Writings by me

Oh, coffee shops, let me count the ways. Going to coffee shops has always been a favourite pastime of mine; visiting them as a child with my Nanna was a key highlight of any trip to Windsor and when I got my first job, a LOT of my wages propped up the local coffee shop while I would kill time between buses.   

For me, the humble coffee shop and a successful visit to one with kids is the Holy Grail of parenting. The successful coffee shop visit is as integral to my happiness as a parent as regular screen time for the kids. So on Monday morning, to celebrate the joyous reopening of these hallowed places, my youngest and I headed straight to Coffee One, grabbed the window seat, nabbed a coffee and several welsh cakes and set up camp with cars and colouring in sheets for entertainment. What a time to be alive!

Now I know for many parents, the coffee shop visit with kids is thought of on a sliding scale from mild apprehension to intense fear and total avoidance. However when you nail the perfect visit, everybody wins and all that trial and error was totally worth it. Here’s what makes a successful coffee shop jaunt, kiddie-style:

1. Choosing the right place – think size, space and baked goods offer. You do not want to have to squeeze a buggy through tight spaces nor find there are no gingerbread men despite promising/bribing your kids with one. This one will take a lot of research, but if you’re anything like me I’m sure you’re more than up to it.
2. Toilets – this is a big one. A coffee shop with an easily accessible toilet is like gold dust and ideally the toilet situation should be sussed out before setting up base camp.
3. Play area/entertainment – a kids’ section or play area is the absolute pinnacle of a successful coffee shop visit but failing that, there is a reason why you have so many toy cars and colouring books.
4. Timing is everything – best times to go are first thing in the morning or just after lunch. Finding that window seat with space for colouring and cars is much more likely to happen at these times, so go, go, go.
5. Leave the ‘I’m-enjoying-something-which-isn’t-traditionally-kid-friendly,’ guilt at the door and enjoy that coffee while your little one is happy. Once you find the coffee shop that fits every requirement, commit, commit, commit. Those stamp cards will not fill themselves.