As the noise level increased, so did my furtive looks at our fellow diners. Were they paying attention to our table? When my husband and I walked into the restaurant with our 19-month-old son, did they inwardly cringe at the possibility of having their meal disrupted?

Generally, my son is pretty well-behaved at restaurants. He’s been eating out with us since he was a few weeks old. He knows the routine and usually enjoys watching waiters bustle and diners come and go. Sometimes, not so much.

Over the last year and a half, we’ve learned a few things that work for us to help make the meal more enjoyable. Most of the time these work, but as any caregiver knows, there’s no guarantees with children.

1.) Be prepared. If we’re going to eat somewhere that I don’t think has food my son will eat, I bring a few little snacks or a drink, or feed him at home before we go. Also, bring a favorite toy. We try to keep a toy in the diaper bag that he only gets when we’re out, so it’s more interesting. And it probably goes without saying, but we bring extra diapers and wipes. Your child probably isn’t going to be the best meal companion if they need to be changed.

2.) Keep a wide berth on the table. One of the first things we do when we are seated is to rearrange the items on the table so they are at least an arm’s length away from our son. At his age, he’s like an octopus — there are what seem like 20 arms waving about, grabbing at anything. The more inappropriate the better. A steak knife or hot plate? Perfect!

3.) Know your restaurants. One of our favorite restaurants to take our son to is the Jimmy’s Egg by our house. The waitresses are in constant motion, which is fun for him to watch. They also all know him and make a point to stop by the table and talk to him throughout the meal. Our little flirt loves the attention. Another upside is that we know there are lots of families there, which means lots of noise. If our son yells, it’s not going to be as big a deal as it would in a fancy dining establishment. We know sitting still and quiet for an hour or two is a lot to ask of a toddler, so we get a babysitter if that’s going to be the case.

4.) Know your child. If my son is sleepy, feeling bad or just not in the mood, I can tell he’s not going to do well eating out, so we make other arrangements. If we’re in the middle of a meal and I see my son start to rub his eyes, I know we need to ask for the check, because a full-blown tired tantrum may make an appearance. Knowing what signs to look for can help head off a bad ending to an otherwise pleasant meal.

A book making the rounds in parenting circles, “Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting” by Pamela Druckerman, has been touted as must-read observations on the difference between French and American parenting. Evidently the French parenting philosophy results in well-behaved children who sleep through the night and eat well-rounded meals. Reviews say Druckerman observes French parents eating out and having conversations while their children entertain themselves quietly. I haven’t read it yet, but am looking forward to getting a copy to see if there’s anything I can apply to our forays.

Until then, I’ll probably continue to let my son play with menus.

Although not as busy as some families, we had our share of drive-through meals on our way to or returning from classes and events.

My husband and I spent a lot of time juggling our schedules around our children’s activities.

But, guess what? Now that our children have gotten a little older, we’re still juggling schedules. With both of us working and all three kids in school and involved in social activities with friends, we definitely need a plan for our week.

How do you juggle? Have you found a great way to organize and plan?

Share here!

–Linda Lynn

LLynn@opubco.com

Follow me on Twitter @OKNewsResearch

But, Thanksgiving, like other large, family gatherings, means you’re going to have a lot of people — and a lot of exposure to germs.

A survey conducted recently by Clorox offered this insight:

• Before guests arrive, (65%) of those responding always clean the crumbs (visible debris, dirt and dust) and wash guest linens (63%) compared to fifty three percent who disinfect germ hot spots in the bathroom, kitchen and living room. 
• Overall survey responders reported cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting more frequently after guests leave than before they arrive or during their stay. 
• Nearly half of respondents mistakenly believe cleaning with soap and water kills bacteria (47%), and more than a third mistakenly believe it kills cold and flu viruses (39%).

This survey was put forth by a cleaning agent company, so, of course, the message is going to be that you need to disinfect and make your home more germ-free friendly.

