I had the worst restaurant experience the other day. Okay, maybe that’s a little too dramatic.
The other day, I was frustrated. Here I was trying to enjoy my lunch at a restaurant and this little boy was just running around the restaurant. He was ignoring the great play kitchen stocked with all kinds of imaginative play items. He was ignoring all the books. He was curious and trying to look into the kitchen. He just wanted to run. He wanted to be outside.
The whole scenario was frustrating to watch.
Where were his parents? Why weren’t they able to control him?
Oh wait, that’s my kid.
Yes, I had to get past the denial in my head and admit that it was my kid running around the restaurant.
…
Before you go judging, this restaurant is a great place for kids. There are not one, but two play kitchens stocked to the brim with wooden and cloth food items. There are interactive wooden playboards on the walls. There are loads of kid’s books.
Parents know they can go here and kids are not only welcome but openly invited.
This is one of our go-to restaurants with our kids. Sometimes, they are well-behaved (as much as any kid should be expected to be) and some days, they are a bit wild.
After all, kids are going to be kids.
I am so happy that I have at least a few child-friendly restaurants to go to. As parents, you don’t want to be only relegated to those obnoxious indoor play areas where the food is only a little better than fast food. I am thankful for these restaurants with tiny nods to parents (a.k.a. play corners) which almost say to parents:
“Kids are welcome here. You won’t be total pariahs if you bring your kids here.”
These small play areas also covertly say to the other patrons: “You can’t complain if kids are playing here because you can see with your own eyes that this place welcomes kids to play.”
…
But at some point during this specific lunch, enough was enough. The toddler was getting too wild and had reached its limit of calm play.
So I took my toddler out of the restaurant and we walked around the square for a while my partner finished his meal, at which point, we switched and I finished my meal.
It was while I was walking around with my toddler outside that it once again hit me that I just need to be realistic as a parent.
Sure, we can still go to restaurants like this, but kids have their time limit and get tired.
I need to let go of the things that aren’t in this season of life for me. And one of those things is having a quiet, relaxing meal…whether at home or at a restaurant. Yes, it shouldn’t be complete chaos, but kids will be kids, and you can’t get mad or frustrated.
…
As I was finishing up my lunch, my partner took both of the kids to the play area in the back garden of the restaurant. Did I mention that they also have bouncy animals for kids?
I got to finish lunch and my cappuccino in silence.
Oh, I’m glad that parent took those annoying kids outside. Oh wait, they are still my kids…
And as I sat there, I thought, okay, maybe it’s not realistic for BOTH parents to have a relaxing time, but maybe we can each have our peaceful moment at lunch. Just not at the same time.
And I savored that rare moment of peace.
Until my kids whooshed inside again, hollering “mama, mama, mama” and swallowed me in hugs. I guess a few minutes of quiet was my allotment for the day, but in the end, it was enough.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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Photo credit: Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash