Going out to eat with children is not for the weak. There needs to be a game plan. There need to be coloring books and quiet toys and knowing exactly what you’re going to order before you even get in the car. There is no messing around when it comes to a successful meal out with young kids.
This is mostly because American restaurants (and everyone else) do little to accommodate kids. Unless you’re heading to Chuck E. Cheese’s or an indoor play cafe, the most parents get is a color sheet with three crayons (that always fall under the table).
The same cannot be said for restaurants in other places around the world like Bali where content creator, expert traveler, and mom, Kailah, currently lives with her husband and two daughters. The family, who are on an extended trip around the world, are spending three full months on the Indonesian island.
Kailah revealed that many Bali restaurants go all out when it comes to accommodating kids.
“PSA: We need this in America — children’s playing areas are inside restaurants everywhere in Bali,” Kailah wrote in text overlay on her now-viral video.
The clip shows Kailah dining out in Bali with her husband. Next to their table, there is a huge playroom, filled with toys and games for children. Parents can easily supervise through the glass viewing window. Yes, glass!
“Enjoying adult conversation before the meal comes out?! 😱 Kids eating their food without you reminding them 200x bc they just want to get back to playing?! 🤗 It’s a whole new world over here and we’re loving it. 🙌🏼,” she wrote in the caption.
There have been endless viral videos focused around the subject of restaurants and kids whether it be their behavior or if their presence should even be tolerated. While I believe that kids have a right to this world just as much as the rest of us, there is something to be said about third places, like restaurants, not providing the kind of experience that families need.
Parents are set up to either spend an hour out in public wrangling kids, getting judged for giving them a tablet, or they have to shell out $100 to a babysitter.
In places like Bali, putting in the thought to accommodate families with kids puts an end to that double-edged sword.
After Kailah’s video went viral, several TikTok users commented on the clip, sharing their misery of being American.
“They are literally getting rid of all the playgrounds. Cfa, McDonald’s, etc it’s so saaad,” one user said.
“Yes!! Why do I have to get a babysitter to grab lunch or dinner with a friend??” another asked.
“This used to be a thing in the 90s! Not just with fast food but at sit-down restaurants, it’s totally died out in the US,” one user noted.
Other TikTok followers shared other countries they live in or have visited that also include playrooms in their restaurants.
“This also was true when we visited Dominican Republic,” one user said.
One user said, “In Brazil it’s the same! It’s sooo good. Wish it was the same here”
Another said, “That’s hilarious! I just posted about this in Spain 🥰👏”
The OP replied, “We loved Spain! We spent a month in Nerja and it was super kid friendly 🙌🏼”
Several users pointed out that something like this might not work in America due to safety issues, parents not “parenting,” and people generally taking advantage of a nice thing. This is just another example of America totally dropping the ball when it comes to something that could be so good.
