Anyone go out to dinner with baby twins?

Just curious if anyone would like to share their experiences bringing their babies to restaurants? I used to bring my daughter out to restaurants all the time when she was a baby, but haven't ventured out with the twins yet. My daughter used to usually sleep the whole time, but I'm nervous that one or both of the twins might start crying loudly...I think I would probably panic if that happened.

Any thoughts or tips???

 

This is probably the best time to bring them! Bring along a toy for each - and a bottle if you're not BFing. I did have some episodes where I had to hold one or the other and eat, but maybe just once. Are you going alone? The only problem I ran into was the amount of space to put both car seats etc. Sometimes the seats would not fit in the booth etc. or putting them on those highchair thingys was kind of strange. We would literally take the biggest booth in the resturant for enough space etc. But other than that - it seemed to work out fine. Go for it!! Good luck!

 

The first time we took ours out to eat they were three months old. We were on the Cape and wanted to go to our favorite restaurant....we were worried, but wanted lobster more! It went fine, they were so little, they just slept right through it. Even if they hadn't we would have been fine, babies cry and that is fine, it is no worse than the three year old throwing french fries and screaming at the top of their lungs!!! I miss the days they slept in their infant carriers at restaurants! Go and enjoy it!

 

We've tried a couple of time with success and failure.
The first time we fed them at 4:30 and then raced out the door. We drove around for about 20 minutes to get them to sleep and then headed to the restaurant. We left them in their car set and covered the seats with a light blanket to keep them in the dark and ate in peace. We asked for a booth so DH and I both had a baby to tend to.

The third time we tried it was a disaster, DH father was in town and they melted the minute we sat down. I ended up hanging out near the front door bouncing one and trying to keep him entertained with the new surroundings, I finially got him calmed down and back in the car seat with a bottle (even though he had just eaten) and the other melted... DH (as you and your DH are probably) and I have become master eaters with one hand while holding a baby, needless to say we both ended up holding a baby while trying to eat, while poor FIL looked lost and a little embarrassed that they were so upset in public (he admits he's out the baby curve and trying to get use to it again).

We have noticed that helps is if we eat early (early bird dinner specials have become 2nd nature to us) and that they are better in the restaurant and the later it gets into the evening the likelyhood of them melting increases.

 

Beyond the food court (I hate the place, but it's easy!) we've only done it a few times. Our best luck is to go at their meal time. Ask for hot water to heat the bottles when you get the menus, feed while you wait for the food and pray they will settle quickly with a full tummy. The one time we tried it by feeding them and then driving to the restaurant left us each with a baby on our lap.
Restaurant staff are very good at trying to give us a table out of the way and we try to avoid peak times.

 

We've done it several times now without much problem. Usually we feed them and then go. We do usually try to avoid peak times, but DH has a crazy schedule so that's not hard for us.

One time DS woke up early. At first he was fine just looking around, but after a few minutes of that he started to get fussy. Lucky for us we were about to leave anyway so we were in the parking lot before he really melted down.

And we tend to stick to 'kid friendly' places too. That way if they do start to cry, it's not too big of an issue.

 

We've gone out several times and haven't had a meltdown yet. I'm sure I'm jinxing myself now! We usually feed them first so they will be content to look around at the new sites. They usually fall asleep due to the white noise of the restaurant. We have fed them a couple of times at restaurants with the Podee bottles and that works well too. We all finish our meals around the same time and then they get burped while we take care of the check.

Have fun!

Jen

 

We took them out to dinner when they were that age, and it went great. Here was our strategy:

1) go late afternoon so it's not super busy
2) pick a restaurant with huge booths so there's room for both infant seats and huge diaper bag
3) restaurant must have a parking lot
4) restaurant must have a decent noise level so that it won't be super noticeable if one cries

We ended up going to Figlio's, this huge bar in Minneapolis. It was perfect and we had a wonderful time. We, uh, haven't taken them out since, though...

