Video Transcription:
How To Eat Out With Whining & Fighting Kids.
You want to eat out with your kids but you picture this:
- Kid’s whining at the table.
- Siblings kicking and picking at each other.
- Kid’s tantrums, outbursts, and demands.
And you shudder at the thought and drop the idea. Wait! You need not do this! It is possible to manage the above problems with a straightforward approach.
Eating-Out Rules For Kids.
Eat-In Peace. If you do not, you get the first warning. Tell the kids that they are free to eat out as long as they do not complain, whine, hit, kick, yell, or show tantrums.
The first and just the first time they are getting out of hand, they will get the first warning.
If you do not eat peacefully, you get a second warning. Tell them if they break the first rule, mom or dad will take them to the car at once for a time out. The time could be 5-10 minutes. If they remain quiet during that time, they are in. If not, they remain in the car.
If you still do not eat it peace, you get the third warning and you’re out. Explain to them that breaking the second rule will lead them to the car again and remain there until mom and dad finish their meal. Moreover, mom and dad will not pack any food home. Make them realize that mom and dad are serious and will them skip
the meal. You will have to repeat this many times to make your kids realize that you are serious about the rules that your kids will not have any food to eat if they don’t behave. More stubborn kids require extra trips to the car before they learn.
For parents…Do not make the rules unless you are serious about them. You have to be serious about the rules before implementing them or else you waken your credibility and effectiveness on your kids.
Be steady in your decision. Whatever the situation or your stamina level, you have to be steady in following the rules. However, do not expect your kid to learn immediately or on the first trip of eating out.
Teach your child from the consequences and not from the threat of consequences. Even if you are too tired to take your kids to the car for breaking the rule, you have to take him or them. If you skip, then your rules will have no effect.
Do not nag, preach, remind, and correct constantly. Avoid paying attention to your kid’s unwanted behavior or else you will encourage it to grow. When your kids start showing tantrums at the table, simply ignore it and take him or them to the car. Correcting or lecturing will not help. Notice when your kids are behaving properly. Acknowledge your kids with a smile, or nod, or touch when they are quiet and under control at the table. This encourages the development of healthy behavior, at home and outside.
Remember! Kids learn by experiencing the consequences not just by hearing the threat of consequences.
