In a cafe with a baby: what parents should know in advance

Gathering for a cafe with a baby is a rather exciting moment. Doubts arise in the parents’ minds: is the child ready, will he be capricious, how will other visitors react? Anxiety becomes greater if the child is quite active and restless.

All this is not a reason to deny yourself small pleasures. In addition, going to a cafe can become a good family tradition; in such conditions, the child will comfortably gain the experience of socialization. YokoSun advises how to prepare for a trip to a cafe and what to take with you.

What you need to consider when preparing to go to a cafe with a child

1. The “right” place

First, you should decide on the choice of cafe. If you plan to spend more than 20 minutes in the establishment, these tips will definitely come in handy.

Make sure that the cafe has high chairs for children and a platform where you can leave the stroller. A significant advantage will be the presence of a children's room in a cafe, and in some establishments there are even rooms for mother and child, where you can comfortably breastfeed your child.

Find out whether there is a children's menu and what dishes are included in it. It will be a significant advantage if the cafe serves food that the child loves. If in doubt, take food with you (mashed potatoes, pieces of vegetables, cookies). It is important to remember that often children can be capricious just because they are hungry.

2. Let's study the menu together

Older children (about three years old) strive to imitate adults in literally everything: they copy their behavior and habits. Do not deny your child this desire, let him feel like an adult visitor to a cafe.

Study the menu together, let your child choose the dish he wants to eat. This way, your child will enjoy the trip to the cafe, and you are more likely to be able to relax.

3. Order your food early

It is better to order food for a child earlier, so that the child’s dish is delivered 10-15 minutes before yours. Check with the waiter how long it takes to prepare items from the children's menu, and also ask him to serve the dish as soon as it is ready. After all, the longer the wait, the greater the likelihood that the child will begin to act up.

If a little gourmet eats before you, he will probably demand more attention and be distracted. Therefore, it is better if the baby has foods on his plate that will take a long time to eat: vegetables, fruits, nuggets, French fries.

4. More games

A restless child will probably want to know how everything works in the cafe. At some point, he will no longer be able to stay at the table and will run through the halls of the establishment. Parents should remember that running around in a cafe can be dangerous for a child: waiters sometimes carry sharp objects and hot food, the dishes themselves are glass and break easily.

Asking a child to calm down is completely useless, and the best way to get out of this situation is to keep the child busy yourself. You can use a tablet or phone, your favorite toy, napkins with which you can do origami. You can also take a tour of the cafe together. Literally lead the child by the hand and show where the kitchen is, where the waiters come from, how the tables are arranged, where the exit and toilet are. Organize a camping trip with other families with children so they can play independently with each other.

5. Be prepared for the fact that things don't go according to plan

Unfortunately, we have to admit that things may not go exactly the way you wanted. It is difficult for a child to control his emotions, and therefore there is a possibility that he will cry, begin to be capricious, and scream loudly.

It is important to remember that this behavior is normal. Make sure that the baby is not affected by negative factors: he is not injured, he does not have a fever. Maybe he was just scared or tired? Then you should hug the child, show affection and care.

If this doesn’t help, don’t scream or scold the child. This will only reinforce negative experiences in the future.

What to take with you?

1. Pencils, paper and your favorite toy

In order for everything to go smoothly, you should take care in advance of what the child will do. Therefore, it is better to have your baby’s favorite toy, pencils and a notebook for older children.

Drawing will not only distract the restless person, but will also become a useful activity that develops fine motor skills and analysis skills. Ask, for example, to outline your palms by drawing multi-colored nails, or objects on the table: glasses, forks, plates.

2. Clothes and bib

Younger children have not yet acquired strong coordination skills, so the risk of their clothes getting dirty is quite high. And it’s worth preparing for this scenario: take a bib or spare clothes.

Do not scold your child if he does get dirty. Pleasant moments spent together are not worth your nerves and negative emotions of your baby. Moreover, even difficult stains can be dealt with easily. For example, usingliquid oxygen bleach-stain remover YokoSun. It effectively removes dirt and is suitable for children's clothing from the first days life.

3. Wet wipes

Wet wipes are an indispensable companion for parents. They will be useful literally everywhere: in the clinic, on a trip, on a walk and, of course, in a cafe.

Choose reliable products that can be used to care for children. Wet sanitary napkins for children ECO have been developed specifically for these purposes. from YokoSun What is important is that YokoSun wipes are 99% purified water, do not cause allergies or irritation, do not leave a sticky feeling and are taken out of the pack one at a time.

4. Diaper

The youngest cafe visitors may need a diaper. It’s worth taking just a couple of pieces with you to be on the safe side.

Suitable for active kidsdiapers-panties YokoSun. They do not hinder movement due to the soft elastic belts quickly and effectively absorb moisture, protecting against leakage. It will be convenient to change such a diaper outside the home: you just need to tear the belt along the side tear lines and put a new one on the child like regular panties.

5. Calmness and equanimity

Unfortunately, no one is immune from the condemnation of other people. It happens that cafe visitors cast casual glances, tsk, or even make comments to parents because of the child’s behavior. At such moments, you have no reason to feel guilty: adults should understand that children simply do not know how to control themselves, hold back tears or the desire to frolic. And if this time the trip to the cafe was not the most successful, then over time the baby will definitely get used to it.