Do you want to go out to a restaurant with the children during spring break? If some parents push the curiosity and the culinary openness of their offspring, others avoid this kind of outing, judging that the price to pay, in money and in peace, is too high. Tips to make it go well.
Ariane, 9 years old, eats everything: tartare, snails, foie gras, octopus. His parents describe themselves as foodies and eating out is part of their way of life.
“We are curious and we like to discover new restaurants, whether here or when travelling,” explains Ariane’s father, Louis-Philippe Péloquin, a resident of Varennes. We don’t just go out to more chic or gourmet restaurants, we also like to go to chains. »
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Louis-Philippe Péloquin, his spouse Catherine and their daughter Ariane
The key, according to him? The responsiveness of parents, staff and the child. “We choose our hours and she has to be fit and rested,” says the 47-year-old father.
Valérie Dorion, from Blainville, experiences the same thing with her boys aged 7 and 8: she goes out to restaurants regularly with them, without fear of disturbing them. “We bring table games and handheld games, like cards or small puzzles,” she says. Generally it goes well. »
She clarifies: he has already left the restaurant to have “a discussion in the car because the limit had been reached”.
A state of mind
According to Sébastien Munoz, co-owner of Tapeo and Mesón restaurants in Montreal, some parents can find it intimidating to try a restaurant outing for the first time with their children. “We receive a lot of children in our two restaurants and that makes us happy”, assures this father of two teenagers aged 12 and 15.
Coming when it’s open, when it’s less crowded, is a good idea. Also, we must remember, as parents, that we will not spend a usual evening.
Sébastien Munoz, co-owner of Tapeo and Mesón restaurants in Montreal
Getting up frequently, entertaining children to make them wait, imposing a few basic rules are normal things that parents should expect.
PHOTO PROVIDED PICHARA CHHE
Samuel, 6, and Michael, 8, Pichara Chhe’s two boys
Pichara Chhe, a 36-year-old Montrealer, likes to invent guessing games or riddles to keep her 6 and 8-year-old boys occupied. “The state of mind in which you come to the restaurant is important,” she slips. They are not adults! »
Surprising strategy, she likes to have her children snack before leaving the house. “I feed them just a little, a few crackers, a piece of cheese or a piece of fruit, so they don’t get hungry or impatient. »
Not always easy or desirable
Geneviève Tourigny, mother of three children aged 19 months, 5 years and 8 years, is not so much against the impatience of her children… but rather that of the other customers. This 38-year-old Montrealer deplores the lack of tolerance of her fellow citizens, and sometimes the lack of facilities or equipment for children (changing table, high chair) in restaurants.
We avoid the restaurant with the children. I already had the impression that we disturbed, even if we were there for brunch, in the morning! That’s a shame. I find it much easier in the United States, where it seems to be the culture to hang out with your kids.
Geneviève Tourigny, mother of three children aged 19 months, 5 years and 8 years
Mother of two little girls, Audrey Proulx also avoids dining out. Noise, smells and different tastes bother her eldest. As for her youngest, aged 5, she is “very active” and “does not stay in place”.
“She will go under the table, over, will try to dive on the other side of the bench, says the 35-year-old resident of Beloeil. Luckily, I never received any comments or felt any judgments, but we don’t have too many fun… We prefer to receive at home or go to friends. »
Step by step
Nadia Gagnier, psychologist, reminds us that dining out with the family is not realistic for everyone. Several variables come into play, she says. “There is of course the question of the budget and the interest, as well as our personality and our tolerance towards others. Also, consider the child’s temperament and needs, and past experiences. »
A good trick, if we fear a restaurant outing? Favor the technique of small steps: choose a family restaurant, go there early and do not go there too long, order a meal made up of foods that the child likes, etc. “We can also go there for dessert only, offers Nadia Gagnier, to see how it goes. »
Co-owner of Marconi in Montreal and Mollies in Sutton, Molly Superfine-Rivera regrets that some families go without dining out. “Yes, children move and they can be noisy, that’s life! says this mother of a 4-year-old boy. Children are part of society and they have the right to be in restaurants. »