A favorite toy can be all it takes to calm a baby for a few extra minutes. .

~ Work your way up. If you plan on eventually being able to take your baby into more sophisticated places without it becoming a big scene start out by going to kid friendly restaurants. Places where kids have free reign over look it if a infant is crying. If your baby has no problems being calm in those places you can take him somewhere a little quieter next time.

~Be ready to leave. Sometimes it doesn’t matter what you do, your child just doesn’t want to sit and wait for you to finish your meal. That’s normal, expect it and don’t get upset if you have to leave early. Remember there are others who are trying to enjoy their meal. Instead of waiting for the baby to become completely unruly ask for a to go box with you meal. So as soon as you need to go you can.

~Feed the baby. Just because your baby can’t communicate doesn’t mean that it can’t enjoy the meal. If he is old enough to eat solid food let him have small bites of your food. Not only will you be encouraging it to try new things, but a baby that’s interested in eating won’t be nearly as upset as one that’s bored. It should go without being said, don’t forget to take a bottle or some baby food.

Don’t expect everything to go perfectly though, and don’t be upset when it doesn’t, just go home and try it again on another day. The more your baby is taken into social situations the sooner he will learn how you expect him to act.