Appropriate age group:
Toddlers

Description:
If you have a large family that includes little ones, the older ones don't want to sit at home, and parents don't want to get stuck with only pizza or burritos for choices. So get them all started early learning about new kinds of food.

Chinese and Italian restaurants are usually quite amenable to large familes, especially during non-peak hours, and the older kids will see it as an adventure in foods. They will be more likely to be adventurous if you start them young. If they're excited about a new food to try, their younger siblings may be as well, and will be more attentive. And, there's always some kind of vegetable soup if nothing else tempts.

Many ethnic restaurants offer family-style dishes, and usually they love to show you attention, if they see that you and your kids are enthusiastic about their culture. They'll certainly tell you which foods have more spice than others, for example.

All this adventuresome stuff rubs off from older family members to younger ones!

Other comments or suggestions:
Okay, there's a picky one in every family. Those poor things are missing out, aren't they? But there's usually always soup or appetizers for most tastes. You might order several a la carte items instead of big meals, and let everyone try new things. Often this is a money-saving scheme. (But don't forget to bring the ubiquitous crackers!)

Just Say No to boring food!