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We have a very nice restaurant in town that is similar in quality & atmosphere to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. It is a restaurant that I simply love, as do my parents (and there is not one in their town). So when they come to visit us, they want to eat at least one dinner at this place. Well, they also want to see their grandson. So, the first time we went together, Eli had just turned 3. Eli is a good kid, well behaved (most of the time), but he is a kid - and sometimes, there is just no telling what you'll get from him. I debated & debated about going with him, and finally mom & dad said - let's go, and if he misbehaves, we will take him outside. So we went - and the looks walking in the door scared me to death thinking this was a big mistake. Our waiter was very cordial & pleasant, and attended to Eli as if he were another adult at the table. Eli was on perfect behavior for the whole night. As we were leaving, the waiter commented to me that normally he can't stand to wait a table with a small child, but that our son was welcome any time due to his good behavior. I was very pleased that he mentioned it to me - it certainly made me feel at ease about having brought him in the first place.
As I have said before -- like most people, I was a great mom before I had kids. I get so discouraged when I hear so many young people talk about bratty kids, and how if they had a kid, he wouldn't act like that. There are going to be times that you cannot account for a child's behavior. Sometimes, even the best of circumstances turn ugly & a full fledged fit will occur before you know what is happening. These are the times where you, as a mom, want to crawl into a hole & never be seen again. I am NOT talking about the mom's (and dad's) that sit there & tolerate such behavior -- the ones that say "please don't yell" repeatedly, and keep bribing their kids to be good... I am talking about the ones (like myself) that try to correct the behavior, and if not, we leave. I believe that one of the best ways to teach a child to be polite & show good manners is at a dining establishment that doesn't have a play area! Now while we would much rather frequent Moe's once a week, it doesn't mean that once in awhile, I want to go someplace special & show my son how to behave appropriately in a nicer setting.
I disagree 100% with the DVD player -- even with headphones. You can teach your child the appreciation of dinner conversation versus allowing him or her to watch yet more TV. I was mortified to see a child that couldn't have been more than 15 months at a Cracker Barrel watching his DVD player. Yes, we eat dinner in front of the TV more than I'd like to admit, but I'm not taking it with me to a restaurant!
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