Do you bring your babies to the restaurant?
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It's not even about the rest of the patrons, because frankly I couldn't care less. It's about the fact that clearly your child is unhappy, and you should try to solve the problem, since young babies don't cry unless there's a reason. And sometimes, that reason is simply that they dont' want to be in a busy restaurant because they're feeling stressed and need some quiet time.
^^ don't really care how your experience is, but if my baby is screaming I will tend to her and make sure she is ok
Sorry but i gotta agree. Baby needs first. That being said...we were very considerate when we take our kids places. Of Course my kids learn early that screaming or crying in a resturaunt (no matter how fancy) is not tolerated.0 -
This is my pet peeve. I can't stand crying kids at restaurants! I'll ask to be moved to the other side of the restaurant if I have to. I usually am guilty of the loud sighing and eye rolling too, and my husband is just as bad. I know this is a major annoyance for me, so I usually sit at the bar whether I'm drinking or not. This usually helps. Most parents don't want to bring babies that close to booze. I know I lack the patience for kids, so I'm not planning on having any. My chihuahua even irritates the mess out of me.
*If your child is being a nuisance to everybody else, get your food to go!0 -
We took our daughter out to a fancy restaurant when she was a couple of months old - we were there with a friend. I remember clearly because while she usually was very good in restaurants at that point (usually the noise put her to sleep), on this occasion she became upset and my husand and I took turns with her out in the lobby area, trying to get her soothed and settled down. She did calm down and settle back to sleep, at which point all of us were able to finish dinner together. I never would have dreamed of letting her scream in the dining room with the other guests, regardless of if I was at a fine dining establishment or if I was at a Red Robin...0
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I am a single mother, so my daughter goes with me everywhere I go, I do not believe that just because you have children means that you cannot enjoy what you like to do. The difference here is: I like to teach my daughter how to behave in all sorts of places, she understands that when at a restaurant she is to sit and color quietly or chat with the adults. I think it is important for children to learn how to behave, and this is a parents responsibility.
Just because you have kids does not mean you have to only go to 'kid friendly places' that is a load of crap, it is the parents job to TEACH the child how to behave... the problem is with entitlement these days....
However, if my baby was screaming or my child was acting up, we have NO problem leaving immediately. I have taken my daughter out to the car in the past (around age 2 or 3) and explained to her why she cannot act a certain way. I am happy to say that at age 5 my daughter can be expected to behave in adult places.0 -
The problem isn't the baby. Any diner who is loud, whose cries are carrying beyond their table should take it outside -- regardless of their age.
This goes true for babies, drunks, people on cell phones, and the table of loud adults I was seated next to when I last went out.
And any diner who is subjected to the noise should make a polite inquiry of their server that they be moved to a different table.
And the server with a noisy table, should either have the manager speak to the loud table, or offer new tables to the nearby diners subjected to the noise.
I've seen plenty of quiet babies at nice restaurants, sleeping away. And I've sat near plenty of loud, bellowing/shrieking adults who either had hearing damage, or maybe thought their job was to entertain the whole room.0 -
I take my kids out to eat all the time. For the most part they know how to behave because I've taught them manners. When they act up the behavior gets corrected. Once I couldn't get my son to stop and there wasn't a single server around to give me my check. Long story short, due to issues beyond my control it took 10 minutes to get my check, pay and leave. I felt bad that my kid caused a disruption, but it wasn't like I just allowed the behavior to happen. You can't judge people because you don't know both sides to the situation.0
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Babies should only be brought if they are part of the main course.
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I do take my children most everywhere I go. They are 3 and 4 years old and are very well behaved (because I make sure of that). If there is an outbreak of temper, it is quickly taken care of in the restroom. Parents are supposed to take care of their children and not subject other people to them:bigsmile:0
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Well, Legal Seafoods can average $25ish per plate for dinner but I still eat there with my children. They do have a children's menu (a very good one.) That said I would never sit and eat while my kid screams and disturbs everyone. We'd leave. I don't think it's appropriate to allow a child to scream and yell in any restaurant, whether it be a "family friendly" one or a "fancy" one. My kids are good in restaurants, though, so it's never been a problem. We started bringing them out to lunch/dinner when they were very young so they know what's up.
