One I sometimes see I wish parents would do better with: Letting the very young child decide on the spot what they want while the server waits.
I understand kids need to learn social things and learn to order.
But it seems I sometimes see families order, and when it gets to the 4-year-old, and with no prep before, the question asked is, "Oliver, what would you like? And the server is forced to patiently wait there while the kid decides.
Work it out with Oliver before the server gets there and let him tell the server and maybe help him along but don't make the server wait there for the child to decide.
Basically, it's about being respectful to the server.
The adult that doesn’t know what they want is much worse than Oliver.
Absolutely, the waiter shouldn’t need to come back to the table multiple times due to indecision.
Sit down, and immediately peruse the drink and food menus. Make a plan, with a back up if your first choice doesn’t work, or an off-menu variable like specials is introduced.
Better yet, check out the menu before you’re seated.
Then order everything at once. The whole process should take no longer than 5 minutes.
Attentive waitstaff will have plenty of opportunities to prove their mettle during the meal. And you’ve just reduced potential interruptions, while you and your dining partners enjoy each others’ company, as stuff is being prepared.