Today I read an article on “Shine from Yahoo” about a restaurant that gave a “Well Behaved Kid Discount”: http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/restaurant-gives-family-discount-having-well-behaved-kids-192500505.html. I was very impressed that a restaurant did this, and yet I know some very well behaved kids myself whose parents should have been receiving this discount for years.
My great nephew Lukas and great niece Nicole are amazing kids. Their parents can be a bit strict, but the pay off is huge! Every moment I’ve spent with their children, I have found pleasant. Every time I’ve taken them to a restaurant has been a dream come true:
- They do not whine about the wait
- They read the menu and make good selections
- They entertain themselves while waiting for the meal
- They talk with me about life and school
- They gladly take home any leftovers
- They never talk bad about anyone in the restaurant or any food they didn’t really like
- They always say “please” and “thank you” throughout the adventure
There was one interesting time eating with Lukas (about five-years old) that I will never forget. All of the above was true, but there was a twist. Before taking him to a late lunch, we had spent the morning at “Ag Days” which used to come to a local mall. There were farm animals to pet, all of the details about dairy cows and chickens, tables explaining gardening and canning, samples of locally grown foods, and much more.
After our festive morning, I took him to eat at the local Big Boy on his way home. After ordering burgers, we talked about what we’d seen in the morning and some of the take aways he was given (the people had been super nice to him and made it fun). Then, our food came. You know, cow meat. But he’d just pet a cow and her baby. He took one look at that sandwich and asked me where the meat on it came from. I told him the truth. He laid the patty aside and put it under a napkin.
Lukas ate all the rest of his meal that day, minus the patty. He never complained or asked for a different meal. He just ate what remained on his plate – a cheese sandwich with fries. I don’t believe he’s taken issue with meat since, but I will never forget his gentle manners that sunny afternoon when he was sad to learn about where our meat comes from and what it looks like before the meal.
Morale of the Story: My great niece and nephew are awesome, and their parents have given this world two beautiful, irreplaceable gifts I count as blessings daily. Talk about well behaved kids? I can do it all day long.
Humor Happens 