Turn Waiting Times at Restaurants into 'Fun Time'! A Magical Quiz to Keep Kids from Getting Restless

Have you ever felt self-conscious when your children get bored and start making a scene during long waits at restaurants?

My family used to get exhausted from these outings too.
However, I found a way to turn this time into a little bit of fun for the whole family.

1. Long waiting times and children reaching their limits

My family occasionally goes out to eat (at places like Hama-sushi or Saizeriya).

When I have trouble at work on a weekday and think, 'Oh no, I might not be able to cook dinner tonight,' we end up going out on short notice. Since we don't have a reservation, waiting is unavoidable.

The kids can sit quietly for a while, but once the wait gets a bit long, they inevitably reach their limit.

My elementary school-aged son, Koneko-kun, and my middle school-aged daughter, Nene-neko.
Even though there is an age gap, I feel their lack of patience for boredom is exactly the same.
※Nene-neko looks like she wants to play on her phone, but we have a rule against using phones when the family is together.

2. A magical quiz to blow away boredom

At times like that, they always beg me, 'Dad, give us a quiz.'

The themes for the questions come from anime or movies we've watched together, books I've borrowed from the library,
and things we've listened to together on Amazon Audible.
※In our house, I take on the role of regularly borrowing books from the library to help the children get familiar with reading.

Because of that, we cover things like Kaiketsu Zorori, Zukkoke Sannin-gumi, Oshiri Tantei, as well as Hanakappa, Doraemon, Dragon Ball, One Piece, and Ghibli movies.

Reading children's books with the kids...

At first, I watched them read alone, thinking I could get some housework done during that time.

However, seeing my daughter Nene-neko reading Kaiketsu Zorori so earnestly and happily when she was in preschool made me think that reading the same books might make for fun conversations, so from then on, I started reading with them as much as possible.

From picture books to children's books, novels, and anime, this quiz works precisely because I share the same stories as my children.

'Dad, let's do a quiz. Give us a Dragon Ball question today.'
Koneko-kun said with his eyes sparkling.

'Hmm. Alright. Just one question, okay?' I asked the question in a low voice so as not to bother the people around us.

'Oolong made a wish to Shenron (the dragon who grants wishes). What did he say?'

3. The heated battle between siblings and Mom's spot-on retort

Then, the middle school girl and the elementary school boy raised their hands as if competing.

'Okay, Nene-neko.'
When I called on her, my daughter Nene-neko answered confidently and in a slightly loud voice.

'Give me a pair of panties!'

Immediately, the mother cat, who had been watching with a smile, chimed in.

“Big sister! Keep your voice down. Goodness,
what kind of middle school girl talks that loudly?”

The big sister cat smiles triumphantly.
“Hehe, Dad, that was too easy. You can make it a bit harder.”

“Alright then, Master Roshi lost his Bansho Fan. Why was that?” (The original source for the early parts of Dragon Ball is Journey to the West, you know.)

When I asked the next question, the two of them answered in unison.

“Because he used it as a trivet, got it dirty, and threw it away!!!”

The mother cat, hearing this, was surprised.
“Oh, really? That’s terrible.”

“Dad, ask one from Zorori next!!”
Urged on by the two who were now fully energized, I racked my brain.

“Hmm. Okay, then, when a meteorite was approaching, how did Zorori save the Earth?”

Both of them raised their hands vigorously, saying, “Me, me, me!”
“Alright, Kitten-kun.”

“He ate a baked sweet potato and moved the Earth with his farts!!!”

A perfect answer.
※The big sister looks frustrated😹 I knew that one she mutters.

However, Kitten-kun’s voice had also gotten loud.
“Shh, Kitten-kun, your voice is too loud too”
The mother cat chided them while laughing in disbelief.

“Honestly... but our family is peaceful, isn't it?”

※The story about saving the Earth with sweet potatoes is here lol

4. It’s tough, but it’s a precious, healing time that you can only experience now

It’s hard to keep coming up with questions when they keep begging for more, but the look on the children’s faces when I’m asking them is full of excitement, and for me, it’s a very healing time.

Reading books with the kids, or sharing the ups and downs of the same story. I wonder how long these moments of innocently having fun with quizzes will last.

A middle schooler and an elementary schooler. We might only have a little time left to share experiences like this. When I think about that, even this noisy, difficult waiting time feels very precious and dear.

【Father Cat’s Comment】
Thanks to the kids being obsessed with books, Audible, and anime, I’ve gained more ways to communicate as a parent.

Going to the library and watching anime together takes a bit of effort, but in moments like this, I truly feel, 'I'm glad I enjoyed it with them.'
I recommend it😺

How does your family spend your little bits of waiting time?

* I thought the collaborative magazine event hosted by Maki-san, Murakumo-san, and Ken-san looked like so much fun, so I decided to join the collaborative magazine. I look forward to working with you all!

* I remember my children being so surprised when Penguin Village appeared in Dragon Ball. For that reason, I recommend having them watch a little bit of Dr. Slump on Prime beforehand.

It gets lonely when there's no reaction and I feel like I might stop writing, so I would be happy if you could press the 'Like' button instead of saying 'I read this'.