TuscMoms.com

So what do you ladies who have little ones do when you are in restaurants to keep them entertained and quiet and happy?

I've learned that Cheerios are my best friend. I always have a bunch on hand. Jack will sit quietly and eat them one by one while we're ordering.

I also have a teether on some colorful links that I'll attach to the high chair so he can't throw it on the floor.

I'm interested in any other tips you ladies might have.

Letting them have some crackers or bread while waiting helps. And I would ask the server to bring the child's food as soon as possible. Also my husband tends to eat quickly and would volunteer to walk the baby around while I finished. But I found when mine were between 15 months or so (once getting mobile) and 2, eating out was next to impossible. They couldn't stand being confined in the high chair with so many interesting things they'd rather be exploring. So that's when we relied on take-out if we wanted restaurant food.

Buy a small Magnadoodle. First, the pen is attached with a cord so it won't drop and fall. Second, they can draw over and over and over again and they like moving the magic slider that cleans the slate. I have had great luck with these for my girls. Of course now they use the big ones with accessories. You can get a great small sized one from the dollar store.

Any other suggestions?
I'm writing about this for my parenting column and any tips you ladies have would be great!

We also use cheerios and I loop toys onto his high chair cover.

Lately, we've watched the paper for restaruants that have entertainment. For example, we tried a place that had a jazz brunch Sunday after church. On Friday nights, we go to a pizza place right by our house that has a small band (not very loud). Ben loves the music--it keeps him entertained....and we enjoy it, too.

I usually will hold the LO for a while, or let him stand in a bench seat beside me for a while before I put him in his seat. I try to stick to the rule that once you get in the chair, you don't get out. So, if it is a notoriously long-waiting restaurant, I will not put him in the high chair until the food gets there. I don't ever let him down on the floor.

If you've ever been out to eat with a couple who's child would not sit down during the entire meal, you know how annoying that is. I want to let him think that getting up is not even an option.

The last time we went to DePalma's they brought out some pizza dough for him to play with while we waited... I had to keep him from eating it, though. LOL

There's not much else to do.

I have a bag of tricks in my car for restaurants - its a big zip lock bag that contains some of the following items: small lift the flap books, little spiral notebooks with colored pencils, little cars, small puzzles and small dolls or action figures (princesses mostly)and a dead cell phone. Any or all of them can entertain at some point.