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I'll note that it's the child-less people saying the kids are maniacs.
Again: Different standards?
Oh no surely not.
I have kids.
But if I am taking the time out to have some time with my wife then I think we would both like to relax and enjoy just being together.
Having a child messing around does not really add to the atmosphere even if they are well behaved and if they are screaming or misbehaving then that certainly detracts.
I really enjoy doing things with the kids - sports, games, walks in the park, restaraunts, camping, fishing, sailing. I can even sit through a kids movie.
But there are times that I like to be just with my wife. In bed is one doing you know what and the other is just going out whether it is to the movies or dinner and just being together. It is in that context that I enjoy not thinking about my kids and not being distracted by other peoples kids and even though I enjoy chatting here about kids, it's kinda nice to go out with the wife and not spend the evening discussing kid stuff and kids in the restaurant is likely to result in us getting onto child raising or kid issues or whatever.
I dunno, I'm seeing mostly people railing on the parents who don't acknowledge that their children need to be kept calm in restaurants, and very few posts in this thread implying that the kids are maniacs, or uncontrollable.
The kids ARE controllable. The parents have to do the controlling, and some kids need more help getting under control than others. Sometimes, that control involves removing the child from the scene entirely. Sometimes, it only takes a "look" from dad to get the kid to sit down and behave. Whatever method is necessary, it's the parent who's responsible for implementing it. Not the child, not the waitress, not the patron at the table next to the family.
I'm seeing agreement on this from parents and non-parents both, in this thread. I'm only seeing one or two people claiming the kids are maniacs. But those aren't merely non-parents. Those are people who have already expressed that they don't like kids, period. You really can't expect more from them, and they certainly do NOT represent all, or even most, non-parents.
I'm only seeing one or two people claiming the kids are maniacs. But those aren't merely non-parents. Those are people who have already expressed that they don't like kids, period. You really can't expect more from them, and they certainly do NOT represent all, or even most, non-parents.
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I've been in retail for twenty plus years and my sibling has been in the restaurant business nearly as long. (We both have children, although mine are grown now.)
We both agree that the number of out of control children and their clueless parents has become a real problem over the years. The bad behavior is something we see a lot more frequently now than we did fifteen or twenty years ago.
Not saying it's the children's fault but some kids can be little hellions when their parents don't make the effort to teach them any better.
My grandma used to say if they act out in public they act bad at home and that is a parent who has no clue how to displine . Let us face it some people are out of touch with reality and they seem to think that if their child is not bothering them , it should not bother other people . Well I am here to tell you some child screaming their head off and acting out does bother me . I just saw 3 kids this afternoon pawing the vegetables at the supermarket and after they did that they started running around in the aisles and where was mother ? two aisles over not paying attention . This case was definately a mother who was not teaching them any better . I think if you are paying 50 or more dollars for a meal then you most definately dont need it distrubed by someones child screaming and hollering and running around . Sorry but I agree with the ban .
When are "adult" establishments going to ban obnoxious, loud-mouth drunks who take great pleasure in spewing obscenities? That's more annoying than unruly kids as far as I'm concerned.
And I'm not talking about bars, that sort of thing is to be expected there and if you don't like it you can leave, or just not go in in the first place. I'm talking about the sort of restaurants that people usually go to when they want a quiet dinner with no kids.
For the record I have no problem with these establishments keeping kids out. I enjoy a child-free meal myself once in awhile. But to assume that children are the only people who can ruin a nice, quiet dinner is naive.
I've been in retail for twenty plus years and my sibling has been in the restaurant business nearly as long. (We both have children, although mine are grown now.)
We both agree that the numbers of out of control children and their clueless parents has become a real problem over the years. The bad behavior is something we see a lot more frequently now than we did fifteen or twenty years ago.
Not saying it's the children's fault but some kids can be little hellions when their parent's don't make the effort to teach them any better.
I'd argue that rude behavior is more prevalent across the board. That would include adults as well as children.
Child stays in his seat. Doesn't stand up in booth. Doesn't shout unless he's just learned "Hi" and is a friendly little guy. Cracker crumbs on floor and tray of hi-chair OK. Doesn't wander around restaurant. Plays with small toys Mom has brought or crayon restaurant has given him. Doesn't scream at mother (or waitress) if they don't have mac and cheese. Fussing OK if fussing stops when little guy is given something to nosh on. Older child who says please and thank you to waitress gets bonus points. One or two screams of delight allowed if child loves his hamburg. Spilling drink Ok if it's an accident. Points deducted if child knocks over drink while making frowny face.
Pretty simple.
Yours?
I could live with this kid, though more than one happy scream would still have me cringing.
If a restaurant really wants to limit child traffic, I'm thinking that it might be easier, rather than banning kids, to just stop selling kids' menu items and charge a hefty fee for plate-splitting. If you offer fish sticks or spaghetti at $2.95 a plate, it suggests a whole different ambience than if your child has to pick between the grilled Scottish salmon or Ballard pork chop with blueberry gastrique at six times that. You might still get kids, but on average, I'm guessing someone who has taken the time to introduce Junior to fine dining is slightly less likely to let him be a nuisance through it.
I'll note that it's the child-less people saying the kids are maniacs.
Again: Different standards?
I've had a couple of friends whose children are a complete embarrassment. One woman in my moms' group is a thoroughly lovely person, but when she brought her normally-in-preschool 2yo to coffee one day we got to see a whole new side of her. Ariella cruised the dining room, trying to take things off people's tables, irritating probably every other person in the place, whilst Mummy kept right on talking (intermittently doing that "I'm pretending to correct my child but only because you big meanies don't see how specially perfect she is" thing, which Ariella completely ignored). I kept rooting for one of the groups of retirees to spill coffee on her, but no such luck.
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