But, that’s a good message, especially since you want to help prevent the spread of those little cold sniffles or other illnesses, like the flu.

According to a graphic created by The Clorox Company, some of the germ “hotspots” you might consider wiping down before and during family gatherings include (and I’ve added a few of my own):  

You get the idea. And, yes, I know we should keep our homes clean all the time, but the reality is that sometimes, some of us, let the chores slip a little.

How do you keep your home always company-friendly and clean?

Or, do you have some cleaning tips you’d like to share?

– Linda Lynn

LLynn@opubco.com

You should still be able to enjoy family outings and restaurants and vacations.

What I’ve learned, however, is that you sometimes might have to adjust your lifestyle a bit, depending on your child. In my case, my son has Down Syndrome.

Not all children are alike, and not all Down Syndrome children are alike. But sometimes there are similar traits or conditions that will present themselves in a child.

For instance, when my son was a little younger, he had a dangerous habit of throwing objects across the room. One Easter, my loving and very patient extended family got to witness Easter eggs thrown through the air in my niece’s living room. Thankfully, some even joined in, making it more fun than a distraction.

This throwing habit took a lot of work to correct, and I’m happy to say, it is much safer in our houses now.

He also has never liked loud sounds. We still can’t take him to a movie or he will start crying. He also doesn’t like dark places. So, we can’t yet go to movie theaters as a family. However, what we have done is take turns. Or, this weekend, we saw a movie on the RedHawks Field in Bricktown during a family movie night.

Eating out is also sometimes a challenge. He used to want to knock everything — drinks, food, utensils – off the table. It was as if it were an impulse he had. Now, we make sure to clear all those fancy salt and pepper racks, menus and candles from his area, so he’s not tempted.

Families with children always have to make choices, whether one activity is suitable for their circumstances. But it was important to me to at least try to continue introducing new and regular experiences.

What I’ve also realized is that, due to our family’s special circumstances, we have been able to grow and experience new situations we might have missed otherwise.

– Linda Lynn

LLynn@opubco.com

We call it home, but sometimes we take it for granted.

What could you do to give back to our big blue marble?

- Plant a tree. (or a bush or a seed)

- Walk instead of driving. (or skip, run, dance)

- Ride a bicycle. (or a cow, horse or unicycle)

- Share a commute with a neighbor or co-worker, or take public transportation. (And share good conversation on the way!)

- Volunteer to help clean up your local park or neighborhood. (Start with your own yard.)

- Use reuseable shopping bags, buy less and consider food packaging. Do you really need a separate plastic produce bag for lemons, limes, squash and onions. Go sans plastic bags, since you’re going to wash them anyway. (And use the food you buy. Don’t waste it and let it rot for a couple of weeks in the fridge.)

- Take shorter showers. (Turn water on, turn off, soap up, turn water on and do a quick rinse. Done!)

- Use less pesticides, fertilizers and chemicals around your home. Or stop using  unfriendly products altogether. (You might not have the prettiest lawn in the neighborhood, but you’ll feel safe having your kids play there.)

- Spend the evening watching a sunset — not the TV. (The color reception is so much better.)

- Play outside. (Bouncing balls, Hula-hoops and horseshoes are more Earth-friendly than living room-friendly.)

- Take your children on a nature hike, sharing appreciation of our environment. (Don’t touch the poison ivy!)

Share your Earth-celebrating ideas with The Oklahoman and our readers. You might inspire someone else to follow your example.

–Linda Lynn

LLynn@opubco.com

According to a news release, the fun will begin with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 3 p.m. Friday, during which the company will present a $1,000 check to YWCA of Oklahoma City. And for all us techie parents, at 5 p.m., the store will unveil the new iPad 2. 

Festivities will continue from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the store’s Kids’ Day, with FREE family activities, such as face-painting, a moon bounce, complimentary tacos from Big Truck Tacos (YUM!!) and prize giveaways.

“The focus is around family and getting the children involved,” said Michael Perry, Quail Springs store manager.  

