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There are family-friendly restaurants. And the one restaurant owner who has banned kids will have a more adult clientele that will appreciate the quiet.
A friend of mine posted this on Facebook - he works in a car dealership and parents can REALLY show a lack of parenting there - he doesn't know who the original quote came from, but I think it applies here:
Quote:
Your children may be the centre of your universe but they ain't the centre of THE universe.
So I can totally see why places are doing this. Kids can be so ill mannered. I will never understand why a child is permitted to run around a restaurant and scream.
that being said it's a tough time to be a parent. EVERYONE thinks they know better than you do and if you do something someone doesn't like you could wind up talking to the cops for simply disciplining your child (I'm NOT talking about abuse... but a smack on the butt is NOT abuse). I know people this has happened to when out in public. Kid acts up, kid gets a warning, kid doesn't heed warning, kid gets a smack on the butt. The end. but some bleeding heart calls the police and now you have to defend yourself for trying to be a good parent and instill some discipline and rules.
If your child can't behave in a restaurant then don't take them out. We don't have a regular sitter for hannah. I can count on one hand the amount of nights we've gone out just the two of us and left Hannah with a sitter. so if we wanted to go out at all we were going to have to raise Hannah to know how to behave in a restaurant. She does. she sits and chats and behaves herself. This isn't anything special but it seems to be rare so people act like it's the most amazing thing they've ever laid eyes on lol. A child behaving in a restaurant :eek:
But on the flip side... if everywhere starts following this trend then we are going to have a whole generation of kids who have no idea how to act in a restaurant because they aren't allowed in any... even the well behaved kids.
it's just too bad that the lack of common sense these days is forcing people to resort to this kind of stuff.
I agree so totally with you Sparks. It would make so much more sense to teach children to behave in a restaurant or any public place than to have everyone banning them from everywhere. I can understand the restaurant owner doing this as we've had many meals ruined by screaming and running wild children. I often wonder how the parents can enjoy their meal themselves with their kids misbehaving like that but they seem oblivious to it. We always took the kids with us when we went out and they knew that they were to behave as not to disturb other people. It's so easy to have well behaved kids that I don't understand why parents today just don't seem to care or bother with them.
I think it kind of ruins it for the people who really do have well behaved kids, especially if they don't have ayone to babysit. I am one of those people, and I'm still upset that I can't go to restauraunts that have a bar because it's illegal here for anyone under 19 to enter, so I can't go unless I go by myself because my hubsand would have to stay home and watch Tyler and I don't have anyone to go with. With the few restaurants in our town that don't have bars, it really limits our choices and we usually have to end up driving to one of the other cities around us, and that gets expensive and inconvenient. I can't imagine if the other restaurants here banned kids too.
But, that's me.. I have a really well behaved girl who has eaten out with us once or twice a week since she was born, and only one time has she ever started crying in the restaurant because she was 3 months old and tired; I simply took her outside, nursed her until she fell asleep, and brought her back in and she slept on my lap while we ate.
I have a friend whose child is absolutely crazy and so she doesn't take him out to restaurants. I think that's responsible.
I would rather see the restaurant manager tell people that they've had complaints and must pack up their food and leave, as opposed to banning every child from the restaurant, because it's really not fair to those who really do have good kids.
While it's ok to think it's only ONE restaurant, and that's not too bad because there are a million other restaurants to eat at, it's like saying that it's only ONE city banning pit bulls -- that's ok, there are a million other cities to live in, right?... Responsible parenting is the same as responsible dog ownership. If your kid is bad in a restaurant, don't take it there. If your dog is aggressive, don't let it run loose. Don't punish an entire breed for the few bad apples and don't punish every family either.
It doesn't just stay with ONE, people follow.. The more rules that are enforced, the more people will follow, the less options we have. I don't want fast-food restaurants to be the only place I can take my kids. It's not healthy and doesn't cater to my or my daughters' food allergies.
However it other restaurants were to have a Playplace LIKE Mcdonald's... That would be great lol..
I remember when my eldest girl Christie was about 3 or 4, and we went to an Italian Restaurant. She was always very well behaved, and always full of manners. When our entree was served (it was Bolognese I think), the waiter asked my wife if she'd like Mozzarella cheese sprinkled on it, and she did.
Next thing, Christie pipes up in her squealy voice "Mum, that smells like vomit"
Well, it brought the house down, everyone burst out laughing. :D:D
The hang the threat of the Inquisition over the poor tykes heads......;):DQuote:
Originally Posted by Randi
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The peeve I have about small kids are when they are plopped into a seat, given a napkin around the neck and are left to feed themselves.
They make a mess, the stupid parents laugh and think it's so cute and the poor server has to clean up the mess.
The other peeve, that is semi related to small kids, is the people that pull out the cell phones to photo the kids, smeared with food.
Lovely.
Kids do need to learn to feed themselves. I remember our kids feeding themselves spaghetti for the first time and taking photos of it. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by RICHARD
However, I don't think we would have done this in a restaurant. :eek:
It's just one of those things parents do so they can blackmail their kids later on in life. :p
LOL,Quote:
Originally Posted by happylabs
I do like the messy photos, but they do have a place and a time.;)
What about an old person with food on their clothes? That happens to me sometimes. The table just keeps getting further away. :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by RICHARD
I can identify with that. My problem is, that the tables keep getting higher, even the one at home. I've lost 2" in height due to my crumbling spine and everyone tells me that's what the problem is. I don't want to go the high chair route, so I think sitting on a couple of phone books might help.....:eek::p:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Bonny
A booster seat made for adults is a good idea. Someone should invent those.:DQuote:
Originally Posted by pomtzu
Hmmm - not a bad idea. But how embarrassing would that be?? - to bring a booster seat in with you when walking into a classy restaurant. :o:p:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Bonny
I think my table stays put.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bonny
I just like to drool and dribble at the dinner table. :D
I can certainly relate to this! I was barely 5'2" in my younger days and it seems that I have lost about one-half inch already and I'm just 50! Oh wow did I just divulge my age? Hee Hee...:pQuote:
Originally Posted by Bonny
Just wait till you get OLD like I am..............:eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by happylabs