Going Out to Eat

You might not like this one, but I’m here to be open and honest about how we do life with eight kids.

I get it. Going out to eat with kids can be hard and unenjoyable sometimes. We made the mistake, when our older ones were little, of allowing a screen at restaurants sometimes. We quickly realized we didn’t want to make it a habit and decided our meal table was going to be screen free. Yes, Trey and I do have our phones on us when we’re dining out but we do our best to stay off of them because we want to set an example for our children as they grow. Screens are not going away and they are a big part of life, we know that. BUT when our kids get their own devices on down the road we want to continue to practice the habit of connecting while we share a meal together, and it’s just really hard to do that when everyone is zoned out and focused on phones.

There have been a handful of times where we have been desperate and needed to get through a dining experience with a toddler who is having a fit/screaming/disturbing other patrons and we have gotten our phone out to put on a video or something, but it’s always a last resort. We try everything we can try to get through without it. As inconvenient as it is, sometimes that means getting up from the table and taking a child out of the situation or even going to the car. We’ve experienced so many scenarios as far as behavior (good and bad) and our kids are well aware of what we expect when we’re in public. They know we don’t do screens.

Here’s what we like to use for entertainment when we’re out to eat:
Small toys (like cars, figurines, etc.)
Crayons, coloring books
Books
Fidgets
Baby toys