My son is 32 month old. He is very active and happy boy. But when I go to the some place to eat with him, he always refuse to sit on the high chair and walk around and make a noisy sound. I try to make him sit and be quiet, but I can't.
I don't know how I should do.
You've got some great advice here. What I found worked for my two year old was a small doodleboard. My son loves them. Walmart has small ones for like $5. They've got Diego and my son LOVES Diego, so it worked out great. They aren't the best, but they are just the right size for a diaper bag and it held his attention. Good Luck!
Hi M.,
My son is 3 and he was like that for awhile too! What I did was I would start putting him the booster seat and having him color or something that would keep his mind going! Then when the food comes he was fine! I hope that is of some help to you!!
Becca
We go to a place where he is fully engaged, like a Japanese place with the grills right in front. Or we go to kiddie places where he has stuff to see. Otherwise, we stay home because it's too much for us to keep constantly going to get him, or constantly telling him to be quiet. It's not worth the bother of eating out when no one is happy.
Good luck!
This is so common - my daughter just turned 3 and as often as she is well behaved in a restaurant setting, she becomes a crazy child too! I found fun chalkboard placemats through a website (onestepahead.com) - they come in packs of 2 and they roll easily into a small diaper/carry bag. We use them all the time. My daughter also LOVES to count and play store, so we will line up the sugar packets and count the number of blue packets, etc. - basically anything to keep her focused until her food arrives. Hang in there b/c it does get easier. We also found that IF we are going out to eat, we often need to make the dinner hour much earlier to ensure we don't hit the meltdown stage. Hang in there!!!
Try bringing toys or books that he likes or his favorite snacks. He might sit and play at the table. Also ask the waiter to bring his food first if you order him a meal.
Hi M.-
You could try getting him his own little backpack and have him choose some favorite toys to put in it that he can play with at the restaurant. You could also pack some paper and crayons or washable markers. Anything to keep him entertained. This works for my son everytime we go out. Another thing you can do it get a NEW small toy and take it out for him when he starts to get bored. If you know you are going to be taking him out and he needs to sit, maybe take him to the park or outside to get some of his energy out before you go. Good luck!
my son was the same way.. I eventually stopped taking him places. clearly tell him if he doesn't sit, we leave and then follow thru (very important) if he acts up. give him his count to three but at that point, no matter what -leave.. it's punishing you too unfortunately, but he will learn that if he isn't sitting, he doesn't get to be there.
At this age,kids don't want to sit, it goes against there exploratory nature.
You could try small activities like coloring books, small hand held games that don't make noise. Things that will occupy his hands and mind and give you a chance to eat. But be prepared to take walks around the restaurant, and then try to re-engage him to the table activity or food.
Really, it's adults that want to sit and eat, not children.
Also, try kid friendly restaurants. They usually have many activities for children to run off that energy. The best place for kids on the south shore is probably Cubby's Clubhouse in Hanover. Good luck, and remember, they grow out of this phase soon.
