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Dining Out With Kids is In! More Families Eat Out in August Than Any Other Month!
National Survey Serves Up Kids' Views on Eating Out; Parenting Expert Dr. Mike Riera Offers a Menu of Tips on Making the Experience Memorable
ATLANTA -- Families will eat out more often in August than any other month of the year, but arguments about where to go, when to go and what to order
can sometimes make the experience more of a food fight than a fun, family night out. However, for parents who are trying to make it work, there's
good news - according to a recent national survey, kids not only enjoy eating out, but being with their family is their favorite part of the dining
experience.
The survey of 6-17 year olds conducted by KRC Research found that families are eating out together often. More than eight out of ten children and
teens (87 percent) eat out with their families once a month or more, and nearly half (44 percent) eat out with the family at least once a week.
According to parenting expert Dr. Mike Riera, eating meals together is important to good communication, but eating meals out has added benefits.
"Spending time together out as a family is an important way to build relationships and get to know your kids," said Riera. "Children and teens
will be more willing to open up and talk without the distractions of the telephone, computer or television. Dining out is a simple way for the
family to relax and be together, because the kids can't rush away from the table like they could at home and no one has to do the dishes."
As a parent himself, Riera created a list of tips that he uses when dining out with his own family, such as choosing family-friendly restaurants that
offer children's menus for younger kids, taking advantage of the opportunity dining out offers for teaching manners and social skills and remembering
timing so that children's attention spans aren't exhausted just waiting to be seated.
Their Favorite Place
The survey also discovered that kids are getting a voice in choosing the restaurant, as 46 percent of those surveyed reported that they choose the
restaurant together with their parents. When they do choose, the top restaurant choice is a family-style restaurant (26 percent), followed by
fast-food restaurants (22 percent).
The Family Experience
As kids get older it is harder to find time to spend together as a family, but 41 percent of kids surveyed said that being with their family is the
number one reason they enjoy going out to dinner, which is more than double the next most popular choice, trying new foods (18 percent). Children and
teens also say that their dining occasions tend to center around fun or special occasions, including going out just for fun (84 percent), birthday
celebrations (77 percent) and holidays (62 percent).
Making the Experience Better
More than three-quarters of children and teens report that bringing a friend (84 percent) or family member (80 percent) would make the evening more fun
for them. Other top choices to improve their dining experience include ordering whatever they want and getting dessert.
Family Dining Resource
For busy parents who want to make their families' restaurant experiences more enjoyable, a new Web site, familydiner.com, contains additional tips
from Riera, national survey results and links to local restaurant information.
About the Survey
The kids dining survey was commissioned in July 2003 to determine kids preferences on dining out with their family. The survey, conducted by KRC
Research, polled a representative sample of 500 kids ages 6 to 17 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percent.
Copyright © 2003 FamilyDiner.com, a new Family Dining site sponsored by Coca-Cola and the National Restaurant Association. Reprinted with permission.
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