Do you get dirty looks too?

I don't know about you but I have definitely noticed a difference between the time that I used to go out to eat pre-kids vs. post-kids. Upon entering an eating and drinking establishment, hostesses would smile and happily take us to our table. Now, when I walk in with my kids, they try to pretend I'm not there by avoiding eye contact. And god forbid I ask for a highchair. 99% of the time I have to fetch it and clean it myself. Then there is the delay... in the old days we would wait 2 minutes or less to be greeted by our server with a request for our drink order. Now its easily 10 minutes and they act like I'm putting them out. Sometimes we even hesitate to ask for the kids food to come out first for fear of retribution. Here's what I don't understand: not only do I have pretty well behaved kids (servers have told me so) but we spend more money going out to eat as a family with my 2 kids than my husband and I did by ourselves. Which, theoretically, would lead to higher tips. I tip on service, not on the check. On that note, I'll leave the topic of automatic tips on checks for small parties for next month. In the meantime, if you know of a restaurant that you take your kids to that doesn't make you feel this way, please tell me so I can give them my business.
Happy Dining!

Ideas for a Night Out

OK Ladies and Gentlemen...we are in the brainstorming stages of another great NIGHT OUT. I know where I like to go (without the kids), but I want to hear it from you. I also want to know what you want to do. (i.e. movies, Bithlo Race Track, Bead Making, Wine Classes)

So put your thinking caps on and send me your ideas for at great Night Out!

By the way, this message is coming from your new Volunteer Director of Night Out Marketing...Jennifer!

Fried Chicken Nuggets

Taking the kids out to eat proves consistently to be a daunting task. In my efforts to find kid-friendly restaurants, I found more people telling me 'there is no such thing' instead of 'go to this place; we loved it.' Now that my kid's and I have begun the search, we have found one thing in common at every restaurant with a kid's menu: FRIED CHICKEN NUGGETS. I've gotten to the point that when we go to a restaurant and I give my kids their options, chicken nuggets does not even escape my lips. What is taking so long for restaurants to take the initiative and change their kid's menu? At least bake the nuggets versus frying them. With the amount of press and parents hollering for healthier menu selections, what is it going to take? Am I alone or does everyone not mind feeding their kids a staple of fried chicken nuggets? If not, what would you like to see on a kid's menu at a restaurant that your kids would actually eat? Aren't healthy food and kids opposites? What healthy things do your kids eat at home?