 

We go out to dinner all the time (it's kinda our only "entertainment" budget) - it was hard around 4-5 months when the girls couldn't sit up on their own, but didn't want to sit in their car seats while we ate because they were too interested in stuff. We would bring toys, etc, but still had to make a quick exit on my birthday dinner. Now, they can sit up in the high chairs, I can bring Cheerios and their mesh feeders with apples and they will be happy and we are happy. Before 4-5 months, they did great just either sitting in their car seats or sometimes on our laps.

So, yes, go out to dinner - it's mostly fun!

Oh, as my DH reminded me - it's actually usually lunch - dinner time starts to get too late and the girls get antsy.

Erica.

 

No sweat, we bring ours everytime we go out. We sit in a booth so there is room for their car seat. Feed them before you go, so they are nice and sleepy and bring a binkie just in case they get fussy. It really draws attention too.

 

we don't do it often but we do on occasion. We take them to a noisy restaurant (think not-fancy, sports bar type place) around 5 (after bottle #3 but before their dinner). Timing, in my opinion, is EVERYTHING. If timed right, they're happy to sit and watch the restaurant go by (especially if its a really busy place, like the places we take them to)

 

I agree with a pp. Now is the ideal time! They're not grabbing everything, whining because they want to be held, demanding to nurse right when your food gets there, etc. I love my babies to pieces but they are NOT good dinner dates and have not been since about 6 months.

 

we took ours all the time at that age! brought a bottle and some toys and rarely had issues (except the time DD took a monster poop - DH had to change her in the car and all of a sudden all these flies were all over my car - but that was some seriously funny stuff)

 

Our guys were and still are easy to take out to dinner. Easier than our 3 year old for sure! :lol: We just make sure we are stocked with bottles and toys and we are good to go. When they were 2-4 months they slept a ton so they were super easy to take out. Now they are more awake but love to be out so they sit in their carseats pretty contently.

 

at that age, yes! NOw, not so much. At infant stage they are so easy, especially with 2 adults.

You better do it now becaue forget about it when they are mobile and don't want to sit at the table! :crazy: 8P :girl_devil:

 

We've been going since they were a couple of weeks old. We just make sure to bring the diaper bag and bottles of ebm.

 

During the week I am home alone with the twins while my DH is at work. I take them all over the place with me, and have since very early on. If they cry, they cry. They are babies. If they both have a melt down, we will deal with it. They are over 7 months now and the only double melt downs have been at home. We do eat out a decent amount. I make sure to time things well so they have full bellies and dry diapers and off we go. They are so good! We went out tonight to Valentine's Dinner and they were the best behaved kids there!

 

We went to brunch the other day and it went fine, they never knew they were anywhere but home, they slept through the entire meal and a trip to Target afterwards.
I am scared of the meal time when they are toddlers more

 

As previous post said it is the best time to take them. There after good luck in eating...

 

I have not read previous posts, but...

we have taken our Jack and Lily, now 8 and 1/2 months old, out to dinner about 2-3 times a week since they were born. In the beginning it was relatively easy. Just pop them in the carriers, bring a bottle, and hope they would sleep. At some point, maybe around 3 months or so, it got to be really fun because they would stay awake for dinner but would still sit in their carriers and just look all around and play with toys. Then, they started getting to an age where they were fussy in their seats and did not want to be sitting still at all. During that time we started putting them in baby bjorns and just going to the restaurant bar area and going in for drinks and then getting the food to go. This way we all got out but the babies were fairly content. Now, at 8.5 months old, they no longer want to be in the carriers but seem to do well in high chairs. We use those covers you can buy and bring tons of toys and food. They are never very interested in the toys and seem to prefer to play with the menus and coasters, etc... from the restaurant. They are eating finger foods so I try to keep them busy with that. We don't always eat our dinners at the restaurant as DH and I like to get home, get them in bed, and then enjoy our dinner together. For this reason we will go out the restaurant, get a table and high chairs, have a drink or order and appetizer and the get the rest of our food to go.
We still go out about 2-3 times a week but we do not always eat out and the babies are always still in bed by their bedtime! It really helps if you can go somewhere and sit outside if the weather permits...we are in FLorida so this is possible for us.
HTH
Amy

