Eating in Restaurants With Kids

Eating in restaurants with kids does not have to be a chore. You can get everyone through it with having to leave early because they are tired, restless or causing a scene.

Here are some ways to inject some sanity into the process of eating out with your kids.

Keep them amused while waiting for food to arrive. I do this by keeping little plastic games and also crayons and papers in my purse. Younger kids can draw and older kids can play a game like hang man.

Don't bother dressing the kids up unless it is a very fancy restaurant. They will just feel all stiff and uncomfortable. The more comfy they feel the more likely your children are to stay still at the table.

Don't give your kids a load of soda before the food arrives. This makes them all hyper. Serve them water or milk until the food comes. Sugar on an empty stomach makes them hysterical and then sleepy.

Admonish kids who are negative about food. Once one kids says they hate a food the other younger kids will refuse to eat it too. Don't bring the neighbour's kid if he or she is a picky eater. Simply do not tolerate this type of behavior or they will all start going eww and not eat their expensive restaurant food.

I have found that if I want to finish a meal in a restaurant then I have to be served first. Sometimes I just say to the waiter – 'serve me first'. If they finish eating before me then I won't get to finish my meal.

Take the kids to the bathroom before you all sit down. Make them all go at once. Otherwise you will spend your meal going back and forth to the bathroom.

Don’t let your child order some pricey item she’s never had before without having her first try an appetizer or tasting portion. Teenagers are famous for this. They will tell you that they want a Reuben or Shrimp Marinara and then make a face once it arrives. Stick with what you know and you can't go wrong.

Sometimes if we are in a restaurant where the food is unusual, like a Chinese restaurant, it helps to tell the kids that it tastes like something they already know and love. This is where the old 'it tastes just like chicken' cliché comes in handy.

Mostly it is good to stick to kid friendly restaurants until your children are a little older. This means dining at MacDonald's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, KFC and the like. There is no sense in stressing yourself by taking your kid somewhere fancy if you do not have to. Save that kind of restaurant for a date with your husband.

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The Dreaded Pink Eye

One day you wake up and all your kid's eyes are pink. Pink eye, or pinkeye, is a common name for a condition known medically as conjunctivitis. It's really contagious and can be passed from sheets, towels, pillowcases, hand to eye contact, Kleenex…you name it. Basically it is an inflammation of the clear membrane that covers the white part of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelids. It becomes bumpy and irritated and starts discharging pus sometimes too.

Pink eye looks worse than it is because suddenly your kid has the eyes of an albino rabbit. There is also an infectious version of it but the infectious pink eye is much more common.

The same viruses that cause colds, sinus infections, ear infections and sore throats usually cause infectious pink eye. The same types of bacteria that cause gonorrhea and Chlamydia also cause pink eye.

Non-infections pink eye is the consequence of long term inflammation and irrational. It tends to occur more among children who have allergies. All kinds of allergens like ragweed, pollen, grass, animal dander and dust mites can also cause pink eye.

The culprit can also be substance from the environment. This includes soaps, perfume, makeup and chlorine. If you are smoking and your kid has pink eye then you are probably the culprit.

There is another type of pink eye known as giant papillary pink eye or GPC (Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis). Usually, this type occurs only to those who wear contact lenses.

Pink Eye symptoms generally depend on whether you have infectious pink eye or non-infectious pink eye.

Symptoms caused by viral and bacterial pink eye include red watery eyes (and irritation. It is likely to start in one eye and spread to the other. Keep your kids away from each other while this is going on, as it can be really hard to get rid of. Don't let older children with pink eye handle babies.

Get your kids to a doctor if you suspect pink eye. It is only treated with antibiotics. This is no time to fool around with natural remedies. You can also get antibiotic ointments over the counter. If the pain is really severe or if the eyelids are sticking together in the morning after sleeping try using warm water over the eyelids.

There is a viral type that does not cause pink eye except in small children. Special drops are sometimes prescribed by a doctor to help relieve the swelling, pain and inflammation. The redness is unattractive but some kids don't find it painful. Thankfully it is harmless and very rarely causes any kind of long term damage to the eye. Still it should be treated just in case of complications that could compromise the vision.

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