I actually made it out to one more cafe prior to The Dude’s arrival. It’s an old favourite of mine – with lots of good memories meeting uni friends here for a catch up over coffee and their awesome breakfast. If you’re a fan of eating breakfast out (in an environment which is toddler friendly) then you should definitely stop by Black Pepper Cafe in Belconnen.
Located across the road from Belconnen Lake – this cafe is pram friendly (they also have a few high chairs) and is the perfect spring/summer location, as your toddler can burn off some energy either prior to or post lunch over on the grass by the lake.
We popped in for one of my favourite breakfasts in Canberra the Master Tom’s (poached eggs, asparagus, charred capsicum, pumpkin and olive roesti, basil pesto, toasted sourdough $16.50). I think this breakfast is delicious.
But also a great option for eating out with a toddler as it contains a lot of items that a toddler will generally eat (think toast and poached eggs), whilst having some items that a toddler will generally avoid (think asparagus and pumpkin and olive roesti) which allows Mummy to enjoy something without having it eaten off her plate.
This is great for younger children who won’t necessarily eat a whole children’s meal.
As always, I have a snack or a toy to amuse my toddler whilst we wait for drinks. I often find that if you order your toddler a drink first (when you order your coffee) this will give you the opportunity to enjoy your coffee in peace whilst you look over the menu. I like that they use professional brewing equipment similar to that we used to have in the office. It was one of those local brewing machine rentals that helped people create a friendlier workplace atmosphere. I really enjoyed my morning coffee and a chat with collegues.
We are at the point where Mr Moo will take a nap straight after lunch, so I often find that I need to be on my way home by 12:30/1ish – and he will normally fall asleep in the car on the way home. This is good for me because Mr Moo transfers easily from the car to the cot and remains asleep. If your toddler isn’t a child who easily transfers from the car to the cot this will need to be taken into consideration when you’re out.
It’s great to have a ‘flexible’ child, but we need to remember that toddlers really do need routine. I know that I will have a terrible afternoon/evening if Mr Moo doesn’t get a decent afternoon nap, so I plan to do my activities in the morning and be home (generally) for nap time.
If your child is a morning napper then try and head out for a later lunch. If you work with rather then against your toddler then you are going to have a much happier time eating out with them. If you want to see reviews of another different products you can visit www.top9rated.com to find excellent reviews about different categories.
