My mom (a teacher) always had a baggie of coins that she would give to is kids and she would have us stack them in 5s or 10s, or give us math problems to solve using the coins. She always had some interesting ways of distracting/educating us while out for dinner. Also crayons and paper to doodle on. Then again she used everything as a teaching moment for us. Whether it was long conversations in the car or map reading for distances to the next exit or rest stop. Looking back I really appreciate all those skills that most of my contemporaries don’t have. Yeah! Those kids grew up to be the parents of the kids blasting Peppa Pig in the local Chinese takeaway. They’re the problem here the kid wasn’t taught better.
I don’t go out to eat with my family anymore if my uncle is bringing his kid for this reason. The guy is such a lazy fuck that his son has a phone or tablet in his face the entire time, watching cartoons at full volume. At no point does my uncle talk to the kid unless he’s asking about food. For myself, it is not the noise or the kid that bothers me. It’s their parents who rely on that stuff to entertain precious Jaxxtyn and Nevaeh instead of interacting with them. Bring a coloring book and some crayons, talk to them. Some simple table manners and respect for others are more work, but your kids will be less shitty because of it.