Ms. Manners is not in every restaurant, fast food joint or family holiday celebration…thank goodness! What would she say if she joined your family at the local restaurant? What would you say to her? Most likely help…if you are reading this article. A large piece parenting children and working with child behavior includes teaching manners to your children; especially when they are in a public setting. Author, Marion Winik’s article, “Sanity Tips for Eating Out With the Kids,” will provide you with some successful recipe’s for dining out with your children.
Eating Out With The Kids
Believe me when I tell you that the young gentlemen of my household, ages 12 and 9, are not cosmopolitan or gourmands. The best thing you could ever pack in their lunch boxes is a nice cold package of Lunchables, and they love beef jerky, french fries, and pizza. But – here’s the surprise – they also sometimes get a yen for sushi, tofu, fried calamari, artichokes, Mexican food, or dim sum. They love to eat out, and they love to eat well. I’m afraid I can’t attribute their tastes to any exceptional quality of their attitudes or palates. I guess it’s simply a result of continued exposure to these foods and environments. According to Isobel Contento, a professor of nutrition education at Columbia University’s Teachers College in New York City, “Continued exposure to new foods is extremely important. Research suggests that children sometimes need to be exposed to food ten to fifteen times before they develop a liking to the food.”Research by Contento and many of her colleagues supports my hunch: Any kid can learn to dine out and enjoy a broader range of foods, if given the chance. Unfortunately, resisting the temptation to feed kids only “kid food” ordered from “kid menus” at “kid-friendly” restaurants is no piece of Tastycake. But if you don’t, you wind up with kids whose narrow palates and general cluelessness about restaurant behavior are the self-fulfilling prophecies of Ronald, Wendy, and the Colonel.
