First "Dad interview"......Jason Cook is General Manager of Global Gift Sourcing, a Pizza Capers franchisee and Gold Coast radio personality in a past life, plus he is Dad to gorgeous twin girls.
Name: Jason Cook
Occupation: General manager – Global Gift Sourcing
Suburb: Oyster Cove, Gold Coast
Kids and ages: 3 and a half year old Twin Girls
How often do you eat out at cafes and restaurants with your children?
Not enough. The fact that we also own a pizza franchise means one of us is working about 5 nights per week which rules out going out to dinner. We try to go out for breakfast or lunch but sometimes it is easier to throw something on the BBQ at home and make the most of the gorgeous GC weather!
Do you eat out more or less often since you have had kids? Why is that?
Much less. The Gold Coast is quite limited with child friendly locations. I think if there were more options available we would head out more.
Do you have any embarrassing moments that have happened when eating out with your little ones?
No not really. Apart from the odd dirty nappy in the old days at the most inappropriate time we have been spared any shame or embarrassment.
Do you have any tips for taking kids to cafes or restaurants?
Try and not be intimidated by taking them out. We expect the girls to behave in a restaurant as they do at our dinner table at home. Same rules apply for eating at home or in a restaurant. Also take some things to keep them entertained like pencils, colouring books or their favourite books.
What is your favourite child-friendly cafe or restaurant?
We haven’t experienced too many child friendly places on the Gold Coast (apart from pubs with playgrounds!!) but a restaurant we do go to a lot is Georges at Sanctuary Cove. This place doesn’t frown on you when you bring kids in and is open early with a half price menu before 6.30pm. They will sit you in a corner (away from the other diners) but will serve your kids first whilst you have a drink and decide what to eat and the service can be as fast or as slow as you want it to be. The views are amazing as you look at the million dollars yachts and the views of sanctuary cove. It’s our favourite restaurant and they always welcome us and the kids.
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Interview with Michelle Grayson - designer, artist, and illustrator specialising in children's art. You may have seen her gorgeous work in stores like Mama's Home and My First Room. She is also a design blogger and Mum to two beautiful children.
Name: Michelle Grayson
Occupation: Graphic Designer and illustrator
www.sproutgallery.com
www.sproutgallery.blogspot.com
Suburb: Grange
Kids and ages: six years and 14 months
How often do you eat out at cafes and restaurants with your children?
Usually we aim for every weekend even if it ends up just being a milkshake or coffee. As a family we try to do a late breakfast or early lunch but it’s sometimes hard with the little guy’s sleep times. I usually take the youngest and try and catch up with someone once a fortnight at a café for a coffee or early lunch.
Do you eat out more or less often since you have had kids? Why is that?
We probably eat out less since having kids. Certainly we are eating out less now that we have a toddler. Often my husband and I are too busy tag teaming each other whilst waiting for the food to arrive to enjoy the experience. If we do decide to have a dinner out with the kids it is usually super early so that we can be home for the baby’s bedtime at 6.30pm. I would say my daughter has always been fantastic to eat out with. I think she thinks it’s a tea party or something.
Do you have any embarrassing moments that have happened when eating out with your little ones?
Just the usual – spilt drinks and food. I try to clean up as much as possible before leaving but it’s hard unless you carry around a dust pan and brush in your bag.
Do you have any tips for taking kids to cafes or restaurants?
We usually like our food to arrive at the same time so we are all eating together. If the kid’s food comes out first then they are generally finishing up just as ours is arriving and you end up rushing. We also like to take a bag of toys they haven’t seen for a while (like McDonald toys you would normally throw out etc), crayons, paper etc. The iphone has been great too.
What is your favourite child-friendly cafe or restaurant?
The Home Store + Café in Stewart Road, Ashgrove is fantastic. If you get a table inside down the back you can sit near the play room which has a small door cut in the wall and toys. The food presentation is fantastic. The servings are huge and the food and coffee delicious. I also like Riverbend Books and Café at Bulimba. There’s nowhere for kids to run around but there are heaps of mums there with prams, it’s easily accessible and the kids can go inside with you and look at a tub of old books if the food is taking too long.
Please click on the Latest Child Friendly Reviews page for the most recent reviews.
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Interview with Kylie Aleman, owner of the gorgeous online jewellery business Shabby Sisters, and Mum to two beautiful boys, Oliver and Finn.
I have never been to the "Edi" but I think I will have to after doing this interview!! Sounds very kid friendly....
