Adam and I were told countless times how much our lives would change once we had a child. We were ready to sacrifice dinner dates and movie theatres; we packed in a lot of what we wanted to do before Fritz arrived in January of 2018.
Then we held our breath waiting for our life to flip upside down. A funny thing happened, we kept on living life very similar to the one we had before baby. We took Fritz out to dinner dates with us, he came on trips, and he visits a brewery pretty much every weekend. The baby loves happy hour. We have nicknamed him “Baby of the People” and call him “Mayor Baby” because he loves to observe, wave and chat. We love taking him out and about as much as he loves joining us.
Date nights are great, every couple needs them, but they aren’t something we do every weekend. It is important to Adam and me that Fritz gets used to being out, meeting new people, and to trying new things. We make sure to do appropriate child activities with him as well, like going to the Spark or the Library. This last weekend we took him to the bubble party and doggie dash at Rochesterfest, and he loved it. It is experiencing these outings as a family, no matter where they are that make our life more vibrant. We get to see the world through his eyes and hope that he is learning about the world by taking part in things that we love. It might seem unconventional, but it is what works for us!
Taking Fritz out to share in activities with us reminds me not to take myself so seriously. Fritz reminds me to wave at a stranger. That a smile can cure some of the darkest days and that making new friends shouldn’t be daunting or scary. He isn’t afraid to walk up to a group of kids and start playing, he loves offering people a bit of his food or a sip of his water, and the child has never met a dog he didn’t want to pet. His pure childlike spirit is something I had forgotten in myself, and he has helped me discover that side again by simply letting him live in our world.
I know this won’t work for everyone and isn’t the way most people parent. It also is not lost on me that we are fortunate enough to eat out weekly and travel. Taking Fritz to places that aren’t labeled as places for children is at much for him as it is for us, and we are incredibly thankful for that. It hasn’t always been a comfortable balance because we also want to maintain a schedule for Fritz! It usually looks something like this, he is in bed by 8:00 PM and up by 7:30 AM. He naps from 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM and eats dinner at 5:00 PM nearly every night.
I’ll share some of my favorite spots below, but before my wish is that before you judge the mom with the screaming toddler on your next flight, the family with the baby in a brewery, or the maniac munchkins in your local Target, show that mom some kindness. Taking a toddler out of the house isn’t always easy, and maybe that mom hasn’t been outside in days. She has probably been knee-deep in laundry and conference calls, perhaps taking her baby out to dinner was as much for her mental health as it was for a glass of wine.
Here are some of our favorite non-kid places to take Fritz:
- Little Thistle Brewery: Especially in the summer there are a ton of kids running around on the patio outside. There are dogs to pet and Fritz is very content sitting in his stroller and people watching.
- Uncle John’s Bar: The best Friday Fish Fry. It is all you can eat so Fritz and I share a plate.
- Five West: It isn’t super quiet, so we don’t feel like we stick out with a child during dinner. Fritz loves their food!
- Pappy’s: Fritz loves the potato salad here and the people watching! Adam and I love it too, it is super family-friendly!
- Thursday’s Downtown: This is the best of both worlds and a great summer activity for the whole family. Adam and I grab a beer and walk around with Fritz. He loves music and food.
