What do you guys do in restaurants?

[neeter]

We have been pretty slow to bring DS to restaurants. The only ones we go to are those where we can bring in the stroller, and DS can stay in there (happily eating his Cheerios). He's 9 months.

We're ready to branch out, but not sure what most people do. Do you just use the restaurant high chair? Is that clean? Or do you use the booster-seat thing (do they fit on most chairs)?

Any suggestions welcome!

Thanks!

[vpalmer]

I have used both the restaurant high chair and the Fisher Price Booster with tray that straps on to the chair. I used the booster when she was going through the stage where she ate directly off the tray. Now that she will eat off a plate or bowl, we use the restaurant high chair.

Veronica
Mom to Eva

ETA - DD is 16 months old. I really need to add her age back to my signature line!

[Marisa6826]

We use a restaurant high chair with the Buggy Bagg lining it. The BB not only takes up some extra room in the chair so Sophie sits up (she's almost 2 but a small munchkin), but it keeps her clean from germs.

The few occasions where there are no highchairs available, we use an inflatable First Years booster chair.

-m

[Lynnie]

I know there are products out there to put over high chairs so the baby won’t touch the wood part and get any germs. I never had one for my first, but this time got something that goes over a shopping cart (snazzy baby or something - it was second hand from the swap board) and i bet it would fit over a highchair. With my first, we usually brought the stroller too, and just asked for an out of the way table. that way he could sit up in the stroller and eat, and if he got tired, we could roll him back and forth to sleep. When we did use highchairs, we used the wooden ones. I think they are more stable than the attachable chairs, and boosters, but that is just my personal preference. I may have cleaned them occasionally with a wipe, but I don’t think I did very often... he was in daycare (still is) and got so many germs there i figured another few from the highchair wouldn’t make too much difference. Taking him out frequently may have helped him get used to being in and behaving in restaurants, too. We have only had one or two times when he had to be removed... but i hope i am not jinxing myself by saying that!!

[hellosmiletoday]

We have never restricted which restaurants we bring DD. We pretty much always use her large Peg P3 stroller b/c I dont trust the infant car seat holders. THe waiters are usually pretty nice about it. We just ask to be seated in a low-traffic area. Even when DD is able to sit up I plan to always use stroller especially now in flu season.

[sadie427]

We go to pretty much any restaurant except the very nicest ones (and even went to a pretty nice one once, they were very nice to us and he had a blast eating garlic mashed potatoes). He pretty much eats the restaurant food too, part of our meal, and has been since around 9 or 10 months. Loves chinese and middle eastern food especially. :-) We love going to restaurants as a family, especially for lunch on the weekend. We just tip very well when he is especially messy (at least 20%)

We do not use a stroller, ours does not have a front bar or tray, and I don't think he'd stay in it. He sits in the restaurant high chair--on the few occasions that they didn't have one, once we left because they just did not seem that welcoming anyway, and the other time he sat on my lap. I either wipe off the table with an antibacterial wipe and put the food on the table, or put the food on a bread plate and keep a close watch on it so he won't drop it.

Honestly I used to wipe down the front of the high chair, but I haven't done that in a while. Most viruses/bacteria don't actually live well on things like high chairs, personally I think that things like the shopping cart/high chair covers are more marketing than anything else. I wash his hands before and after the meal anyway.

I have a little bag I keep in my diaper bag with a bib, a spoon, a clean washcloth for clean-up and some crackers; sometimes a juice box. I also carry a straw cup. That's it for gear.
We do have a booster seat with a tray that we use instead of a highchair at home, and I do bring that if we go to someone's house.

[amp]

In the beginning of feeding solids, we used a portable booster chair that we could strap him into, and we could even prop him up in before he could sit as well unassisted (think 5 mths). Now we use the restaurant high chairs. They are NOT clean, but we take Wet Ones antibacterial wipes everywhere we go, so we can clean the table, chair and whatever else he might touch while eating. Occasionally, if something is really dirty, we clean the chair, but put down an disposable placemat to cover the table.