Name: Kylie Aleman
Occupation: Owner of an online jewellery business, Shabby Sisters
http://www.shabbysisters.com.au/
Suburb: Wavell Heights
Kids and ages: Oliver 4 years, Finn 1 year
How often do you eat out at cafes and restaurants with your children?
As a family we would eat out at least once a fortnight and the boys and I would have at least a couple of coffee/lunch visits each week.
Do you eat out more or less often since you have had kids? Why is that?
We eat out more now, than before the kids. We make an effort to have some family time out of the house and away from distractions such as toys and tv (and washing up). I also think that it is important for kids to learn social manners and etiquette when eating out, regardless of the venue. It is lovely to be able to sit with friends and enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee or a vino and not have the kids running around like it is a play ground.
Do you have any embarrassing moments that have happened when eating out with your little ones?
Nothing yet, but no doubt there will come a time when we will be doing the walk of shame out of a restaurant.
Do you have any tips for taking kids to cafes or restaurants?
We always try to go to child friendly places and I take a bag full of activities for them. At a stretch, if the meals are taking a really long time, there is always games on the iphone. We always go early, order straight away and keep them occupied.
What is your favourite child-friendly cafe or restaurant?
Well, I would love to say that it was some elegant place about town, but it is the Edinburgh Castle Hotel, known fondly to Oliver as the Edi. It is good old fashion pub food that is really reasonably priced. The quality is as expected and while it will never win a michelin star, it is the whole package that makes it enjoyable. The staff are very friendly and always attentive to the boys, there are highchairs that are clean and always at the ready and plenty of room for the pram. And the best part is that you can be in and out in under 45 minutes if you want or you can sit there and enjoy a drink.
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Interview with Vanessa Russell, graphic designer, owner of Raspberry Creative, children's party invitation guru and Mum to beautiful Tom and Hannah.
We love Vanessa's Child Friendly suggestions especially catering to school age children.
Name: Vanessa Russell
Occupation: Graphic Designer
Raspberry Creative – fabulously stylish invitations for kids young and old
http://www.raspberrycreative.com.au/
http://www.raspberrycreativedesign.blogspot.com/
Suburb: The Gap
Kids and ages: Tom 8 and Hannah 5
How often do you eat out at cafes and restaurants with your children?
We regularly go out for Coffee with the kids. I think it’s good for the kids to learn social interaction and etiquette on how to sit still and have a conversation. It’s our family catch up time too!.
Do you eat out more or less often since you have had kids? Why is that?
We go out for coffee more now we have kids. They knew what a ‘bubbachino’ was pretty early on! We like to go to places to eat where there is things going on around us - Live bands, festivals, music, dancing etc as it keeps the kids content and happy.
Do you have any embarrassing moments that have happened when eating out with your little ones?
Can’t recall any major drama, maybe a meltdown or two just as we sat down to eat.
Do you have any tips for taking kids to cafes or restaurants?
If we go out with the kids for a bite to eat.. it has to be fast service and somewhere where a 8 year boy is occupied. We do lunch more than dinner, and I find if we choose a place where Tom can ride his scooter out the front or climb on something he is happy. Hannah is happy to draw and talk. I have learned over years to pack a variety of snacks and fruit in separate mini glad bags or containers for each child. They think it’s exciting.... although I have to count the exact same amount in each bag as Tom is all about getting more or the biggest!
What is your favourite child-friendly cafe or restaurant?
I loveeee Salt at Rosalie. It seems like the only place that both kids sit the whole time without moving! They do fabulous brekkys. I am intorelant to dairy and egg (not a good breakfast option) so the goats cheese option is great and there are some amazing combinations that are different to the average breakfast. Yummy! The hot chocolate is Tom’s favourite – a big cup, a shot of chocolate to pour in and white choc buds on the side! Heaven! Takeaway coffees ($4.00 one size, any type) are made super fast and the kids get takeaway ‘bubbachinos’ (yes they are free!) with a colourful umbrella on the lid and white choc buds..!
Lure – Paddington. Very popular and closed in so the kids can’t go far. Loved that they served the kids meals on princess melamine plates and spiderman for boys. Kids get a kick out of the simple touches!
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Interview with Sharnel Dollar, stylist, children's party expert, cupcake "couturist", blogger and Mum to gorgeous Olivia and William.
17th August 2010. Great suggestions from Sharnel....sounds like an interesting experience at Harveys!
Name: Sharnel Dollar
Occupation: Mum, blogger and business owner
http://www.mylife-myloves.blogspot.com/ http://www.sharneldollardesigns.com.au/
Suburb: Gumdale
Kids: Olivia (6) and William (4)
How often do you eat out at cafes and restaurants with your children? Twice per week
Do you eat out more or less often since you have had kids? Why is that? When the children were first born we stopped eating out for fear of annoying other diners. But as the grew up and we were more confident and we ate out a lot more.
