Pick the right restaurant. Choose a child-friendly restaurant, preferably one that is casual and loud enough to absorb any noise your family may generate. Make a reservation if possible. If you're new to eating out with kids, consider working your way gradually up the food chain by practicing good behavior in a basic burger joint, where manners matter less to those around you. Set some ground rules, and enforce them at home.
Young children are creatures of habit.
If you establish realistic, age-appropriate guidelines at home, you're more likely to see your child following the rules when dining out. Treat eating out as a reward. To motivate your child to maintain some decorum in public, make eating out a special event where good behavior is not only expected but required. Order kid-friendly food. This is not the time to spring something new on your child.