[murpheyblue]

We use the restaurant high chair with a shopping cart cover lining it to prevent DD from touching the wood. It's worked really well and she likes sitting with the big people at the table.

[houseof3boys]

If I know the highchairs are frequently used and will be dirty, I will use the snazzy baby cover we have (it also keeps him strapped in when the belt is broken on the highchair). We typically will just use the wooden highchair and wipe it down with a wet one (or Target generic wipes that come individually packaged).

We use the Tiny Diner on the table always and he knows that is for his food. Now at 16 months, he just pulls it up when he is done eating. :(

We have used a booster once and it didn't have a strap so Ryan just wanted to stand up the entire time.

We have also used our Hook on chair before as well!

[whittyanne]

We use a high chair with a Floppy Seat cover. It's worked well for us for awhile now! I've tried getting 'placemats' for the tables but he always rips them off, so most of the time I just use a wipe and wipe down the table... I'm sure it's not as clean as it could be but it's about all that works for us!

[neeter]

Thanks for all of your replies!! Wow! I think for now we will stick to the stroller (we have a P3 too) where DS can easily munch on his Cheerios. If the restaurant protests, then I will make sure to bring extra wipes to wipe down that highchair. I need to look into shopping cart covers...hmmm!! Thanks again!!

[MamaKath]

Late to the conversation but we found that a Graco Tot-loc chair (there are many brands similar to this including Chicco and Inglesina) that clipped onto the table was great! It had its own tray, so we could put the baby's food on that and then stick it in the dishwasher when we got home.

We used a booster with a tray often for our second as we traveled much more and needed something that could be used on a chair, or by itself (on a bed or the floor) in a hotel. I think it was by Safety First. This also had a tray of its own.

The highchairs many places are gross, and often unsafe with broken parts (especially straps).
HTH~

[jendalymd]

We go out to eat all the time. And we always bring our "Me Too hook on chair." We love it! www.metooproducts.com
It almost always works on the table, except when the table has a lip (although I have screwed the clamps with the knobs on top of the table instead of under to solve this problem) or if the pedestal table is too tippy with it on. If I am using it on a pedestal table I try to keep one foot on the base to make sure it doesn't tip.

It is super easy to clean with a sponge. And it folds flat and only weighs 2 lbs with a max weight limit of I think 40 lbs, but I'm not sure about that. I love how it puts DS right at the table, instead of slightly away in a restaurant highchair. We always get people coming up to us and talking to us about it.
Sometimes I will use one of those disposable plastic placemats with it.

We also try to eat out early like at 5:30 or 6. Definitely before 7 to avoid the crowds.

cheers,
Jennifer
mom to Ryan, adorable 14 mos old

[shamrock]

When we've gone out we've used the high chairs at the restaurant. I don't have my seat cover yet so I usually drape our sling over the high chair and wrap it around DS to help him stay put.

[Java]

We use the Inglesina Hook-on high-chair and a disposable table mat that have an adhesive back. DS has been eating out with us since he could sit up. Before then we hauled in the stroller (major PITA).

LOVE LOVE LOVE our current set up - I take the hook-on to both grandparents' houses and it works great. We've gotten a lot of looks for it at restaurants and tons of "what a great idea" and "where did you get that" comments.

We've been able to use it at every restaurant we've been too except for ONE - a Hibachi restaurant where the table/counter was almost 3 inches thick! I've gotten a few friends hooked on it too and they love it.

[AvasMama]

We have taken Ava out to eat several times a week since she was about 6 weeks old. We regularly go to several of the nicest restaurants in town with her and none have ever been unwelcoming in any way.

Once she could sit up well, we started using the restaurant high chairs. I was super-paranoid about germs at first and bought a used snazzy baby cover, but after a couple of uses, I just didn't feel it was necessary. I have a travel size pack of Clorox wipes and I will wipe it down (followed by a baby wipe to remove any Clorox residue) if the chair seems dirty, though mostly I don't worry about it.

Same thing with shopping carts -- used the snazzy baby a couple of times and then stopped worrying about it.

I do like the booster seat thingy and will probably buy one soon to use in restaurants that don't have high chairs.

Robyn & Ava