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The restaurant, movie, management should speak up and ask the parents to control the brat or brats. Children do not belong where they do not behave, they are not cute or just being boys. When I had a store I quit selling children's things because the parents would just let the little darlings go play in the children's section and make a mess and the parents would leave it there.
My perfect daughter[not] decided to have a tantrum at breakfast in a nice little restaurant, we left immediately with money on the table for the meal and an apology to the patrons.
My friends and family used to like to go to Golden Corral but children have spoiled it for us. The management overlooks the brats getting in the food on the lines, running all over the place, yelling and screaming. They do have signs posted telling parents that children under 12 are not allowed unattended at the buffet line. If you can't read don't breed. I am sick of bad parenting and unruly kids and restaurants and movies [which I do not go to} that do not speak up. Pet peeves, people that can't control thier kids, people that can't afford to have kids and people that expect others to support them.
In a lot of restaruants in Florida you can now have your dog with you if you are dining outside, give me dogs anytime.
The true words of someone that has not yet experienced parenting!
Sometimes my kids act up in public. You think I want them to? Not a chance. I cringe and hate when they act like that. But guess what.... they are children so it's bound to happen from time to time.
News flash - you acted up as a child in public too! Guaranteed. You are just too old to remember. Cut the parents some slack. Stop focusing on it and focus on your own night out. If it's that much of a bother just ask for a new table and move on with your life. If you haven't been a parent you have no clue how hard it can be sometimes to get kids to behave in public despite a parent's best efforts! They are kids, it happens. Some day when you have kids it will happen with yours. Treat those people how you want to be treated later on when it happens to you.
What a meany you are!
Yes, kids will act up in public and I have no problem with the occasional outburst because my kids did that too. What ISN'T ok is when the parents do NOTHING to stop the outburst or remove the child from the restaurant or where ever. NO ONE wants to listen to a screaming kid or have a kid running laps in the restaurant while they are eating. Yes, kids will do those things but that doesn't mean they SHOULD. If your child isn't behaving in public despite your best efforts you take them home, plain and simple.
Management should reimburse patrons for thier meal if they do not take steps to remove the children from the premises. I have asked management to talk to parents about thier children and when the child continually misbehaves I have asked for reimbursement of my meal. I go out to relax and its part of what I pay for.
I would be happy to find a restaurant that does not let children in. Better yet have the parents reimburse other patrons for thier meal.
I agree, if parents were made to once again be responsible for their kids, perhaps bad parenting and excuses for bad parenting or simply not wanting to deal with dicipline would become extinct! Bravo Couldn't agree more!!!!
So since we're on the topic- what, then, should we do to parents of austistic children? Chain 'em and up and leave them at home? I hope for everyone one of you who were so quick to dismiss those parents as 'bad parents' will keep this in the back of your mind the next time you see a child 'act up' in public.
Some autistic children scream (piercing screams), have temper tantrums, grunt or just plain act uncooperative at times. That happens. That's life. It's not to say that parents shouldn't step in and discipline their kids (in general). But what I don't like is when we see a snap shot of a family's life and not realize there's more to what we are looking at.
I'm definitely not referring to situations of a parent having a beer while their kids are having the run of the restaurant (that's what Chucky Cheese is for -minus the alcohol). But will anyone here actually admit to having been the perfect child growing up? Are your children perfect? I don't have any but I am willing to see things from another perspective.
WOW WOW WOW WOW. I am surprised that the posters who were "perfect children as kids" s dont ask the parents themselves to pay for their meal. And before they say it, I will "You probably would have."
Look, I am not condoning bad behavior, in fact I dont like it myself. But come on, have we become so ticked off by the children (0-18 years)..that we dont have ANY sort of human feelings anymore?
Perhaps that is why children dont even mind parents anymore..the parents are sick of the kids, the kids grow up thinking that parents dont like them.
I have to say, either I have picked great places to eat, because some of the horror stories that I am reading leave me flabbergasted to say the least.
