5 Reasons Why I HATE Taking My Child To Restaurants

We've all been there... Trying to enjoy a nice family dinner out... You pack the diaper bag with high hopes and good intentions...Only to be smacked in the face with the circus that is your child out at a public restaurant...

(^^^^^Circus monkey right up there ^^^^^)

I love, love, love going out to eat. I love not having to cook, and even better, not having to clean dishes afterwards... but I'm telling you what... as Olivia gets older....Lord help me when we go out to eat.. It is one of the HIGHEST STRESS SITUATIONS.. I literally have to mentally prepare myself before we go out to a restaurant..

let me tell you why...

1. You Have To Bring Everything But The Kitchen Sink; Literally

Before we go out to a restaurant I always double check the diaper bag. Do I have the normal staples? Diapers, wipes, diaper cream, snacks...Do I have a bib even though it's a total waste because my kid finds a way to destroy her outfit come hell or high water? Do I have wet wipes to sanitize the table and chair that my kid is 100% likely to lick? Do I have enough toys to keep my child entertained for the entire meal? So many questions.. so many opportunities for disaster.. Once the diaper bag is full and my purse is full of what doesn't fit in the diaper bag, we are FINALLY ready to go..(but 9 times out of 10 I forget something important and suffer for it half way through the meal)

2. People Stare

I'm sure other parents know this feeling all too well. The feeling of judgement as you walk into the restaurant...All the employees that want to shove you in the back corner to avoid complaints from other customers...All the old people that forgot what having kids is like, give you the stink eye for daring to potentially disrupt their meal...All the people who don't have kids yet shoot the dirty looks while they whisper about how they will be with their kids in the future.... I used to be one of those mean girls.. maybe that is why my child is so strong willed....Well played karma, well played..

3. Keeping The Little One Occupied

Long gone are the days of being able to bring Olivia to a restaurant and have her sleep silent and peacefully in her car seat while we enjoyed our meal. In hindsight I really wish we would've taken advantage of going out to eat more often now that it is such a task! I bring her little Disney princess figures, I bring her a music toys, I bring her tablet (which she has YET to show interest in..)....It is always a gamble to see if I've brought along toys that will be to her liking. It reminds me of a terrifying game of chance, because if this little girl isn't satisfied, THE WHOLE RESTAURANT WILL KNOW ABOUT IT...and trust me, it's happened before, and we have not been back to T.G.I.Friday's since....( I really loved their endless apps!)

4. Kids Meal$

I don't know about anyone else's kid, but if you've read my other posts, you'd know that Olivia is quite the picky eater... If I order her her own meal, she won't eat more than 2 or 3 bites, but if I don't order her a kids meal, she will eat almost MY whole meal. #MOMPROBLEMS but seriously.. I am not going to pay $7.99 for a cup of Easy Mac and a yogurt... IT'S CRAZY.. It's a catch 22... Pay for a meal that is going to get left on the table when we leave, or leave the restaurant just as hungry as when this Mama came...Not to mention the $10 worth of food that will end up smashed into the floor..

5. One Hell Of A Mess

Speaking of $10 smashed into the carpet... I cannot enjoy a meal knowing that my child is creating a shit storm of a mess on top of and under the table.. I feel so self conscious.. But at the same time my kid is so young, she doesn't know she is making someone else's job more difficult.. She doesn't even know what a mess is! As we pay the bill I always add an addition tip amount dependent on how bad the mess is.. I hate being "THOSE PEOPLE"... Honestly, I usually crawl under the table and clean what I can before we leave.. My husband always makes fun of me.. but I can't help it! I feel guilty leaving it like that for someone else to clean up... Mom guilt anyone?

Well, for now I guess we will stick to carry-out..

But, can someone please tell me when this restaurant nightmare ends and we can finally enjoy a family meal out?