Zeno's Bar & Grill

Pull up a chair and pop open a Pacifico. It's time for Thirsty Thursday. Join us if you want, invite a friend, and/or come back next week when we'll have a new Special.

Piece of parenting advice you wish you’d been given sooner?

Melanie: It’s okay to hire a babysitter. I think we went for about four years without going out more than once or twice until we figured this one out.

Kelly: This advice is really something that I wish I had taken to heart sooner. “You are the mother that you are, and that’s all your child will know.” A nurse at Cal Pacific used to always tell us overachieving new moms that at our baby class. I think I’m just now starting to really live it.

Piece of parenting idealism you’ve given up?

Melanie: The idea that my kids will always look neat and perfect in outfits that coordinate with their shoes (Come to think of it, I guess I’ve given up on that for myself as well!)

Kelly: That I need to entertain/educate the kids 24/7. I’ve now embraced the idea that it’s OK to tell the kids to go play by themselves and probably better for them as well.

Name one thing you do that you used to curse other parents for before you had kids.

Melanie: Letting my kids yell in public places. Sometimes you just have to weather the storm, because if you give in to the screams you’re a goner forever. My kids have almost learned that there is nothing to gain by yelling, so fortunately for me (and everyone else in town) there’s not so much yelling these days.

Kelly: Taking them to restaurants not exactly appropriate for children. After getting tired of eating at pseudo-fifties diners, I decided if it has a high chair then it’s child friendly!