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not enough info to base an answer on. Were they running willy-nilly, or hurrying to the bathroom? Were they really unsupervised, or did were the parents right there, but it happened so fast that they hadn't reacted yet? Maybe they were headed for the door to leave. There will be kids in restaurants. They need to eat too and people are entitled to have a family meal sometimes as opposed to getting a sitter. I'm sorry for her injuries, but there just isn't enough info to know if the kid was actually being a "brat" and/or was "unsupervised" or if it was just an unfortunate accident.
Then allow me to clarify it for you. About 8, parents still sitting at the table, oblivious to the location and behavior of their child. With me so far? He ran right in front of my XSIL,did NOT look where he was going and as a result of her effort not to hurt him,she wound up cut and bleeding. Now, due to her caring actions she's in a great deal of pain, out of work for God knows how long and very upset. Are we looking at the same picture now?
Oh, and one more thing? You can bet Mr. Active & Social *loves* the positive attention he now gets from waitstaff and even other diners for being "such a good boy!" when we go places like Friendlys, where 90% of the kids are bouncing off the walls because it is a "family restaurant."
Much more positive experience for HIM as well as everyone he comes into contact with. He leaves feeling good about himself, and frankly all those earlier years of being Mom aka The Enforcer have SO paid off. :-)
Then allow me to clarify it for you. About 8, parents still sitting at the table, oblivious to the location and behavior of their child. With me so far? He ran right in front of my XSIL,did NOT look where he was going and as a result of her effort not to hurt him,she wound up cut and bleeding. Now, due to her caring actions she's in a great deal of pain, out of work for God knows how long and very upset. Are we looking at the same picture now?
no need for the attitude. I'm not the only poster who thought your story lacked details.
ETA - if the parents had been watching the 10 yo (that is what you said right?) would it have stopped the kid from running in front of the waitress? It sounds like an unfortunate accident. You are obviously very upset and defensive of your family member. It sounds like a terrible injury. But it IS possible that they ran into each other and it really wasn't anyone's fault. Everyone seems to feel the need to point fingers, place blame, and criticize the parenting when something like this happens. sometimes it is just an accident and no one person's fault, and not due to lack of parenting.
Those are all very good suggestions. I have tried the tire him out one before, but not the other ones. I will definitely do try the taking him out but not my older one when I need to discipline him publicly.
I'm not used to dealing with this level of intensity. LOL
However, I DO think there is something to be said for "dealing with it" to a degree, kwim?
no need for the attitude. I'm not the only poster who thought your story lacked details.
ETA - if the parents had been watching the 10 yo (that is what you said right?) would it have stopped the kid from running in front of the waitress? It sounds like an unfortunate accident. You are obviously very upset and defensive of your family member. It sounds like a terrible injury. But it IS possible that they ran into each other and it really wasn't anyone's fault. Everyone seems to feel the need to point fingers, place blame, and criticize the parenting when something like this happens. sometimes it is just an accident and no one person's fault, and not due to lack of parenting.
I agree with this. While completely OT, I think that this same kind of mentality is responsible for so many lawsuits in the last 2 decades or so.
Life is imperfect and sometimes accidents are just that, accidents. Sure, hindsight is 20/20 but if we were perfect we wouldn't be human.
Those are all very good suggestions. I have tried the tire him out one before, but not the other ones. I will definitely do try the taking him out but not my older one when I need to discipline him publicly.
I'm not used to dealing with this level of intensity. LOL
However, I DO think there is something to be said for "dealing with it" to a degree, kwim?
How old is your "spirited" child? He sounds young enough to get away with standing up in a booth and peering over at the other restaurant patrons sitting behind him (and I cut that slack off at 3 years old).
Tiring a child out before taking them to a place where you expect them to behave isn't going to work. Tired kid = cranky kid. Over-tired kid = nightmare.
I don't drag my 2 year old all over creation just because my oldest has a game, a function, or whathaveyou. It's not fair to the 2 year old and it's not fair to other people who are trying to enjoy whatever is going on. I get a babysitter or I arrange for someone else to take my oldest or middle to what they have to do (my husband works late more than he does not) if neither I nor my husband can.
I solved the "going out to eat" issue by going to a restaurant around 4pm. Hardly anyone around. By the time we are done eating, the masses are showing up. Kids get exposed to "eating out" and we don't bother anyone.
How old is your "spirited" child? He sounds young enough to get away with standing up in a booth and peering over at the other restaurant patrons sitting behind him (and I cut that slack off at 3 years old).
Tiring a child out before taking them to a place where you expect them to behave isn't going to work. Tired kid = cranky kid. Over-tired kid = nightmare.
I don't drag my 2 year old all over creation just because my oldest has a game, a function, or whathaveyou. It's not fair to the 2 year old and it's not fair to other people who are trying to enjoy whatever is going on. I get a babysitter or I arrange for someone else to take my oldest or middle to what they have to do (my husband works late more than he does not) if neither I nor my husband can.
I solved the "going out to eat" issue by going to a restaurant around 4pm. Hardly anyone around. By the time we are done eating, the masses are showing up. Kids get exposed to "eating out" and we don't bother anyone.
He is actually 3 years old. Trying to tire him out before a restaurant visit blew up in our faces in the exact manner that you've described.
I have ONE babysitter that I trust - my mother in law. I can't always ask her to watch our younger one for two reasons - I don't feel it's fair to our younger son to always or nearly always be excluded and I don't think it's right to rely so much on our mother in law. It's unbridled bliss when we take our older son to a museum or restaurant and younger son is at my mother in law's. But there is that twinge of guilt that younger DS should be experiencing what we are.
We do go out to eat at off times/days because of my husband's work schedule.
no need for the attitude. I'm not the only poster who thought your story lacked details.
ETA - if the parents had been watching the 10 yo (that is what you said right?) would it have stopped the kid from running in front of the waitress? It sounds like an unfortunate accident. You are obviously very upset and defensive of your family member. It sounds like a terrible injury. But it IS possible that they ran into each other and it really wasn't anyone's fault. Everyone seems to feel the need to point fingers, place blame, and criticize the parenting when something like this happens. sometimes it is just an accident and no one person's fault, and not due to lack of parenting.
If the 10 year old had been raised to know how to act in a social setting, like a restaurant, he wouldn't have run anywhere.
My 10 year old just turned 11. He's still a kid but he was raised to NOT RUN in a social setting, especially a restaurant. And he never has or will.
So who is the moron? The kid or the parent? I go with parent b/c at 10 years old you can add and subtract mixed numbers and certainly understand that you don't run in a restaurant. If you were taught how to behave when in public.
Why is it that some parents think nothing of allowing their children run wild in public places? My ex- sister in law works in a restaurant. Last night she was badly injured because an unsupervised BRAT ran in front of her while she had some wine glasses in her hand. In her effort not to injure him she wound up with 17 stitches, not to mention lost time at work. Parents: if you can't make your child behave get a sitter!
Better yet do some thiog posive in behaviour training. M mother and father sould take me tot eh car and sit with me while one eat. I learned pretty quick. Of course eating out was a special occasion then but pretty common now ;so who knows.
If the 10 year old had been raised to know how to act in a social setting, like a restaurant, he wouldn't have run anywhere.
My 10 year old just turned 11. He's still a kid but he was raised to NOT RUN in a social setting, especially a restaurant. And he never has or will.
So who is the moron? The kid or the parent? I go with parent b/c at 10 years old you can add and subtract mixed numbers and certainly understand that you don't run in a restaurant. If you were taught how to behave when in public.
NO ONE is necessarily a moron.
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