• Advance preparation. Planning, and packing, ahead can make or break a restaurant trip. If your child is too young for table food, be sure to bring something to satisfy their hunger. Also, fill a small bag with table entertainment: miniature cars, plastic animals, crayons and paper, miniature playing cards. Bring your own child-size utensils and a non-spill sippy cup to minimize a toddler’s mess.
• Practice makes perfect. The more opportunities your child has to practice her dining skills, the better companion she will be. Start off with lunch at a family restaurant that doesn’t have an indoor playground, but does offer a kid-friendly atmosphere and good children’s menu. Go over basic table manners ahead of time, so you can make a game of eating properly.
• Cater to your clientele. Be realistic about your child’s ability to sit through a meal. If your baby is happiest in his stroller, bring it in and ask for an out-of-the-way table so you can park it next to your chair. Weather permitting, get a table outside, where your child can burn off some energy. Or sit in a booth, where you can corral a toddler, instead of individual chairs. Window seats provide an extra diversion while waiting to be served. Restaurants where you can watch the food being made, like Mexican tortillas or hand-tossed pizza, offer sustenance and entertainment!
• Grazing allowed. Prevent a pre-meal melt-down by asking for crackers when the waitress takes your beverage order. Encourage your child to eat some vegetables by sharing items from the salad bar. Consider ordering an appetizer sampler and allow your preschooler to select his dinner from the platter.

Don’t be shy about asking for your food to be boxed up, take out-style, if your child can’t make it through the meal. Even if you end up with a picnic at your own kitchen table, at least you didn’t have to cook!