Children In Restaurants & Irresponsible Parents...........

[aidxen]

I agree (of course) that kids should behave in restraunts and other public places.

It starts with parental expectations of good behaviour and of course good behaviour on the parents part. Parents must tell the kids clearly and exactly what behaviour is expected. Parents must enforce this. We spank and if the kids do not behave then that is what they get and they know it. in these PC days, it means that we have to do the spanking at home but because they know that if we threaten then we will carry it out then they take us seriously. Irrespective of what type of punishment you use, you still need to be willing to follow through on threats.

Every now and then we come across a formal restraunt that is really good with kids. So I am talking white table clothes, a trillion pieces of cutlery, waiters who pull out your chair for you and un fold your napnin. In what I condsider good formal child friendly restraunts, the waiters look at the kids when they talk to them. The food service is quick. They have a childrens menu with pictures. The waiters bring a glass of water first thing. In one very formal restraunt we went to, after most ofthe adults and kids had been served main courses, the chef came out and had the waiters bring all the kids over to one corner where he showed the kids how to make an ice cream sundae. Each kid proudly carried their ice cream sundae back to the table. So restraunts can do things to help with behaviour too. It keeps kids from getting bored and gives parents time on their own too.

[fallingwater]

Originally Posted by thebobs

When I was a kid, I was behaved in a restaurant. If I acted up, it was dealt with quickly. I don't see many parents dealing with it quickly or at all nowadays.

I agree

[fallingwater]

This thread reminds me of the time my brother and SIL took me out to dinner. I was moving out of state the next day so it was their way of saying good bye. It was the most stressful dinner I ever had. My nieces are completely out of control which I already knew just by knowing them. They are wild children at home. There is not one piece of furniture in my brother's home that is not broken or stained.

So we go out to dinner and the 3 yr old climbs out of the high chair and climbed underneath the table next to us. Of course that table was occupied. She wouldnt come out and when she stood up she banged her head on the table from underneath. Then she started screaming. So the people had to get out of the booth so my SIL could retrieve her child. The 5 year old was standing up in the booth to look around the restaurant. Then she started pointing and hollering. Then the 3 year old tried to escape the high chair again. Lucky me I was seated next to her. So I had to keep one hand on her to keep her planted in the high chair and the other hand to eat my dinner. Of course the 3 year old got tired of me holding on to her so she started screaming. I woofed my meal down so fast that I had the worst indigestion. The looks of everyone around us was so embarrassing. I have a child that is older but when he was that age, he never acted that way in a restaurant. My brother and SIL go out to eat all the time. I feel for the poor souls that get seated next to them.

[mrstewart]

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