Do you have any embarrassing moments that have happened when eating out with your little ones? Yes, it involves poo and Harvey's in the Valley. That’s all I’ve to say about that.
Do you have any tips for taking kids to cafes or restaurants?
Ensure the restaurant is kid friendly and your children are in the right frame of mind to be going out. Don’t take them when they are tired and super hungry. I find the earlier the better. They are better behaved and less likely to cause a scene. Take along your own table friendly games in case they aren’t supplied.
What is your favourite child-friendly cafe or restaurant?
Coffee Club at Southgate near Cannon Hill for something casual and easy. Our favourite for a more grown up meal while still dining with the children is The Fish Café at Manly. Gorgeous view, great kids menu and they supply kids table activities too.
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2nd August 2010. We love Kristin's answers!
Name: Kristin Devitt
Occupation: Managing Director, KDPR http://www.kdpr.com.au/ Also Director and Co-Founder of Babes in Business http://www.babesinbusiness.com/
Suburb: Red Hill
Kids: Louisa, 7 and Emmeline, 6
How often do you eat out at cafes and restaurants with your children?
We eat out with the girls often, 2 or 3 times a week, and particularly on weekends - after a busy week at work I'd rather be enjoying some laughs and stories over a leisurely brunch or dinner than spending it cooking and cleaning up. Some of our favourite family memories have been meals we've shared together, locally or during trips overseas and I think it's important that children grow up understanding that the golden arches isn't a "restaurant" in the truest sense of the word.
Do you eat out more or less often since you have had kids? Why is that?
We definitely eat out less often now. By the time the girls have done a full day at school, homework and dance or gymnastics after school on a couple of days, they are just too tired to go out for dinner mid-week. Especially at the ages they are now, it is not only physical, but also mental exhaustion - they are taking so much in, such an exciting time.
Do you have any embarrassing moments that have happened when eating out with your little ones?
Only a few spilled drinks or meltdowns. But we all have days like that don't we?
Do you have any tips for taking kids to cafes or restaurants?
Don't fight "city hall" in terms of what your children like to eat. If we're trying a new restaurant, I'll always look at the menu to be sure there are dishes the girls will enjoy - the trick is finding places that serve food that excites an adult palette as well as catering to younger tastes. And when the scrambled eggs at Salt Rosalie, and the margueritta pizza at Il Posto Paddington, satisfy the big and little kids, you know you're really onto a winner!
What is your favourite child-friendly cafe or restaurant?
Here's my top 3! Tognini's at Milton - best mini cupcakes and child-size milkshakes; Bretts Wharf - beautiful children's menu including ice-cream and $1 per year of age; China Sea Milton - divine Chinese food and lots of yummy looking lobsters in aquariums to keep the kids entertained.
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Interview with Amanda Yeates, Civil Engineer and Mum to two adorable girls....
29 July 2010. Great suggestions for dining out in this interview.
Occupation: Civil Engineer, currently working as Director Commercial Evaluation and Management with the Department of Employment Economic Development and Innovation
Suburb: Bardon
Kids: Felicity who is 6 and Heidi who is 4
How often do you eat out at cafes and restaurants with your children?
On average probably once a week
Do you eat out more or less often since you have had kids? Why is that?
Before we had kids we rarely ate at home on the weekend, so we eat out significantly less than we used to (and yes we, like many others, said that kids would not change our lifestyle!). I think the main reason that we eat out less is that when it was just the two of us eating out was an enjoyable experience. And it's not that eating out with the kids can't be enjoyable- it's just that it is unpredictable- one of them can have a 'melt down' without warning and for no apparent reason and the whole experience can quickly go pear shaped. However, when it all runs smoothly it can be the most fabulous experience. I think it is really important for kids to eat out because it gives them the opportunity to experience a range of social situations and recognise and know what is, and is not, appropriate behaviour in various situations. I also really want my kids to realise that, unlike at fast food restaurants, eating out involves knives and forks!
Do you have any embarrassing moments that have happened when eating out with your little ones?
Where do I start? There was the time Heidi had a coughing fit in a Mexican restaurant and vomited up all over her tacos, or the time that Felicity burped so loud that it stopped conversation at all the other tables in the restaurant. (Did I say eating out with kids could be a pleasant experience!)
Do you have any tips for taking kids to cafes or restaurants?
Go early so that the kids are not too tired and try to go somewhere with reasonably quick service- hungry kids become cranky kids very quickly. Order either the kids meals or an entree as soon as you arrive so the kids can start eating.
