General Chat

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

LOL @ Patricia!

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

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.

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.

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.

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

PP
I have to disagree. It's the parents responsibilty to teach their children how to behave, not other diners!

Behaviour begins in the home, our gchildren now in their twenties and they were often with us without their parents, we could take them anywhere and they never let us or their parents down.

The company I worked for also has a outlet which does not allow children under 14 only in the garden area, and as far as I know there are no childrens meals available.
I worked there in 2005 and I just googled it and as far as I can see it is still adults only

jax

PP

You say you believe that children should be taken to restaurants regularly to take note of the surroundings and understand how to behave naturally.

So how does that work?

My children were taught how to behave at the meal table at home and in company. They did not need to be taken to restaurants 'regularly' to learn how to behave. From their first trip to a 'restaurant', more likely a cafe, they behaved themselves.
I should imagine the majority of GR posters were not able to afford to take their children to restaurants regularly but I'll bet those kids knew how to behave when they did.

Island

Uggers, isn't the clue in your comment "who was beautifully behaved sat there crayoning with all her mum's attention "

Isn't it the children to whom the parents pay attention that behave properly? We had lunch in Wetherspoons Cheltenham today, Yes, we accept it is not an upmarket restaurant and normally on a friday there would be no children. However, today must be an inset day for the area and there was a Mother in there with three older children. I think 2 were twins aged about 10 and one aged about 8. Now they were not running around and were not being really 'naughty' but they were loud, shouting at each other all the time so it was difficult to have a normal conversation. Mum hushed them once then gave up and went outside for a fag. If she had stayed in with them and kept them quiet it would be fine but they seemed to completely ignore her. I think it is all part of today's society where children rule the roost in many homes.

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

You are very right IslandInTheSnow

I know several families with special needs children, and to look at them they look the same as any other child.

Now I know at least one of those families go out to restaurants with the kids, and are subject to tuts & sometimes loud whispers and are judged as being a naughty kid & terrible parents.

The truth is,their child has complex learning difficulties, its often difficult to keep him focussed for long. When they go out they do so as a family, as sitters are on the thin side because of his needs. Its either that or they dont go out, which would be a shame for their elder child .

If a child couldnt behave at home then they wouldnt be taken out to eat be it Maccy'd or Pizza Hut.

Some children do behave at home ,have lovely table manners ,yet become much to the embarresment of their parent/s little horrors who just defy any plead to behave when they are out in places where others are having a meal.

Like many others, I can't abide either loud children or adults in restaurants - and the worst is the parent constantly shouting at a child who is intent on ignoring them.
When my children were at home, every meal was eaten at the table.
One daughter now has 3 children - the same applies to them.
They even have to ask to get down from the table when they've finished!
Oh - and they're not allowed to walk around eating.

18 months ago, this daughter got married at a 'posh' hotel
She had 2 children then, aged 7 and 20 months old.
Both managed to sit properly at the table (though the younger managed to fall asleep over his lunch LOL) - but even though he was tired, he didn't make a fuss.
Having said that, whenever I took my children,and whenever my grandchildren are taken to restaurants,they are never offered the 'childs'menu -experience has taught us that these usually contain additives.
My daughter'shusband is head chef in 'posh'hotel. He never offers a child's menu. They have smaller portions or a variety of the adult food at a cheaper price, or can have pasta/spaghetti.
He knows only too well how additives affect his own children -and eating out should be a food experience for everyone- including children!!!

Hello Ann - yes I agree with what you say. Not a parent myself but from what I've seen the better behaved ones are the ones who get the attention plus the discipline

We have those 'wagon trains' of pushchairs in our Sains*urys cafe too Motowngal. How do all these mummies afford it, meals and expensive coffees.....I thought families were hard up these days. Bowls of chips being stuffed in babies and tots, it does make me mad, but that's another subject. We have children using the restaurant as a racetrack too, up one side of you and then down the other screeching their heads off. Last week they were hanging onto a disabled woman's wheelchair to get around the corners!!! Did mummy notice/care ....no!! Then rolling on the floor and meddling with the cutlery with mucky hands......disgraceful and old enough to know better. If restaurants are to turn into playgrounds we may as well call them that.

Cookie, like your children,mine could be horrors at home -but that was acceptable- they weren't angels.
Their food was also prepared from 'scratch'- home made burgers etc. Squash without additives. They didn't visit a McD's until they were about 12- and took themselves. They were disappointed in the burgers-apparently mine were better (and I hatecooking!)LOL
Additives came home to me when I bought my youngest (then about 4)some jelly babies, just before we went to the doctors.
She was uncontrollable, totally obnoxious - and a stranger to me.
I looked at the packet and couldn't believe the numberof 'E's' in there!
My children were only allowed coke on their birthdays-and I had a bottle of wine to counter-attack the response/affect it had on them!!

Diet definitely has an effect on the behaviour of children. I did a thesis on children and diet as part of my degree in education.
This was in my 40's- after my children had grown up-well they were past the 'additives'and behaviour phase and on to the 'alcohol' and behaviour phase LOL

When we were little, eating out was for the well heeled. But at home, we were taught how to behave at the table, to sit still, keep our elbows in, and not interrupt the grown ups.

When we went out as a family for my sixty fifth birthday, we asked that my two youngest grandchildren could be babysat. We had watched them with growing horror packing food into their mouths, climbing on the table, etc, at home. Because they were not invited, DIL threw a wobbly, and son had to come on his own. His sour mood (and doubtless the row from his wife), ruined my meal with other family members.

We only eat out on birthdays and anniversaries, so why should badly behaved children - who should be in bed, spoil a special event?

Nowadays youngsters are also noisy in Church, and the Mothers tend to ignore them.

I pity their adolescence.

This thread has brought a few memories back!

I have to say that I cannot abide screeching children - in a restaurant, cafe, anywhere really. I think it's girls who tend to screech more than boys but drives me nuts.

A local pub/restaurant a few years ago now had to complain to one family as the child was crawling around on the floor. The place was relatively small and the waiter would not have had a chance ... so dangerous. Equally dangerous if they are running around generally when there is hot food, hot drinks etc around. Who'd be first to complain if one of the little darlings were scalded?

It's funny that around Europe you often see large family groups eating in restaurants (particularly on Sundays). The whole family from babies through to gr grandma. All the kids perfectly well behaved and none of the adults over-noisy. Such a pleasure. And such a change from some of the behaviour we see here in England on a regular basis.

We tend to eat in child-free restaurants wherever possible by the way!! It's far less stressful.

Jill

The trouble is (To my mind) that not many houses have proper Dining rooms now, (Some houses don,t even have Dining Tables) they just eat off trays watching the Tele,( So kids have no Idea how to behave) and I think its the Parents fault for not teaching them how to behave at table nomatter where it is.As for Burger King ,Pizza Hut etc. Yuk.**M**.