Honestly, if you are that disgusted with the restaurant, get up and leave period, Pick a restaurant that suits your needs and taste palette that night and if you do see a child, dont assume the worst.
And are you serious (For the buffet 12.99 all you can eat lovers)...kids arent suppose to eat there? Honestly, I was taking this thread from a mature level and thinking that the orginal poster was at a nice 5 star dining establishment.
But it appears that the majority of the posters are talking about chain restaurants or the like..and the buffets of course (which we dont do because I have no idea whats in the food)--all of which are NOTORIOUS FOR families.
And to to all the parents and future parents (myself included)..we all grated on OTHER PEOPLES nerves when we were kids..even if our own parents disciplined us--I am sure that there were people many times in our lives that stared at us, but we just didnt know it.
I am sure that we as children as our own children have asked
1. Are we there yet?
2. I have to go to the bathrooooommmmmmm
3. I am tired
4. I am hungry
5. I dont like ketchup
6. I dont feel like it
and many others. I am actually quite shocked that so many people are so quick to generalize and dismiss kids in general...especially the parents that are being dismissive(sp?)...do your own children know that you even feel this way about kids--LOL?
I am truly shocked at some of the closed minded answers on the thread. If this was about teaching your children simple manners and ettiquette, fine.
But the ORIGINAL POSTER..was clearly preturbed--and I just have to ask, because we only heard HIS side of the story:
1. How do you not know that these ladies(as you loosely put it)..were not simply enjoying one of those RARE luxuries of just being able to have some adult one on one conversation with someone? Its touch enough getting out with the families and the hubbies, but throw in an occasional dinner with the girls...forget about it. Maybe in their minds, they knew that there kids were acting up..but for sanities sake..they needed their time to just be women and discuss girly girl stuff..because they knew that it comes around every so often.
2. Did you not think that perhaps the kids were having an off day, or they were simply just excited to see one another...and there behavior was a rarity an the PARENTS at their discretion knew this and were willing to discuss it with them in the car and not in public
3. If it was your anniversary, why go to a place that may be known for a familty atmosphere anyway? Go somplace romantic at least.
4. The comment on the beer..please....Many, Many of the soccer moms enjoy a glass of wine with their dinner...at least in our group..and yes we do have our kids with us..and NO we usually dont end up finishing the glass, because we are tending to the little ones and just chit-chatting away.
Are you a parent yourself? How "young" are you that so disturbed with kids anyway....pehaps take this as a lesson learned in Parenting of what to expect, and take it as a lesson learned for your wife and tell her to go enjoy a nice dinner out on the town with her friends while YOU watch the kids.
And the the PREVIOUS POSTER TO ME:
AGREED..what do we do about the challenged, disabled, autistic, and other developmental kids out there...lock em' in the closet and throw away the key?
You know so many parents these days dont even get a chance to go out and enjoy dinners anymore or just go out period because its the irrated self righteous OTHER parents that think they should just stay home.
I say NO NO NO...go out, enjoy yourself within reason, and discipline your children when need be... but shame on the posters who think spanking, calling kids bratty, apologizing to patrons and whatever other nonsense who think its their absolute right to enjoy a quiet meal with NO kids around...
STAY HOME and cook some fillet mignon and do a surf and turf at your kitchen table then.
I have gotten compliments-usually from older people who were sitting near us, about how well behaved my two boys are. When we see other children acting up, my boys look at that table like they're crazy, because they know how to act.
One time, I had a table complain about me and my family, about a year ago. They were so WRONG, that the hostess stuck up for me, came to tell me about it, another elderly table heard her talking, and they stuck up for me too!
We were sitting in a booth, with our family of four, and my 6 year old and I were "playing" together.I would try to poke him and he would laugh. No jumping or crying or whining or moving around on the bench.
Well, after about 15 minutes (and believe me, we weren't playing for 15 minutes), the elderly couple got up behind us, went to the front, told the hostess they didnt come down south for this crap because that's what htey thought they were leaving behind in the north, and had themselves moved to a different table.