What is your favourite child-friendly cafe or restaurant?
For a treat we like taking the kids to Flute at Rosalie for breakfast. They have nice big tables and comfy chairs and the girls love that in winter they give you blankets to keep warm. The staff are lovely with the kids too. There are giant bowls of coffee (for the grown-ups) and the kids' hot chocolates come out in disposable cups with lids, straws and cocktail umbrellas- avoiding spills and breakages. They will also do anything on the menu in a kids serve, and will do kids custom orders. For dinner we like Soul Foods Bistro at Milton. It is very casual outdoor eating and there is plenty of room for kids. Their tasting plates are fabulous and have the added advantage of the kids tasting a variety of different things. They also have a kids menu which has a really great selection of 'real food'- not just chicken nuggets. And they have the best home-made lemonade I have ever tasted! The other thing that is always a winner in our house is a sushi train restaurant- the girls will eat pretty much anything as long as it is served on a train!
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Interview with Felicity Moore, author, journalist, "Mummy blogger" and mum to three gorgous children...
24th July 2010
Name: Felicity Moore
Occupation: Author, Journalist and "Mummy Blogger"
www.mooreformums.com.au
Suburb: Wavell Heights
Kids: Finley (5), DJ (4) and Matilda (2)
How often do you eat out at cafes and restaurants with your children?
We probably go out once a week for a meal, although not always a restaurant. Often it's a cafe when I'm meeting girlfriends for coffee or lunch. My husband Nick is going through a phase at the moment where he loves going out for lunch (he works nights) and so we're eating at the Kedron Wavell RSL a lot, usually once or twice a week. It's completely child friendly, a relaxed environment and quite affordable.
(The food is okay, not five star dining, but okay).
Do you eat out more or less often since you have had kids? Why is that?
Much less often initially. When the kids were babies we didn't go ANYWHERE. Not for about three years, anyway. Fin was a difficult sleeper when he was an infant so in the name of instilling good sleep habits we were at home putting him to bed at 7pm on the dot every day of his life. Not once in 365 days did we vary that routine. It worked and he became a great sleeper from about seven months, but then we were too scared to alter the routine. So no family dinners at restaurants for a long time.
We would do the occasional lunch, and by that I mean we probably ate out about four times in the first 12 months. By the time Matilda came along we were a bit more confident about feeding and nappy changes while out in public. We knew how to keep kids entertained with minimal disruption to others.
Do you have any embarrassing moments that have happened when eating out with your little ones?
Sort of. It doesn't really reflect on the establishment or the staff though, just a dopey first-time mum.
I was meeting my mothers group at a cafe for the first time after we'd finished our Qld Health workshop sessions. I was nervous that Fin would be too unsettled (can't remember now why) so I breastfed him copiously for the hour before we went. We arrived and he promptly vomited all down my shirt. I didn't have a spare so for the next hour I sat there and tried to pretend the vomit didn't absolutely reek.
Luckily the lovely ladies in my mothers group all tried valiantly to maintain the same illusion.
Do you have any tips for taking kids to cafes or restaurants?
1. Routine is king. Whenever we go to a cafe or coffee shop I sit the kids down first, make sure they're settled in their seats and then I go up to order. By now they're well trained to sit still and wait. At restaurants they're pretty good (not always perfect, but who is?) at being patient until the waiter comes.
2. Feed them quickly! No good going to a restaurant where the food takes ages. One time we were at Hogs Breath in Airlie Beach and the meal took HOURS to come. I'm not sure but I think they forgot our order. We ordered at 5pm thinking the meal would be quick (dinner trade had not yet warmed up) and by 8pm we still hadn't eaten!
Needless to say the kids were feral.
3. Don't expect too much from them. You see some families taking their three-year-old to a fine dining restaurant and expecting him to eat fois gras and sit quietly for three hours while the grown-ups talk. Be realistic. Kids are kids. With short attention spans and small bodies that need to be in bed by bedtime.
What is your favourite child-friendly cafe or restaurant?
Erm, does McDonald's count? I know there's a big anti-maccas movement because it's fast food and junk food but really, it's got the kids angle down pat. There's a playground that's safe and contained and they sell fruit and water. I don't see the problem. My kids have never had nuggets from Maccas and they've never been there without eating a bag of apples to start with and they've only ever had water. I'm not sure they even know that Maccas sells softdrink. (I'm very anti-softdrink, not just for kids, for everyone - it's pure evil). The kids think apples already sliced up and in a bag is a huge treat. They love it.