We also hit restaurants with the kids a bit earlier than we would if it were just DH and i. I don't need to be in any restaurant with two overly starving children when a bunch of other adults are there for a quiet date night. That would be a recipe for distaster.0 -
I have a 3 year old and a 4 month old. I do take them to restaurants, but the 3 year old is expected to act appropriately. I have had to take her out side and explain that we are in public and you do not act that way, if it happens again we leave. I've never had to leave. I also try to keep crayons and paper in my purse to occupy her while we wait. I don't take either child if they haven't napped, are cranky, etc.
I feel everyone has the right to eat in a peaceful setting with or without kids. Just as I expect as a parent that a non-parents rude loudness not disrupt my family's meal.
All that being said as a mom of 2 if I am going to a place that is $25 a plate, I'm going without the kids so I can completely enjoy my meal.0 -
I've seen several families get kicked out of restaurants for this reason. Rightfully so. Even if you did have kids and understand the pains of it, you don't wanna hear someone elses pains, thats why you probably wet to the fancy restaurant to begin with lol0
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I don't find children fussing in restaurants any more annoying than a table of people who are have too loud of a conversation, which I find happens much more frequently than an upset child.
It depends on the restaurant, and my son's mood. My son is now 3, my hubs and I have always made fridays date night and when we had our son we decided to pull another chair up to our table. how are kids supposed to know how to act in public if they're never allowed in public? That being said, it's important to be considerate. We try to be considerate of others. Now when he acts up we ask him to chill, when he was younger we would take care of what ever it was he needed to be comfortable, and if he was just having an off night we'd just ask for our meals to go and finish up at home. We've had a few meals over the last 3 years where one of us took the boy to the car while the other quickly gets the check and our left overs, but we've had way more pleasant experiences.0 -
And the kids' menu rule of thumb usually works but there was a time when Cheesecake Factory didn't have a Children's Menu and I definitely classify them as a family place and not "upscale". They only added a kids' menu here after American Girl Doll store went in next door. Prior to their kids menu we'd go and I'd order DD the side mac n cheese. She loved it there and still does.0
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I would, but I'd leave if they wouldn't stop crying. People are so stuck up about kids/babies crying in public.0
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Yes... I do bring my baby to a restaurant and have since she was mere days old... With that said, we have never left her sitting in her carrier screaming... we always came prepared for food she can eat (bottles when she couldn't eat baby food just yet)... and if she started fussying we would take her outside or start walking around with her.... Now, we make sure she has toys, her own drinks, and she eats the same food as us... she hardly ever misbehaves (when she does my husband and I (or other family members) trade off holding her and keeping her occupied so that the other can eat....
It's not the baby's fault it's crying... it's the inattentive parents that do not come prepared and/or ignore the baby because it's inconvienent for them to take care of the baby instead of doing whatever they want to do....
We have always been complimented on how well our child is in restuarants... particularly for how young she is...0 -
I don't find children in restaurants any more annoying than a table of people who are have too loud of a conversation, which I find happens much more frequently than an upset child.
It depends on the restaurant, and my son's mood. My son is now 3, my hubs and I have always made fridays date night and when we had our son we decided to pull another chair up to our table. how are kids supposed to know how to act in public if they're never allowed in public? That being said, it's important to be considerate. We try to be considerate of others. Now when he acts up we ask him to chill, when he was younger we would take care of what ever it was he needed to be comfortable, and if he was just having an off night we'd just ask for our meals to go and finish up at home. We've had a few meals over the last 3 years where one of us took the boy to the car while the other quickly gets the check and our left overs, but we've had way more pleasant experiences.
All of this.0 -
I'll add that if the time ever comes for DH and I to escape to a TRUE upscale restaurant during the dating hours of 8pm and beyond, I don't want to be seated next to ANY children whether they're behaving or not! lol0
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The way you describe your experience sounds pretty awful.
However (and I'm not saying this is the case with you) I hate it when a kid is being a kid, and someone is rolling their eyes or sighing or whatever. My children are BEYOND polite and behaved in public. And I'm not sure I remember anyone doing this to us. But I have witnessed a kid be a kid, not overly obnoxious or anything close to that, and someone having a flipping fit about it.
THIS
A few nights ago we were out, and my son was kicking his feet on the booth. He had no clue, he's a kid. It's what kids do. The woman at the table behind us TOUCHED HIS SHOULDER and said "STOP KICKING THE BOOTH". And spent the rest of the time glaring at us, meanwhile my poor three year old was sitting indian style so he wouldn't accidently kick anymore.
This was at Texas Roadhouse. A place where you can throw peanut shells on the freaking floor.0 -
I think it's cute that you think you won't take your baby to place like that one day.