The hostess, along with our waitress, came to us with this story, said how appalled they were at the comments because for the past time they have observed abosultely nothing wrong and they couldn't believe it was said! Then another elderly table in the same section, who had been listening, leaned over and said they were the type of old people who give old people a bad name (they said it, not me!), and that our boys are behaving greatly, it obviously shows we're a close family, and not to even worry about that other table.
*SIGH*...sound like the old people wet their depends diapers....LOL...
I agree....sometimes as parents we color at the tables, or play I spy. Its amazing at the sourness of adults towards kids isnt it? I have had compliments on my kids as well...and if they get rattled up..we assess it before we even walk into a place...just to see if its "worth it to attempt going in".
I have never to this day people complaining about kids to the hostess of a restaurant..only because as a parent myself....most people that we have seen in everyday life empathize and understand or "Remember" the days of childrearing.
My wife and I took our son out with us from the time he was a baby. More than once, one of us would end up leaving the table and wheeling him around in his stroller outside out of courtesy to others. By the time he was four, we could take him anywhere and he knew it was behave or else. No debate, no negotiations.
We actually had people come up to us and tell us how well behaved he was. And trust me, he was, and is, all boy.
He just knew the score when we're out in public.
Same here my friend....car seat thingie and all, our girls went out with us from day one...and once...believe it or not was a very very very upscale restaurant at 10 PM..we were both craving italian that night..and didnt want to do chain food..so we saw this place..and we were rather dressed up as we had gone to see the tree in NYC rockfeller center and were driving home.
Our oldest (now 7) was 7 months at the time..and she was all dressed up too. I was a little worried, but she fell asleep in the car in the car seat thingie, and we brought it in with us..I was equipped with all the neccessities, should she get up and cry. We put her on the chair...and she did get up...and whimpered just a tad..but that was it...so much so that the manager came up to us and said "I had no idea there was even a baby in their".
From that day one, we have decided from day one not to create an artificial environment and subject ourselves to hometown buffets and applebees type of outings....
Our kids know the score too. Its all how you raise them.
The children didn't behave poorly, the adults did. Children will get loud, be physical and disruptive if left unchecked; they're children, that's sort of their job. The adults are the ones who understand socially acceptable behavior and are charged with the responsibility of enforcing it.
They didn't need to use physical force (Spanking? In 2007? Why?). They didn't need to leave the restaurant. They simply needed to be parents. My wife and I have always stayed on top of our boys. There have been times when their behavior fell short and we would remove them if necessary, calm them down and return to finish the meal. We have never let them leave their seats, scream, yell or do inappropriate things. And we would never let them gain control of the situation and force us to leave.
Raising kids is a hard job and a continuous one at that. If you can't manage your children in a public place then stay home and practice doing your job!
Exactly...where is the Zone Defense book in parenting for the whiney adults and boo older fuddie duddies and even the parents who call kids brats!
Go look it up and barnes and noble I guess...it good manners and ettiquette start at home period.
The true words of someone that has not yet experienced parenting!
Sometimes my kids act up in public. You think I want them to? Not a chance. I cringe and hate when they act like that. But guess what.... they are children so it's bound to happen from time to time.
News flash - you acted up as a child in public too! Guaranteed. You are just too old to remember. Cut the parents some slack. Stop focusing on it and focus on your own night out. If it's that much of a bother just ask for a new table and move on with your life. If you haven't been a parent you have no clue how hard it can be sometimes to get kids to behave in public despite a parent's best efforts! They are kids, it happens. Some day when you have kids it will happen with yours. Treat those people how you want to be treated later on when it happens to you.
What a meany you are!
Exactly...as a mother...most of the moms here will know what I am talking about. Its that "look" during food shopping that moms pass each other when the kid wants the hershey bar at the checkout area, Its the "mom, I need to go to the bathroom NOW, after she has waited in line to pay for the sneakers"
Its that look of empathy that we all go thru. And kudos the "Someday, when you have kids..." statement...It brings back memories of MY own parents saying to me "When you are parent, you will understand type of statements"...
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So tired of disrespectful parents
