After you watch the video “12 Problems Dining Out with Kids” below, you might think— OH MY GOD! Mazzy and Harlow are such magnificent actors! How did you ever get them to do exactly what you wanted them to do??!!!
But you see, they are not actors at all. This is how they act EVERY TIME we take them out to a restaurant…and even sometimes at home. This video is the result of knowing Mazzy is never ever going to sit still at a table and Harlow is never going to let a piece of asparagus enter her mouth and that both kids will act like wild animals in the presence of a basket of bread.
When Similac partnered with me to create a video about their new Go & Grow Mix-ins, a product which helps toddlers eat a more balanced meal even when they won’t touch most of their food, I wrote a script specifically tailored to my carb loving monsters.
I bet a lot of you have carb loving monsters who won’t sit still in restaurants (or at home) too.
Hope you enjoy!
I actually think this list could have been a lot longer— let me know what problems I left out in the comments below!
A huge thanks to Similac for partnering with me on this video and helping me pull off my biggest production yet.
Go & Grow Mix-ins is a flavorless powder that comes in small to-go packets. They can be stirred into foods like pasta, mashed potatoes, oatmeal, rice, applesauce and pancake batter to give an extra boost of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and DHA (which helps promote brain, eye, and overall growth development.) Mix-Ins isn’t a replacement for healthy eating, but it’s a huge help on the days your toddler is being extra picky. And it’s also GMO and gluten free!
Mix-Ins is available at all major retailers. Check out Similac.com/toddlermoms for free samples (while supplies last), store locators and more information about how Mix-Ins helps your child maintain balanced nutrition.
Stay tuned for our next video and don’t forget to subscribe to the Mommy Shorts YouTube channel for a first look!
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This post was sponsored by Similac but all picky eating children are my own.
Or when your toddler stands in his seat and shouts “I’m DONE!” repeatedly until one parent succumbs to taking him outside to destroy the landscaping.
Or that you walk in carrying your already sleeping toddler and try to just leave them splayed across your body so they don’t wake up. You end up numb on one side of your body, but you get a free hand to eat so win-win!
13. Your toddler HAS TO go to the bathroom (no. 2) and you spend the entire meal in the bathroom.
Yes! This has happened at every dinner since my 3.5 year old potty trained! Makes my husband crazy… And he’s not the one sitting next to the potty reading books rather than eating a nice warm dinner! We don’t go out!
Not just potty. POOP. Both of them. In different stalls, but they both want you with them. And you forgot wipes, so you have to use the 1/2 ply, breaks-off-one-tiny-piece-at-a-time tp.
OMG, yes!!!
My husband, four year old daughter and I went to out to dinner on Mother’s day and halfway through the meal I told my husband that I always feel like we’re trying to contain a wild animal when we go out to eat! And we’re expecting our second child in August so I’m guessing we won’t be able to eat out in peace with children in tow for at least ten years (minimum).
I’m going to look for those Similac mix-ins – my daughter is also very picky! Thank you for sharing in this post! 🙂
I’m looking for those mix-ins STAT. Items you may have forgotten:
1. You child only wants to eat off of Mommy’s plate (It’s the same food)
2. Your kid wants ice our of your glass and sticks her hands right in your cup to help herself.
3. The spilt water (direct result of #2. EVERY. TIME.)
4. The pasta residue hand-prints on Mommy when we wash our hands. Or go to the bathroom mid-meal. Or just because we had to grab Mommy mid-meal.
Motherhood is awesome, right? I’m saying Motherhood because my husband doesn’t seem to be on the receiving end of any of this.
No restaurants! We stick to buffets so we’re in and out and they eat right away. Thank goodbess my kids are carnivores, so they get their protein and they do love steamed vegetables. Both love the cherry tomatoes and will empty the salad bar of them. But yes, we tried a restaurant and the crayons and coloring page lasts two minutes. Then the trips to the bathroom! ? But that was a great video!
Há há há so funny
yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!
totally my life right now.. every second of it is true haha
What about the 12 trips to the bathroom ?!!? The absolute need of a straw to drink out of a grown up glass which will obviously get spilt?! And after 2 bites of whatever was ordered for them, the famous “can we go now?”
To expand upon some of the comments: toddler announces mid wine-sip she has to go potty (#1). Then, right after the food comes, announces she has to go #2. And, although I hate to admit it, the last ditch efforts to keep a toddler seated and quiet with videos on your iPhone!
OMG!!! I gave up on a stroller two years ago because you can never fit it in ANYWHERE (now imagine a double stroller – yeah).
Now the big thing is those little kiosk thingies on the tables that have games on them… yeah they charge you to use the games. But they’re like crack to my kids. Grrrr.