-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com

The Zoo’s Education department is offering a mother’s day out program beginning in February. The program will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nature Explorers Mother’s Day Out Program will run from Feb. 15 to May 26 and is for children ages 3 and 4. (Child must be 3 or 4 on or before September 1, 2010.)

The program will promote interaction skills, self direction, language skills, intellectual growth and environmental awareness.

For more information, including a program handbook, tuition costs and registration forms, go to http://zoofieldtrips.publishpath.com/explorers. 

-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com

Toddler and preschooler programs include a live animal presentation, craft, story time, songs and more. Classes are 10 to 11 a.m. and cost $12 for a child with adult Zoo Friends member, or $15 for child with adult nonmember.  Additional fees apply for siblings. 

Classes are:

Age 2:  Mother Goose, Sept. 2 or 4

Age 3: R is for Rhino, Aug. 19 or 21
S is for Sea Lion, Sept. 16 or 18

Ages 4-5: Flying High, Aug. 28
Billy Goats Gruff, Sept. 25

School’s Out Safari Day Camps

If you would like somewhere fun and educational your child can enjoy during fall break or other fall days off from school, the zoo has you covered.  Classes are for ages 4-12 and meet from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the zoo’s Education Building.  Cost per day is $30 per child, siblings $20 each. Advance registration and payment are required, and spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis.  Snacks will be provided, but children must bring their own lunch. 

Dates are: Sept. 6, 7 and 24 and Oct. 21 and 22.

Family program

An upcoming family program is “Sink Your Teeth into Sharks!” and is Aug. 28 from 2 to 3 p.m. Your family can learn all about the world of sharks.  Adults are free with paid child registration.  Cost per child is $15 for zoo members, $18 for nonmembers.  Program is for children ages 4-12.

Zoo art

Have any little artists in  your family?  Then come join local artist Lance Kelly and learn to draw animals.  Basic drawing concepts are reviewed, followed by live sketching of zoo animals. Class meets in the education building and is $20 per class for one person, $5 for each additional family member.  Classes are for ages 7 and older and meet from 10 to 11:30 a.m.  Class dates and animal topics are:

Sept. 25: Grizzly Bear
Oct. 23: Bison
Nov. 13, Turkey

For more information or to register for any of these programs, go to okczoo.recware.com or call 425-0218.

-Erica Smith

esmith@opubco.com

I  know, I know. It’s the safest form of travel. You can spout off statistics all day long and I still won’t board a plane. Call me crazy. Especially when you hear that I drove, (yes, drove) to Connecticut, which is about 1600 miles from Oklahoma City … with a 4-year-old.  Yep, that’s me, the crazy lady.  

But to be honest, it was amazing.  The drive was long, but my son was terrific on the drive up and back.  Thank goodness for car DVD players! It took us about 2 1/2 days each way and we were able to stop at some fun spots along the way,  such as the Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Mo., and the Ohio State Fair on the way back. The Great American Road Trip. That’s what we were on.

The best part, though, was going home.  Seeing all my family, some dear friends, including a girl I’ve known since I was 5, and even Simba the family cat.  It was a two-week whirlwind.  Trips to museums, the beaches, and of course, New York City.  My son was in heaven when he stepped foot into the largest Toys R Us – the one in Times Square.  He got to meet his heroes, Iron Man and Spider-Man.  It doesn’t get any better than that for a 4-year-old boy.  And the train ride back to Connecticut to boot.  He was in awe. 

Seeing his Gwennie (his grandma) and grandpa, his Uncle Will and great-grandparents was such a treat.  They spoil him and he knows it.  Family friends were calling day and night, wanting to catch a visit with us. With some, we could fit it in, with others, we just couldn’t make it this trip.

Now, I’m back in Oklahoma and find myself missing home. I may sound like Dorothy, but there really is no place like home and no one like family and lifelong friends. I know I won’t be able to wait another 4 years to go back, airplane or not.

-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com