General Chat

if we go for a meal we always take baby satan
he is 5 and well behaved and is no bother to other guests
he is part of our family so if we are celebrating something
its only right he be there

we often eat Chinese he will only eat the ice cream
but gets up and helps himself
and the experience of other cultures is important to us

In the '80's we regularly took our two boys out to eat in restaurants, from aged 4 onwards. They were always well behaved - they dared not be otherwise - and we often had complimentary comments from the staff and other patrons.

However, children do have a short attention span and you have to be prepared to move on once they have finished eating.

As far as kids running around, if a suitable comment in full hearing of everyone else doesn't work, then stretching your foot out just as one runs past usually does the trick. My wife is an expert in doing this.

To be fair, some parents have children with learning difficulties who can be unpredictable and at times impossible to control quickly.

Having said that, I have seen some parents behave appallingly in restaurants so it's little wonder that their kids run amok.
I think some enjoy the attention that their rowdy brood attracts.

So no, I don't mind chidren in restaurants as long as the parents know how to behave.

I think its the way some children are brought up,I was brought up with manners and likewise my children have been brought up with manners.

I would be so embarrassed if my children were running around in a restaurant.

Its not just restaurants,I remember when I use to work in retail,and this child was having a paddy because they was not allowed something and the child started to knock stuff off the shelves,she got asked to leave the store.
And as she was leaving she was swearing her head off.

LOL @ Patricia!

At least the mother knew her children weren't little angels!

As long as children behave and sit at the tables then I don't have a problem, it's when they start shouting and running around that I don't like.

But it reminded me of something that happened about 5 years ago, we had gone into a pub for something to eat after a walk in the Peak district. Our dogs [2] went under the table and stayed there. A family with 2 young children came in, and lets just say I was pleased when we could go. However as we got up and the dogs came out from the table the mother looked then turn to her 2 and said "Look even dogs behave better than you pair!" It bought a smile to everyone's faces!! lol

I don't have a problem with children in restaurants as long as they are well behaved, and don't run around. Too many people these days let their kids do as they want so you end up with kids who don't know how to behave in public. I can't stand rude bad mannered people... children or adults.

What about children in 'Pubs' being fed crisps and soft drinks - running around while some of the parents oblivious to what their little darlings are up to????

Drives me to drink when I see this!!!!!!!

It all depends on whether they encroach into your space doesn't it? When I go out for a meal I don't want to be irritated by loud rude bad mannered children running about but then I don't want to be irritated by loud rude bad mannered adults either. I think the problem is that the kids we tend to notice most in restaurants are the ones whose parents haven't got a clue how their kids should be behaving - I wouldn't be seen dead in a proper restaurant with some of the kids in my family.

Having said that, I was in a proper grown up restuarant on Saturday and noticed a woman with a kid (about 5ish?) who was beautifully behaved sat there crayoning with all her mum's attention and there isn't anything nicer to see I don't think.

all children have to learn how and when to behave
and i think there is a diffrence from children runing around to fidgerting
weather it be dirty harrys cafe to a posh restaurant

me i think there is a time diffrence as when i was little we was not alowed to move from the table when out
but i think now not all but some of the perants dont seem to want to learn there children table manners

and i also dont like to see children runing up and down and around the chairs and to me it just shows that the perants dont have any manners to alow it and it dont show respect for other

Even at home my daughter's children in the 90s would eat all their meals at the table away from the TV. They would stay at the table until everyone had finished and would then be allowed to leave the table. And none of the boys ever complained because it was what they were used to. I am not saying they were angels and they would argue amongst themselves while having their meals but they grew up having good table manners and, incidentally eating what was put in front of them, with a few exceptions.

I too do not mind children in restaurants cafes etc but I do object to them running around screaming and generaly being a pest.
I have take my children and my grandchildrern to such places and can honestly say that none of them have ever done that..
They can do that at home but not out it's just not the done thing.

Good points made here already.

TBH, none of mine were taken to a classy restaurant when they were young. That was our treat while they were home being baby sat. It wouldn't have bothered me if other children were there - as long as they were quiet and sat at the table.

But we did take them to places such as Litttle Ch** where they learnt to sit still - aided by crayons and paper carried in 'Mummy's' cavernous bag...trading up to better classed places when we were confident they would behave.

And they were also taught 'eating out' manners such as although it was OK gnaw at a chicken leg at home, a knife and fork had to be used when out or in company. They were amazed when they did see other children running, but accepted that they were 'naughty'.

I'm sure that some of the poor behaviour is, as has been suggested, not being used to sitting at a table for at a least one family meal each day. And asking if they may be excused/get down when everyone has finished eating.

My 2 grandchildren have always gone out to eat with us My 4 year grndson was taken out of the pub we were in my his mun at christmas and was told if you are going to run around the pub we will go home. When she come back in with him he had to say sorry to us who were with him, then he had to say sorry to the table next to us. We took him out last weekend and he said i will be good this time or my mum will take me home and we will never come out again, and he was a good boy all the time we were there

Having been management and waitress for a well known chain the offers a carvery and its sister company that has a salad cart, kids were a nightmare at times.

This company only offered a colouring in sheet plus crayons if they had some (not to keep) and a balloon if they were lucky when they left.. Why do parents expect gifts for the kids to keep them quite? do they eat at home whilst colouring in a pitcure ? I doubt it

jax

Rose that is another point of restaurant eating do we put up with the music etc lol

I was in Pizza Hut on Tues' lunch time for a bit of a 'treat', the children that were there, not many, were fine but the music! Tribal screaming from the speakers up above , we changed table just to be able to hold a conversation.

It seems impossible to go anywhere now that is not blasting music out at a level which drowns speech?

I don't like to see children running around, and I can't believe parents walk out without making some effort to pick up the bits that their children have dropped at least.

Mildred I am not saying children shouldn't be in restaurants and I personally for a "romantic" or "business" meal would choose a restaurant that doesn;t allow children ie not Pizza Hut ! but in this day and age restaurants don't have that choice they need all they can get and it should be up to the parents to teach children manners.

Spanisheyes yes I knew my point of view just wondered about others. You like I do live in a very family orientated place but are they as well behaved as we would hope ..these days No Also I do agree that TV dinners have taken away teaching table manners to children

Ann in Glos we are very much in agreement

Motown believe me I know it's some of the "yummy mummies" at fault OH works at a prestige *wiggles fingers there * club and they are a nightmare !

Foggy thankyou

Mildred, I don't think anyone is saying they shouldn't be there. At least I am not. I am saying they should be under control so that we can all enjoy our meal. Why should people eating without children have to go to special restaurants is the counter argument to yours. I Love children but it is so dangerous and not fair on others when they are allowed to be disruptive.

Mildred,
not saying that parents shouldn't take their children to restaurants, far from it, it is part of the child's education of life.

Basically, parent should teach their children how to behave and show some sort of respect for other people who are using the resturant.