If you and your partner have decided to venture out to a restaurant with your baby for the first time, you might want to memorise these tips to ensure that you all enjoy this excursion.

Check that the restaurant has highchairs

First and foremost, you should call the restaurant you'd like to dine at and ask if they provide highchairs to customers who have babies. Making this phone call is important, as whilst a lot of restaurants have highchairs, some do not. If you were to go to the restaurant without enquiring about this and it turned out that the restaurant you chose didn't have this item, you could and your partner might have to spend the meal taking it in turns to hold your baby in your arms, whilst simultaneously trying to eat your meals and feed your infant.

This would be tiring and stressful and would probably result in at least some of your food being spilt onto your clothes. Conversely, if you have access to a highchair in which your baby can safely sit without having to be constantly held or monitored, you should all have a much more enjoyable time at the restaurant.

Sit near the restaurant's exit

If the restaurant isn't too busy and you find yourselves with a variety of tables to choose from, you should try to pick one that is near the exit. The reason for this is as follows; even if your baby rarely kicks up a fuss, they may still end up having a crying or screaming fit when you're having your meal if they get tired, are irritated by the noisiness of the environment they're in or are fed some type of food that they don't like.

Having to calm your baby down whilst you're sitting in a restaurant, surrounded by other customers who will be observing and listening to this scene (and who might not be very understanding and may even get cross with you) could turn this day out into an ordeal, rather than a fun experience.

If however, you or your partner are able to quickly pop outside with your baby whenever starts to get upset, without having to traverse the entire restaurant whilst they wail in your arms, you should not only be able to calm them down quicker (and therefore get back to enjoying your meal faster) but should also have easy access to the essential things in your parental bag-of-tricks that you know will soothe your infant. This is also a discreet option if you feel too embarrassed to do soothe your baby inside the restaurant whilst others are watching you (such as singing your baby a lullaby or a reciting a nursery rhyme in a silly voice).