| The issue of kids in restaurants has become | | | | although it may be slightly shocking, your kids can |
| surprisingly controversial in recent years, especially in | | | | sometimes be annoying to strangers-especially in |
| areas where vibrant dining cultures mix with large | | | | grownup-oriented places like restaurants. |
| numbers of urban professionals with young children. | | | | 2. Seek family restaurants: Of course, there are |
| Mini-firestorms have sprung up in places like New | | | | places that do advertise themselves as child-friendly |
| York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, where growing | | | | restaurants. If you're not sure about a place, go |
| populations of affluent young parents have been | | | | online and check out its website and its Yelp profile. |
| fleeing the suburbs for the urban centers. In a | | | | If it says that it's a family or child-friendly restaurant, |
| corresponding trend, restaurants that don't present | | | | than you should be good to go at any time of day. |
| themselves as child-friendly establishments have seen | | | | On the other hand, if a place advertises itself as a |
| a growing number of young children during peak | | | | romantic restaurant that's great for intimate dates, |
| hours, and this ruffles the features of many. Kids can | | | | keep your kids far away. |
| be loud, messy, and all-around obnoxious. As a | | | | 3. Check the menu: Not every family-friendly |
| grown-up just wanting to have a calm, relaxed meal | | | | restaurant advertises itself as such. If you want to |
| with your spouse or friends, the presence of small | | | | double check whether a certain place is okay, look at |
| children at the next table can be disruptive to say | | | | the menu. If there is a section of the menu for kids, |
| the least. | | | | then it's a family-friendly place. If there's no kid's |
| If you wish to avoid becoming one of "those" | | | | section, then it might not be the best choice for your |
| parents that habitually take their children to the | | | | family dining. |
| wrong places at the wrong times, keep these things | | | | 4. Observe manners: When you do go out to eat |
| in mind: | | | | with your kids, it's a good opportunity to teach your |
| 1. Respect the unwritten rules: As busy young | | | | kids table manners. Encourage them not to stare at |
| parents, we have a lot of things on our minds, and | | | | others, to keep their voices down, and to eat in a |
| it's often a little too easy not to think things through. | | | | clean manner. |
| We think that just because kids are technically not | | | | 5. End crisis situations: When a child throws a temper |
| banned from a restaurant, then it's okay to bring | | | | tantrum in a restaurant or refuses to stay quiet, it's |
| them. But the fact is that there are unwritten rules | | | | not good enough to simply shrug and make a |
| that most adults have to learn to respect. One of | | | | sheepish face. Do everyone else in the restaurant a |
| these rules is that, while your kids are of course very | | | | favor and remove the child from the restaurant. You |
| precious to you, they don't automatically garner the | | | | may have to end your meal early, but it will teach |
| same unconditional delight from strangers. In fact, | | | | the child an important lesson. |