Do you have a little one who can't seem to sit still when you're out to eat? If this is the case then you'll, love the "The Manager is Watching" technique. When children are little they seem to enjoy pushing the limits. They quickly understand how far they can go before mommy or daddy will get serious. This is why it's important to already have a discipline plan in place before heading out in public.
Your child might be brave enough to defy your rules, but does he have the guts to go against the rules of the restaurant? Before entering the establishment, explain that the restaurant has it's own rules. Make it clear that these aren't your rules, they are the rules that all people must abide by when in a restaurant. Let your child know that if he doesn't listen to the rules, a manager will come over and tell you all to leave.
Explain the following restaurant rules:
*Each person must sit in his seat at all times.
*Each person must use his inside voice so he doesn't disturb the people dining at the next table.
*There is no whining or crying allowed.
*All food must stay on the table and can't be played with or thrown.
You might even want to draw simple pictures of these rules and show them to your child before you go out to eat. You could even provide your child with the rule picture sheet and have him look at it and tell you the rules. Let your child know that there are a few managers in the restaurant and they will be keeping an eye on everyone.
If your child breaks one of the rules, tell him that you just spotted the manager looking over and that he better stop breaking the rules or the manager might ask you to leave. Simply put, your child might respect the rules more if he thinks that they were created by the restaurant manager. To solidify this discipline technique, you could even ask the manager to stop by the table and compliment your child on how well he's behaving at some point during the meal. This will make your child feel good about his behavior, but will also make him think that the manager is really paying attention to his actions.
If you don't see a manager close, you can pick out another employee and assert that he/she is probably the manager. It's good to pick someone who comes around often. This will keep your child on alert and help keep his behavior in check. This technique can work well every time if you are consistent and remind your child of the rules before every outing.
