by Becky Vieira posted in Parenting

I love my child. And I love dining out. But if I'm being really honest here, I have to say the two go together about as well as a plate of Oreos and tall glass of minty mouthwash. Most days I'd rather get a bikini wax with tweezers instead of taking my toddler son to eat in a restaurant.
Okay, maybe it's not that bad. But close. Dining out has been a bit of a rollercoaster since my son was born. It's gone in stages, something like this:
Newborn: No more eating out, at least for the time being. You're lucky if you remember to eat during this stage. You have a newborn, enough said.
1-3 months: "Look at us," you and your partner say. "We're able to do all the same things we once did. We're the cool parents, life hasn't changed since having a baby." Your life has some semblance of normalcy again, and your baby just sleeps along in a car seat while you eat. What you don't realize is that while you may indeed be in a dining out sweet spot, it's only temporary.

3-5 months: Well, this sucks. Your baby no longer sleeps through the majority of the day. Car seat sleeping inside a restaurant is no longer an option, but it's not yet time for a highchair. Resume ordering takeout.
6-12 months: Look at this, back at it again. Baby sits in highchair, everyone eats out and has fun.
12 months plus: Did you really think that would last forever" Baby no more, your now-toddler goes into the highchair, happily...for a few minut...