CLARIFICATION TO 10 Month Old and Evening Dinners Out - Still Possible?

Depends. If you want a casual "family" dinner, take him with and be ready for all sorts of things to happen. Sometimes kids are great, sometime not. This can continue for some time (even until they're 7 or 8).
If what you want is a nice, relaxing, date-dinner, or if you're going to a nicer place, get a baby sitter. Also, if you're going to be out past his bed-time. You'll enjoy each other's company a lot more without an unhappy kid. Besides, you and hubby need some time to be sweethearts and lovers, besides just parents.

When you have a baby some of the luxuries you once loved have to shift, they have to. A 10 mos old needs to be in bed early and have a routine for bedtime to really help them out and helps you as well. If you are going to go out and take your son, why don't you put him in a high chair and bring some of his snacks and toys? Are you just hoping he will sleep during the meal? Not likely.

Granted that doesn't mean your life is over, however that is when it is better to hire a sitter, you enjoy your evening out and let you son rest well at home. You cannot expect a 10 mos old to be happy and be out during a grown up meal.

In toddlerhood it can be even more overwhelming as they have opinions and aren't afraid to express them at that age no matter where you are. Find a good sitter, get your child used to them and leave him at home if you are going to be out later then 7pm, that is only fair to him and you will enjoy the downtime away too. You need that yourself.
If you don't have family or friends close by to sit for you try Care.com or seekingsitters.com

I have eaten out with my kids at all ages, sometimes everyone has a good time, and sometimes not. A few ideas: go out to eat early in the evening, there will be fewer patrons and you will get faster service, plus the "early birds" will all be kind and adore your baby, take crackers or baby food of some kind with you, take his favorite snack, no one will mind that you brought in outside food since it is for a baby, take some fun (but not loud) toys for your baby to play with, hold him on your lap and play with him until the food gets to your table, if your baby is a little fussy, sometimes a walk around outside the restaraunt or even a walk to the bahtroom and back will calm him down, and have an exit strategy in place in case your baby crys and you have to leave, decide beforehand who will take the baby out and who will stay to get he bill. Good luck, and have fun!

Actually now would be a great time to get the baby used to sitting in a high chair and eating together. At 10 months a baby can sit and eat while you eat. I just bring toys and snacks for before the meal and play with my babies while we wait. Then when the meal gets there out the baby in the high chair and give hime some dinner. After he is through you can sqeeze in more you time by letting him out of the high chair to cruise the booth, or offer a cookie, my kids will always stay paitient a little longer while eating a treat. The sooner you get the baby used to dining out with you the better.

I take my son everywhere, but he's been walking since 9 months old, so he's been eating with us since about then because he never slept the whole way through like I hoped or planned. So, if you take him now, it should be before bedtime. I think it's good to get a sitter too, because it's actually good for both of you.

When we take our son out to eat, I take my table mat (so he can just eat off it like a plate and wash it at home), my toddler seat to attach to a chair because it has the straps that keep him in and I don't have to keep telling him to sit down and stressing me out the whole time, and any other food he may eat that I can't order or to pass him by until the order comes, including his sippie cup (because he doesn't drink out of a bottle anymore - yea). It's actually fun!

Yep, say goodbye to sleeping anywhere. *sigh*

Just as you don't appreciate having your routine of going out to dinner changed, he doesn't particularly like having his quiet, peaceful sleep interrupted twice a week for your dinners. Its the THREE of you now. And since it all 'bout him for the first couple years you will need to curtail your activities to suit his schedule.
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Nothing frosts me more than parents who put their needs for entertainment about the health of their child. (and this really is more when I run across parents of tiny children running though Wal-Mart at 10pm, but its sorta applies here too) Getting a restful nights sleep in a stable, peaceful place is top of the list for maintaining growth and health for children. Having a toddler who is squirmy and unhappy out to dinner, shopping, insert entertainment of choice, well past his bedtime makes no-one happy.
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Find a babysitter, pay them well, and enjoy dinner out once a week. Develop a nice stable of recipes for the other nights of the week. OR, order in. GL!

Just make sure you have plenty of snacks and toys to keep your little one busy before the real food arrives. Pick restaurants with fast service and places that have lots of neat stuff for your little one to look at. Bring your own food for your child or pick restaurants that have thing sthat you can share.

Regarding taking children to restaurants, I had one child with whom we had to stop going to restaurants for three years because the prospect of her trying to sit in the high chair without being difficult was just impossible, but I had other children whom we could safely take out in public. You'll have to wing it. There were definitely times when we had to leave by the time the food came (because the child threw a fit; and so that we didn't bother everybody around us). The hot food was put into to-go boxes without us having taken a bite!

LOL... oh the days of leisurly dinners, especially on the late side are over my friend. I am lucky enough to have inlaws close by who take our little one at least 1/month for date nite. However, my husband and I started going out to dinner on Saturday around 4:30 or late breakfasts on Sunday. One,the restraunts are less crowded and two, you can get your little one home for bed.

I do want to suggest to continue to take him out to eat. That is how they learn good public behavior. Repitition and consistancy. (forgive my spelling) You will need to adjust your personal desires though. Pushing him past his limits especially in the evening will only create misery for you and fellow diners. Trust me on that one!!!!

You can try strollers, but for both my boys, once they were woken up, they were a part of the party and didn't fall asleep until back in the car. We usually take a small bag of quiet things for our boys. I'll be looking for other suggestions, though, as we're soon approaching this stage again with our daughter. GL!

Personally, I think a date night out with just Mom and Dad is a fabulous option at this point, if you can find a sitter you trust! It's so important to make time for you as a couple, and does not happen easily with kids unless you plan it! Just a thought.

There is a stroller out there (I think its called Sit N Stroll or something like that. It is a carseat in the car but instead of taking him out and putting in a stroller, it turns into a stroller and then when you get into the restaurant, you can turn it from the stroller into a carseat that you can put on a chair at the table. If I remember they are kinda pricy but it is an option. I am looking at a website now and its showing $249.00. I dont know the exact website but you can google sit n stroll and go from there.