last night was my younger sister's 18th birthday and we went out to a resturant to celebrate. the last time i took my girls to a resturant my girls were, to put it mildly ABSOLUTELY ATROCIOUS!!! so this time i decided to take some extra precautions, and this time -SUCCESS!,

there behaviour wasn't perfect but it was an 1000% improvement on last time. i though i'd share some of the things i did last night

1. feed kids before leaving. kids,especially young ones (mine are 15months and 3 years)  cannot be expected to be well behaved if there stomachs are rumbling. a small sandwich or some saos before they leave takes the edge of their hunger.

2. tell them whats happening before you go. if they have no clue whats going on they can feel uneasy or stressed especially if its doing something they aren't used to. giving them a brief run down of the night may help ease that stress.

3. lay out boundaries. when you first get there show the children the boundaries (e.g. you are not allowed past this chair etc) if outside take along some pavement chalk (this is also good way to keep them entertained) and mark a line so they have a visual reminder (businesses are usually pretty good about this, if they kick up a fuss, just pour some water over)

4. dont draw the night out. the longer you are there, the more likely they are to start getting bored/tired. try not to stay more than a few hours (it depends n the age of you child of course, you know how long they are going to be able to last), and on the same note, make sure you tell whoever you are meeting (friends, family etc) that you are bringing the kids with you and the longest youll be able to stay, if they get huffy about it dont bring the kids or dont go at all, it will just cause tension and ruin the whole evening.

5. praise good behaviour but dont draw attention to bad behaviour. dont go overboard with it, but when they are being good nod approvingly or make a small comment, good friends (particuarly those with their own children) and family could make an odd remark or two as well. similarily dont go overboard on drawing attention to bad behaviour(unless its disturbing other diners). if their really playing up take them for a walk outside or to the toilets for a stern one-on-one. doing it in front of everyone will  embaress the child which (depending on the child of course) could cause them to act out further.

6. be prepared to leave if you have to. if the kids are just not going to co-operate then its just better for all if you go home. there's no point fighting a losing battle, explain that you have to go, if the kids are being terrors most people will be glad that you didn't try and battle your way through it, and let them and other diners have a good night out. if you stay and everyone has a bad night, dont plan on being invited out again to soon, better to retreat gracefully.

hope some of these tips help. i know it did with us last night.