Family briefs: Restaurant tantrum; giving thanks

Get tough when eating outYour 5-year-old behaves terribly in restaurants. What should you do?

Next time your child acts up at, say, her favorite pizza joint, view it as an opportunity to "shock and awe" her into proper behavior, says child psychologist Richard Bromfield, author of "How to Unspoil Your Child Fast" (Sourcebooks, $15).

Immediately get up and leave the restaurant with her, head home and stay there. Do not take the pizza home with you.

Don't stay at the restaurant for the sake of siblings or friends with you.

"Different children need different parenting at different times, even within one family," he says. "Strong parenting knows this -- and the kids who are innocent bystanders will survive and understand it, too."

Pay your bill, and don't look back.

"$20 is nothing compared to what therapy costs," Bromfield says.

"Strong and unspoiling parenting can often help children who are innately impulsive and will learn to control themselves better -- in restaurants and everywhere else," he says.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Make the holiday extra-specialThanksgiving is about more than roasting the perfect turkey and watching football on TV. Here are ways your family and guests can step back and reflect on the true meaning of Thanksgiving:

Write it down. Have everyone write down something they appreciate about their lives or each other. Put them in a container and read each one aloud before dinner. The writers can be announced or remain anonymous.

Share photos. Thanksgiving is about gathering loved ones and spending time together. When you invite your guests for dinner, ask them to bring along old photos of fond memories and good times shared with other guests. Looking back on these old photos will remind everyone of how thankful they are to have one another in their lives.