How to Keep a Baby Happy in a Restaurant

Keeping your baby happy is the most important thing you can do when you go to a restaurant. If you’re baby isn’t happy, it won’t matter that you got a great corner table or ordered your favorite dessert because you (and other restaurant patrons) won’t be able to enjoy any of it while your baby fusses. Fortunately, with a little pre-planning on your part, you’ll be able to keep your baby happy so you can enjoy your restaurant meal.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Toys
• Baby-safe finger foods
• Plastic spoons and cups
• Diaper bag
• Bottles (for babies fed formula or expressed breastmilk)
• Sling

1. Choose a baby-friendly restaurant. Babies are loud so pick a family-friendly noisy restaurant to avoid disturbing others as they try to enjoy their meals.
2. Plan to arrive at the restaurant at a time when your baby is well rested. A baby tends to be at his fussiest when they are tired and no amount of toys or distractions will keep a tired baby happy during a restaurant meal. Newborns can be the exception to this rule, as they tend to fall asleep just about anywhere as long as they have been changed and fed.
3. Change your baby’s diaper before you are seated at your table. You will enjoy your meal much more if you don’t have to get up during dinner to change her diaper.
4. Make sure your baby is well fed before you arrive at the restaurant, but keep in mind that you might need to nurse or bottle-feed your baby during your meal.
5. Put a younger baby in a sling or sit him on your lap during your meal. He’ll enjoy watching all the action in the restaurant while being close to Mommy or Daddy. You can also let your younger baby sit in his car seat (strapped in for safety, of course) in a restaurant-provided car seat sling. Give him some soft toys or a rattle to play with during your meal.
6. Place older babies in a high chair and give them something to play with. Older babies love to play with things that aren’t really toys, so a plastic spoon or condiment cup is a perfect, unbreakable toy. If your baby is eating solid foods, you can give her some age-appropriate finger foods to eat while you enjoy your meal.
7. Include your baby in the conversation as you eat your meal. Your baby loves to interact with you, so she’ll be much happier if you smile and chat with her during your meal.

Tips & Warnings

• Always supervise (and safely secure) your baby whenever he is sitting in a high chair, car seat or sling, eating food or playing with toys.