Amy

 

I do it all the time by myself with a 4 year old in tow as well. It isn't really that bad. I just feed our girls before we leave. Now that they are able to eat what I eat I will give them tastes at the table and they enjoy every minute of it. They love when mommy feeds them! I do get a lot of attention, but I try to ignore the stares and just act like my kids have my full attention. If someone wants to say something or to get my attention they literally have to say "Excuse me" or come directly to our table. Other wise I msile and just ignore them.

I do this because the minute that someone says something about our twins, Kenia our 4 year old gets jealous and sceams, "They are MY BABIES" and then proceeds to try and hide them. This is hilarious to me, but to other people I get the "Oh, she's jealous" reply, and I just tell them, "Well, She has a right to say that because when we are out, no one comes up to her and says nice things to her. They are her babies and everyone should recognize her first!" People just look at me and walk away. Some go on to encourage Kenia and then she calms down, and some just don't get the hint. I have to literally tell people not to touch them when we are out, especially old people (no offense). But the little old ladies that you just can't say no to, are always wanting to touch them. I have to just walk away or keep walking when I see that someone is trying to come up to me for that reason. I am in and out of wherever I go and I won't spend more than 30 minutes shopping with them for this reason.

Lots of love!
Meshell

 

We ate out all the time since they were a week old. People have heard babies cry before and we typically go to family resturants where noise is kind of expected. We hold them during meals and they were typically good... we had a few bad nights out but nothing nursing didn't fix or worst case we got doggie bags!

 

This is the good window. It gets hard again for awhile until they eat table food and can sit in high chairs and chow!

Reyna

 

We have went to Red Lobster and Olive Garden with ours and they were PERFECT. Slept the entire time. We just made sure they were fed and sleepy when we went. Like others have suggested, go when it is not the busiest time at the restaurant and expect people to want to tell you their twin stories.

 

We have been out lots of times. It helps to go when it is not busy. We usually ask to have a table where we can park the stroller. Eveeryone has been really helpful and gotten a table out of the way. We try to go when they will sleep and that usually helps. Don't be afraid to ask for what you wnat/need. People will really cater to you with tiwns. I have even bf in a booth using a nursing apron. So don't be afriad to do that if you are comfortable.

 

The first time i took this set with us they were barely 2 weeks old. And the first time i took the first set of twins out they were well barely a couple weeks, taxes had just came in. But really i dont see as to how its hard at all with them that age.. Lol now that the oldest are 2 they are the ones i dread sometimes. I just cant get their plate fixed fast enough and by the time i get me something its already time to get them more. (lol we do mainly buffets.)

 

My daughter and SIL take the boys out to restaurants with us and without us for help and have done so since they were born. My husband and I take them out to restaurants (and have since they were born) - just the two of us with the boys quite often. They are 11 months old now. In fact yesterday, we took both boys, ordered their meals, fed them and then we ate. They sat in their high chairs and cooed and played and flirted with all the people at surrounding tables who kept oohing and ahhing at them as we ate. All the waitresses kept coming by the table to talk to them and they were happy as a lark. They love going out and being the center of everyone's attention. They've always been so good and traveled so well, I've never backed off from taking them anywhere with me even when I am alone and I'm a gray haired grandma. I've taken them both with me to the grocery store, shopping, and I take them to their doctor appointments. I think it's all in getting used to it - the babies as well as the adult. At first I was a little scared, but then I thought I've got to try it just to see if I can do it. I felt like there might come an emergency one day and I would have to take them out alone, so better be prepared first. We love to go out to eat and I didn't want to give that luxury up, so we just started taking the boys with us.

 

yes we would take them out and they sept most of the time... It was not hard at all to me. good luck!