Fortunately I had the good sense to go with another mommy. Unfortunately, Noa also had a 3-month-old and skull full of worry. We sat for exactly 25 minutes, wolfing down tough strips of seitan because neither of us had bothered to notice the restaurant was vegan until we tried to order. When we talk about it now, we do it in shorthand.
"Remember that time?" we say, shaking out heads. There was so much to fear that day. So much to learn. It wasn't just a matter of knowing how to manage our kids in a restaurant, it was also knowing how to manage ourselves as parents (or as I like to think of it in pseudo-legalese: the party to blame if the smaller party is annoying).
Clearly, as demonstrated in this video, the prospect doesn't really get easier as the kids grow. Still, I like the tips these moms have, and the idea that even if things don't go as planned, everyone can still have fun.
When was the first time you took your kids out to eat? What's the worst thing they've ever done in a restaurant?
