As soon as independence begins to assert itself, parents have a choice to make. When it comes to food, there should be no negotiation. Children should eat what they are given. If you begin bargaining over what can or cannot be eaten, or resort to bribery to get healthy greens eaten, the slippery slope is encouraging your children to turn every meal into a battleground. While this is less of a problem at home, the moment you get into a public eating area, this empowers the children. They know you don’t get to shout at them. All punishments are in the future. So they get to play up. To reduce the problems, ask the company supplying your cheap car rental whether there are food guides for traveling with toddlers and young children in that area. If none are available, do your internet research before you set off. It’s fatal to assume diners will be child-friendly.
You should be looking for places that allow families to eat together, and have the furniture to make this possible. You also want small portions of nutritious food. For future reference, if children get too used to eating large portions from the early years, this becomes a very difficult habit break should they become overweight. If you find other children eating calmly, this is a great boost because it generates peer pressure for your picky eaters to eat their food quietly.
Some young children want to start feeding themselves early. If you know they will be on public display, give them plenty of practice before you set off. That way, when it comes to wielding the implements in a diner, they will be less frustrated. Use your common sense as to when to offer help. At all times, listen to what your children are actually saying or trying to say. This will head off potential disputes.
With these tips in mind, get confidently into the cheap car rental and drive off on the road trip of a lifetime. Played properly, these will be memories to treasure.