Start early. Go often.
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Dinner at L'Espalier, Boston, MA |
We've taken them out to restaurants ever since they were little. It hasn't always been easy, or fun, but we've done it. The payoff is that they've learned a very important lesson from a very young age. They are expected to behave in public. It was a lot of hard work at the time and I remember there being plenty of tears (usually from me). But the end result is that they're now 12 and 10 and they can pretty much go anywhere.
Restaurant menus can sometimes pose a challenge. They might not always be happy with the offerings, and there have been some tears shed over what they're going to eat. But I've learned that well mannered children can usually charm the restaurant staff into finding them something a little more to their liking. And if not, make friends with whomever is in charge of refilling the bread basket.
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Collared shirt + crayons + new time zone = nap time |
We do have a few other rules when dining out that we stick to. If we're going to a fancy restaurant, then the boys must to wear a collared shirt. I think just by having a nicer than normal shirt on helps reinforce the idea that they need to behave. It also works really well if we're going to a not so fancy restaurant, we can trick them into good behavior by insisting they wear their collared shirt. (Shhh. . . don't tell them!)
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Crayons + Legos + cocktails = everybody's happy |
We're very lucky to have a lot of wonderful restaurants here in Portland for the boys to "practice" in. With several James Beard Award nominees and winners, Portland's food mecca reputation is well deserved. There's such a laid-back vibe everywhere that I honestly can't think of a place that wouldn't welcome kids. So pack up your crayons, action figures, barbie dolls, and get out there. And don't forget to order cocktails!
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