The kids love going out to eat – but I hate it. Actually, I just hate doing it with them – I’d rather eat with Gordon Ramsay! There’s something about restaurants that gets them really worked up. They climb all over the seats, yell, complain, whine, and run around.
A while back, BCLC therapist RB suggested that we simply stop going out to eat, because clearly it was too stimulating for the kids. That might seem obvious, but it really hadn’t occurred to us before. So, we cut back significantly on how much we eat out. But a few weeks ago, BE’s school was having a fundraiser at a local restaurant and I foolishly agreed to go. Just anticipating the bad behavior put me on edge and I probably just made everything worse.
I told J that I don’t want to go out to eat with the kids anymore – if he wants to take them, he’s welcome, but I’m staying home!
Shannon Mackie 
We eat before we go and just order dessert. It’s a treat to order dessert. We pay immediately after ordering. If they act up, we leave. If they whine, we leave. If they fight, we leave. End of story. I don’t put up with kids running around in a restaurant.
Very wise, Laura.
Oh I so so SO hear you on this one!
Thanks, Rebeccah!