I understand that many people don't like taking their kids out to eat, let alone to a "nice" place. I respect and understand why you do it, but we enjoy taking our kid. We find that he is quick to assimilate to the atmosphere, and he also enjoys the adventure of dining out. We know that not every kid can do this, so we do consider ourselves lucky. (Let it be known that our kid still has a hard time some times and we are not afraid to leave and pick up Chik-fil-a instead). We love giving him these experiences. He's also a charmer with many of the servers. He is learning that you can't just color at every restaurant, and how to be a "good boy" at a variety of locations. I see many benefits to exposing him to our "foodie" world.
On the other hand, I'm not completely sure that restaurants are ready for us when they see us walk in with our RESERVED party of 3. I understand that many places have policies with not allowing kids in, and I respect that. We save those places for date nights. I always research the place before we head in, so I know what to expect. There are 4 things I research before taking our kid somewhere new. These 4 things usually give me a sense of whether or not they will "survive" us coming in with a kid.
1. Menu. Does the menu have an additional kids menu? Easy. If you are listing kid options anywhere on your menu, I'm bringing him in.
2. Timing of my Visit. I always consider WHEN we will be heading to that restaurant. If I come to a "nice" place at 5:00 on a weekday I'm not usually concerned. I'm of the mindset that if I bring my kid in with me to an establishment during a slow time they are probably just happy we are there waiting to give them money. Pompous? Maybe, but I do know enough about the restaurant business to say they don't want to turn you away during a slow time.
3. High Chairs. If you've got them, you expect them to be utilized.
4. Reviews. If we are heading to an established restaurant I always check YELP to see what reviews say about kids. YELP also has a feature called "good for kids" "good for families". If they say YES, easy answer. If they are still really new and I'm unable to find any information on their website, I will call or email.
If you're on the fence of whether or not to take your child to a certain place, I say do it. Take them. It will be good for them. I think it is a great learning experience for your kid. At that "nice" Italian restaurant I could tell they were nervous when we walked in. I reminded them that I requested a highchair in my reservation, and our son was well behaved. By the end of the meal our server was ready to take him home. He thanked her politely, and even kissed her hand. He truly is a charmer. They were no longer concerned that we had a toddler with us. We enjoyed our meal, and the restaurant enjoyed our son. It was a great experience.
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