"the word-of-mouth survival guide for SAN FRANCISCO parents"
My husband and I recently had a "discussion" about our daughter's behavior in restaurants when we are out to eat. She typically doesn't do to well at restaurants and we usually end up taking turns walking her around. Most recently we were out to eat with my in-laws and my father in law made a comment that implied our daughter doesn't sit still during dinner because we allow her to get up and walk around the restaurant. I didn't appreciate his comment and didn't agree with him. Our daughter has always been squirmy...since day 1! She's just never been one to sit still for any length of time. I believe we are good disciplinarians. Could we be better? Probably. But, believe me, she is no stranger to time outs, and not just at home. She gets time outs at classes, at restaurants, or anywhere her behavior is unacceptable. However, when it comes to eating out at a nice restaurant, I just don't want to cause a scene and I don't want to interrupt anyone else's dining experience, especially if we are out at a nice restaurant. My husband was questioning whether we should be pushing her more and putting our foot down more when we are out to eat. I agree we probably should, but I'm not sure how we do it without causing a scene. My daughter is 21 months. Should I be expecting her to sit through an hour long dinner, or am I reasonable to think she behaving like a normal toddler by not wanting to sit still that long? Dining Out Minneapolis- Stores, Restaurants, Services, Products, Activities, Events