Everyone makes "rules" for their future babies.
And then they have a baby.0 -
You just referred to someones child as "it"... :huh:0
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When my daughter was a baby, she didn't cry much but if she did throw a crying fit I would take her outside until it was over. But to be honest I avoided taking her out to restaurants until she learned to get that under control. I am lucky that didn't take too long.
I am a parent and do get annoyed by crying babies/kids in restaurants- it's not fair to ruin others' outing. Of course this is also true for obnoxiously loud adults...0 -
I have never understood why parents insist on taking their children out to fine dining restaurants at all. That's why there are baby sitters. Of course, one should expect to encounter children at family-oriented establishments - that goes with the territory, and that's why I don't go to them...0
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We take our three kids (6 months, 2 years, 3 1/2 years) to restaurants. They are well-behaved. The worst they do is climb down from their chair and climb right back up. They do not yell, scream, throw/drop food, etc. They do talk a little loudly, but they're little kids and we do try to remind them to use inside voices. My baby generally does not cry. If she does, I attend to her immediately. I will take her outside if necessary until she is calmed down. But, I have never had to go that far with any of my kids.
In my experience, the vast majority of parents are good ones, with reasonably well behaved children. There are some who aren't great and they are the ones who ruin it for the rest of us. It's sad that people think that children should never be brought anywhere but child-oriented places. Nearly very time we eat at a restaurant people comment on how well-behaved (and adorable) my kids are.0 -
It depends on a lot of things.
First of all, if the fancy restaurant is in a tourist destination (ie if I am on vacation) and doesn't have a rule about bringing children I would bring daughter. If I was close to home, probably not because I have access to a lot of sitters I trust.
Second, I'm from PA, no where near NYC either -- $25 dollars a plate to me doesn't necessarily = fancy, it just means upscale. A lot of upscale places are trying to be casual these days. They might not have kids menus, but if they have high chairs (that's the real test) -- they actually ARE kid friendly. We take our daughter to places that this with some frequency -- if I can go there wearing jeans and they have high chairs -- the fact that it is $25 dollars a plate is completely irrelevant. You are playing for quality and preparation of the food, not necessarily an all adults atmosphere.
Third, if my daughter were misbehaving ANYWHERE, even McDonald's, I would take outside. That is just good parenting.0 -
My friend was in town visiting the other day. She's essentially a single mother of two, the youngest being a 1 year old and the oldest being about 2 1/2. (She's married, but her husband is very uninvolved. He doesn't even come with her and the kids on their trips out of state).
She wanted to go to lunch at PF Changs with the kids. I was thinking "PF Changs.... with the kids....?"
The youngest one screamed the entire time. And, I mean, entire time. I've never seen her so fussy. Food all over the place, toys being dropped intentionally. My friend tried to soothe her, but nothing worked. More screaming. It was horrible. I felt humiliated.
It ended with the oldest marching around our table in circles and then going to sit by himself within eyesight. Then the manager came by to "check" on us and get our ticket so we wouldn't have to "wait." (Obviously they wanted us out of there). Our table looked like a warzone and the little one only got worse as the "meal" went on.
Needless to say, when I have children, I will be steering clear of the nicer places, especially without a significant other there to help out.0 -
I took my son to restaurants when he was a baby, however if he became fussy, I would always take him out. If you are out at a restaurant, you can always ask to be seated in a quiet area.
Same with movies, I started taking my son to movies when he was 10 months old. If at any time he became fussy, I walked out and got him settled. There has been a few movies that I ended up standing at the back of the theater by the door so I could leave and not disturb people who were sitting around us.
Being a parent isn't always easy. Sometimes we have to give up things we want to do to because we are parents.0 -
I take my 2 yr old to restaurants.
Enough said.
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*If you're being a nuisance to everybody else, get your food to go!
Fixed it, because this should go for EVERYONE not just children.... I have been way more annoyed at people talking loudly for the whole restuarant to hear about their drama for their mama problems, than any children fussying and carrying on.0 -
well I deem myself an advosary for the crying babies parents..............ima start just telling them..look I did not come to this store to hear a crying baby, so please quiet your child or leave the store cause DONT NOBODY WANNA HEAR THAT!0
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We took our babies out with us most of the time. It was rarely an issue. If the baby was not happy we would try to calm them, or one of would leave the restaraunt while the other finished their meal and got the rest to go. We did this out of the concern and happiness of our children. We could care less about anybody else around us.0
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