Restaurants and Toddlers

Published February 15, 2026
Restaurants and Toddlers

I wrote a poem about my experience in a restaurant when my daughter was about 14 months old, and, well, I’ll just let you read it yourself…

The diaper bag was packed 

Prepared with wipes, water, a bib and a favorite snack

Anxiety already making me wish I didn’t make the reservation, 

but I pushed myself to try new things for my social life preservation 

Wiping down a sticky table, pulling away utensils

While the waitress grabs her pencil to take our orders

Pulling out my baby’s bib and applesauce like a materials hoarder

I probably seemed crazy to her, but I promise I’m not crazy, I’m just trying to figure my rhythm out lately 

The food comes and the baby seems to like it

A sigh of relief from a mother who kept it all together 

Keeping the baby happy during a meal shared 

It’s hard to manage conversation when your attention is paired with taking bites of your cold food and wiping little hands  

I’m proud of myself for at least attempting these plans

To get myself out there in motherhood

While I learn and expand their childhood. 

A Table and a High Chair - from Wonderful Joy Ahead by Kalyn Bentley 

I’m going to be completely honest, before I was a mama, I didn’t really notice the other moms in restaurants. I always noticed the cute babies, and sometimes the crying babies, but I never really paid attention to the tired and overstimulated mamas until I was one of them. Now I get it. It’s hard to pack up all the things for littles, and if people invite you and your baby out to dinner too close to bedtime, forget it! It’s a lot of work. As my daughter got older and more mobile, sometimes it was even harder to keep her buckled down in her high chair, and keep her from touching everything on the table. I also hate taking my bigger diaper bag into restaurants. Then one day I remembered a mom I used to nanny for, and how she always had a restaurant bag for her toddlers. I have never felt more prepared since packing up all these items for my daughter when we go out as they have made our restaurant experiences a little easier!

  • Here is all you need:

  • Small Bag Like this by (I actually use a breastmilk bag since it has a small zipper section at the bottom for ice packs, I actually use it for the wipes and hand sanitizer!) 

  • 1 diaper, small pack of wipes, and Honest hand sanitizer 

  • Silicone placemat - great to keep the table clean!

  • A bib, baby fork or spoon, a plate (trust me)

  • Age appropriate activity since not all restaurants have crayons and coloring pages (magnetiles, coloring book/crayons, sticker book, etc.)

  • Their own water bottle and lots of snacks (applesauce, pretzels, goldfish!)

  • Zip loc bag to put dirty dishes in

  • *if you can fit it* you can always pack an extra shirt too for really messy kiddos!

I have found all these things to be extremely helpful and makes our restaurant experience far less chaotic! Also, if you see a mama in a restaurant, make sure to tell her she’s doing a fantastic job! 

Written by Kalyn Bentley