Also – servers who don’t have kids who keep putting items down right in front of the kids – items like glass glasses with no lids or my wine (ummmmmmmmmm) – or who will hold a tray of hot food right over a kid’s head (helllllooooooo… my little jacka$$ is seriously about to knock that tray and spill food everywhere).
And my favorite? When all three of them need to go potty at once and I’m the only person there. When we leave to go potty, don’t clear my table – I promise we didn’t skip out on the bill!!! Wait, where’s my wine??? No, wine, not whine!!!
My kids are crazy when eating out.
Here’s what happens
1. 2yo is mad because kiddie meal doesn’t have Diego on it, but has “gasp” DORA
2. 6yo sees free balloons being handed out, and gets in a line so long that his just delivered food is cold.
3. 4yo acts like 1yo and kicks her shoes off under the table. Then she gets a major goose egg when going to get shoes .
4. 4yo gets exicted over her food, but then throws a tantrum when she actually sees the Spinach Spaghetti she ordered.
5. 4yo kicks 2yo and 2yo falls out of booth and skins her lip. 4yo cries as if she’s being murdered.
6. 6yo drinks all of his milk, and then cries when he’s thirsty during the meal.
7. 4yo is coloring kids menu, and pees pants at the table.
Hi Ilana. Great video!!! You guys are naturals. It was really funny because I can relate so much. Hope you make more videos in the future. Great entertainment. Big hug.
Great video! Although I’m not sure I believe you 😉 they seem decently behaved on your snaps! I guess I’m comparing to my children who are horrible at restaurants. The 5 year old is starting to get better but the 3 year old – just forget it. Which is why we NEVER do restaurants, take out all the way!!
We usually find a booth because our 4 yo will not sit still EVER.
1 – Toddler constantly standing in the booth talking to the other people eating behind us.
2 – If the booth behind us is empty she will try to climb over into it.
3 – Toddler wants to sit next to mommy, no next to daddy, no next to mommy and maneuvers this swap by going back & forth under the table.
She is getting better but we still don’t go out often unless it’s the local Chinese joint lol
this is exactly why we dread going out to eat!
[…] mac and cheese 11 times this week), I literally laughed out loud when I saw this cute video from Mommy Shorts called 12 Problems Dining Out with […]
Love the video… I love seeing your whole family together! We went on a dining-out sabbatical for a while, but now my kids are 3.5 and 5.5 and they can actually sit and eat a meal at a restaurant. We still do deal with all the bathroom breaks, though 🙁
Seriously? No my kids do not act like that at resturants. They just dont and its not like we eat out a Lot so they have lots of practice…its just they dont do that at home. NO i’m not a perfect mom nor have perfect kids but come on…and I would defend the video be all Haha just a joke but the maker seems so sure this is how it’s suppose to be she’s all no they arnt acting! It’s that Great!
I love this! You, Mike, Mazzy and Harlow are too funny! Thanks for this!
We took 5 kids (My 3 kids, and my sisters 2 kids) out to eat today. That was a disaster
Here’s what happened
1. With three kids crammed into the stroller, and 1 hanging off the back of the stroller, we occasionly bumped into people.
2. The waitress took FOREVER to bring our meals.
3. The kiddie menus were already scribbled in, and had blots of ketchup all over the place.
4. My teenage neice wouldn’t put down her phone.
5. We had to go potty as soon as the food arrived.
6. 6yo nephew refused to color in his kiddie menu, because Dora was on the front
7. A green fleck was in my 2yo’s food
8. They didn’t bring 14yo neice’s cornbread until the meal was over.
To be continued…
9. My 1yo was in the highchair and was using her hands to eat her applesauce. Well, not really. She got it for dessert, and was spread it around on her highchair tray
10. 6yo nephew spotted a little boy having a birthday party at Pirate Cove (the restaurant we were at) A massive chocolate cake was in front of the birthday boy. 6yo nephew ended up crying a river because he wanted cake. We happened to be on dessert and the birthday boy (turning 8) was kind enough to give him a piece.
11. The red crayon was given to my 2yo. All hell broke lose. My 4yo, 1yo, and the 6yo cried. The 4yo and 1yo cried because of the crayon, and the 6yo cried because the other little ones were crying.
12. The picky eating doesn’t help. Pickle pasta, with no pickle, no butter, and white milk. For dessert, Gummy worm cookies, with no gummy worms, and chocolate milk, because according to my 4yo, “Cookies don’t taste good with white milk”
13. After another cry-a-thon, my 1yo, 2yo, 4yo, and the 6yo fell asleep. I crammed two sleeping kids into the stroller, 6yo was in my right arm, and I pushed the stroller with my left. The waitress stared at our kiddie menu, food, applesauce, and plate covered table as we left.
The funny part? The kiddos woke up in the car, and belted “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” until we dropped my niece and nephew at my sister’s house.
[…] We think Ilana at Mommy Shorts nailed it with this hilarious video about dining out with kids. […]