Nothing like raising eyebrows everywhere you go…
There’s definitely an art to bringing a LO out to eat at a restaurant. In the very beginning when they’re newborns, it’s a piece of cake. They mostly sleep the entire time (if you’re lucky). But, then, before you know it, they reach a point where they want to be part of the action and belly right up to the table with you.
Enter one of the best little contraptions ever created: Phil + Ted’s Lobster Chair.
It’s a portable high chair that attaches vice-style to any restaurant table (just make sure it’s a sturdy one) so babies are at the same level as adults and older children. This position keeps my son happy as a clam…lobster?…and attracts loads of attention everywhere we go.
People always ask us where we got it. Expecting waiters want to know what it is. And the best part is that you can put it on with one hand (while you hold the baby with the other if you’re alone) and it collapses flat to fit neatly inside a perfectly shaped carrying tote. I’ve even jammed the entire thing, tote and all, in my diaper bag on some occasions. There are also tons of other brands out there that will do the trick too, like the Chicco Caddy Hook On Chair or the Summer Infant Secure Seat from Target.
Add a few LO out to eat at a restaurant or LO out to eat at a restaurant and you’ll really look like the savviest mom on the planet…even if it’s a little messy behind the curtain.
Plus, not putting baby in the corner has fringe developmental benefits. It’s been scientifically proven that dinnertime conversation helps boost kids’ vocabulary and their retention of rare words better than even being read aloud to. And leads to higher achievement later in life. My mom friends and I also like to think it gets them learning social behavioral cues and become accustomed to dining out without throwing tantrums.
We enjoy taking our son along with us to real food restaurants, not just kiddy-geared chains, so a well-behaved babe is much appreciated…and makes maximum impact in an majority adult crowd.
What tricks do you have when dining out with little ones?
