Filling free time on weekends often makes parents spend time outside the home. Sometimes, Mom also wants to eat at a restaurant or cafe that provides a place and serves interesting food.
But bringing a toddler to a restaurant often backfires for a Mom who wants to enjoy the restaurant atmosphere in peace. Your little one cries, screams throws things nearby, and much more.
So Mom often takes the child outside for a moment to calm him down so he doesn’t become the center of attention of other visitors. But do you know that children cry or scream not without reason, you know!
It turns out that there are reasons that make children often fussy or can’t stay still when eating at restaurants. What’s the reason? This time Thevolume.net will discuss the reasons why children are fussy and tips for dealing with situations that may occur in restaurants, let’s read the information below!
Why Are Toddlers Fussy or Can’t Be Silent When in a Restaurant?
Toddler age is still not ready to be directed or to function, within the limits of the restaurant. This means that here children still do not understand the basic rules of the social environment such as crowds and noise levels in restaurants.
The child’s motor skills are also not fully developed, such as dropping items from the table, spilling a glass of water, or worse dropping food, as well as short attention spans such as bored or tired at the table,
Your little one is also easily frightened and threatened by new faces, loud music, sharp objects such as sounds from the kitchen, or people talking loudly. While the social environment can promote good development, parental behavior is very important.
Parents are the liaison, the role that must exist in this condition is to protect, help, prevent, and facilitate children’s interaction with the restaurant environment which is still very foreign and not in accordance with the child’s abilities.
Basically, it should be a team effort between Mom, and Dad, to make the kid feel more comfortable and safe while in the restaurant. When something unexpected happens, Mom can follow these tips for dealing with situations that might occur in a restaurant.
1. First situation: Toddler spills water on the table and eats
When a new child spills a glass of water, it leaves itself, the menu, and the table wet. The worst thing you can do is pretend as if nothing happened and clean up what’s messed up.
Also, avoid raising your hand to call a waiter and demand that they clean up the mess. Even though they might do it, the waiters can unwittingly get annoyed.
If you’ve already called the maid, it’s best to say sorry even if you don’t feel the need to do it because it was an accident and your child didn’t do it on purpose, apologize anyway because it will be very helpful.
Because automatically the waiter can make sure Mom becomes a good parent category. The maids will appreciate it and treat Mom well too. Or Mom can ask for a clean cloth and tell the maid, that Mom will mop up the mess
While it’s possible that if you don’t really intend to, none of the maids will let Mom do the cleaning, they will really appreciate your offer and understanding.
2. Second situation: Toddler crying that won’t stop
When a child is hungry, tired, or upset, he usually starts crying. Although often the center of attention of other visitors, children actually cry to let Mom know that something is not working properly.
All you can do is sit there, cuddle your little one or rock him in the stroller. If your child is still crying after you have tried to feed him, comfort him, hug him, and do whatever he is trying to ask you to, try taking the child out of the restaurant first until the crying stops.
It will also be more respected and appreciated by other visitors. It’s not the fact that the child stops crying or not, but the fact that the Mom is actively doing something. This demonstrates common sense, respect, and reassurance that Mom is a responsive parent.
3. Third situation: Toddler accidentally breaks/breaks things in the restaurant
When your child accidentally breaks something, you should immediately apologize to the waiter or restaurant management who was there. Next offer to pay for it even if Mom thinks the restaurant isn’t right to accept it.
The simple fact that Mom acknowledged the damage and was willing to replace the damaged item became a good rule of thumb to respect the restaurant and its staff.
Whereas displaying a rightful attitude like “I’m a paying customer, my child can do whatever he wants” it almost always creates tension and unpleasant feelings on both sides.
Meanwhile, “I really wanted to come to eat food at this restaurant as a family but my daughter accidentally dropped it, please forgive me,” will help Mom with the staff, and because this might also improve the dining experience.
So, those are the reasons and tips for dealing with situations that may occur in restaurants. Not only going to restaurants, taking your little one to public places often makes him fussy or can’t stay still, but consider this as normal when the child sees the crowd for the first time and there are a lot of noises around him.
