Do you bring your babies to the restaurant?
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Last I checked this is America and you can bring your children anywhere but an R rated movie. I might have thought the same way as you before i had kids, but until you have them and know the situation as to why their children are with them, you shouldn't judge. Perhaps there is NO family to care for them and the friggin parent needs a night out. Albeit, I've always kept my kids as quiet as possible when out, stepped outside if I had to and had the most respect I could for others, but we all gotta eat, and kids are a part of us.
Long as you keep them under control, or remove them if you can't.0 -
:laugh:0
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I would take a little baby, but if the baby were screaming I'd leave. Nobody's having a good time if the baby's upset, so I don't see the point in hanging out there letting the baby scream. I would not take a child who was old enough to eat solid foods, since as you said, there's no kids' menu.
For me, when my kids were newborns, they were kind of like... an appendage. They went everywhere with me. We didn't leave them with babysitters. I wore them in a wrap and just went to normal places. But I made a point not to go out when it was naptime, or if the baby wasn't feeling well, and if the baby did get upset and was inconsolable, I'd go to a quiet place to try to get them calmed down. And if I couldn't calm them down, we'd just go home. That's parenting. 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. And your job as a parent is to keep your infant feeling safe and secure, not stressed out just because you're too bratty to give up your dinner.
This, this and this!!! Very well said!0 -
Since about 6 months, I've always taken my child to nice restaurants, conventions, and all kinds of places where he must be quiet and well behaved. And now that he's almost 7, he carries himself very well. Because I've taught him to. If he's in the rare snarky mood, I remove him from the situation.
At the same time, you have to know your kid. There's been times we've gone out for a swanky meal with friends and I've had to go home without ordering or take him outside and let him run around while they prep our food. But due to home training (and a little video game bribery) those rough experiences are few and far in between.0 -
Since about 6 months, I've always taken my child to nice restaurants, conventions, and all kinds of places where he must be quiet and well behaved. And now that he's almost 7, he carries himself very well. Because I've taught him to. If he's in the rare snarky mood, I remove him from the situation.
At the same time, you have to know your kid. There's been times we've gone out for a swanky meal with friends and I've had to go home without ordering or take him outside and let him run around while they prep our food. But due to home training (and a little video game bribery) those rough experiences are few and far in between.
Spot on!0 -
Sorry but I brought my daughter everwhere with us. I work full time and I would never leave her to go out to eat. I spent enough time away from her. And If I am paying $25 a plate then they can put up with my child is the way I see it. She never had crying fits however she was good even as an infant and I think in that case I would of brought her outside till she calmed down. But yes I would bring a child to a high class restaurant.
You're not paying the other customers that $25 - they are paying that much per plate too, so it could be turned around to say that they should deserve an enjoyable meal without screaming or squealing.0 -
Last I checked this is America and you can bring your children anywhere but an R rated movie. I might have thought the same way as you before i had kids, but until you have them and know the situation as to why their children are with them, you shouldn't judge. Perhaps there is NO family to care for them and the friggin parent needs a night out. Albeit, I've always kept my kids as quiet as possible when out, stepped outside if I had to and had the most respect I could for others, but we all gotta eat, and kids are a part of us.
If you have the money to go out to a nice restaurant, you have the money to hire a babysitter.0 -
We do our best to try to plan dates when our children are with a sitter, but there are times it doesn't happen like that. For instance, if you are out of town or on a trip somewhere, you need to eat. I do my best to keep my children quiet, but sometimes it doesn't work out. We have a 7, 6, and 1.5 year old. The older ones are very good 99% of the time, but even the best 1 year olds are going to have their moments. Its part of life and part of living in a society with others. As parents we do our best to soothe the child, but any parent knows this isn't always possible.0
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Last I checked this is America and you can bring your children anywhere but an R rated movie. I might have thought the same way as you before i had kids, but until you have them and know the situation as to why their children are with them, you shouldn't judge. Perhaps there is NO family to care for them and the friggin parent needs a night out. Albeit, I've always kept my kids as quiet as possible when out, stepped outside if I had to and had the most respect I could for others, but we all gotta eat, and kids are a part of us.
Pretty sure, I have seen children at R rated movies... I have seen a 9 year old at a showing of the Dictator not too long ago....
How do you know he was 9? lol
Because he looked 9... and even if he wasn't 9, he was still underage. The point is, kids are taken to R rated movies ALL. THE. TIME.0 -
As a former waitress I think that as long as you can control your children, there is nothing wrong with taking them to dinner, even to a nicer place. No matter what kind of place it is it is NEVER ok to let your child run around like Speedy Gonzales on crack. I worked in a Mexican resturant for a few years...not an upscale place, definitely more "family friendly" and kids would dart under my feet while I'm carrying sizzling skillets...it's terrifying! It's not just an inconvenience to other diners it's a safety hazard to the children. Back to the noisy kids though- the last restaurant I worked in was a nicer Italian place and I will say we certainly had more well behaved polite kids than terrors.0
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I have five children from 16 to 2 months old. There has to be a give and take. IF we take all 5 kids out, we have to police the younger ones because they are too young to know better. There have been times where one of us has had to take a kiddo out until the food arrives.
We don't have family close by and thankfully we've got a built in babysitter; but there were times when we had no one to call on. I personally find it rude when a parent doesn't diffuse the situation right from the start. I don't want to hear your kid, you're sure as heck not going to hear mine; so return the same courtesy.0 -
I hate badly behaved children in restaurants and in pubs here in the UK. I have no problem with people taking their kids out to eat or bringing them to the pub, but not when they shout, scream, run around etc and generally just ruin everyone else's experience. But what I hate more is the meek parents who sit there saying nothing or just quietly asking the child to please be quiet then wonder why their kids just carry on.
I don't have kids yet, but I know it's not always easy. My nieces and nephews range in age from 2 to 9 and I'd take them out with me anywhere because they are so well behaved and never play up. If they did I'd take them outside to calm them down or take them home.0 -
Nope. Wouldn't put her in a difficult situation or us. If she cries, I take her outside but I wouldn't take her to a fancy restaurant. That's what babysitters are for.0
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I would never take my infant to and upscale restaurant if I'm paying $25 just for the entree then that's obviously not an infant friendly place! But, I wouldn't get worked up over it the baby is just doing what it does crying. I think because you don't have children you find it annoying once you have your own trust me you just kind of develop Mama ear filters you can just drown out what you don't wanna hear!! lol0
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We do our best to try to plan dates when our children are with a sitter, but there are times it doesn't happen like that. For instance, if you are out of town or on a trip somewhere, you need to eat. I do my best to keep my children quiet, but sometimes it doesn't work out. We have a 7, 6, and 1.5 year old. The older ones are very good 99% of the time, but even the best 1 year olds are going to have their moments. Its part of life and part of living in a society with others. As parents we do our best to soothe the child, but any parent knows this isn't always possible.
That's why take out is so awesome!
Like others have said, I don't mind quiet, well behaved children in restaurants at all. In fact, they can be quite a pleasure.0 -
I will not bring my baby to a high class restaurant. In my opinion, if you want to bring your baby out to eat with you, you should go to a child friendly restaurant: that's to say, they have a KIDS menu.
My b/f and I have breakfast at a local diner...nice place but a diner....and kid friendly. Well this one couple had a son who looked to be about 3....and he would every once in awhile let out a blood curdling scream, just for fun. One time I wasn't expecting it and it startled me....I dropped my fork on my plate. The mother heard it, turned and smiled at me and said "Sorry", as if to say "Oh well....you know....kids will be kids".
So you see, it doesn't matter if you are in a diner or the Ritz...its still not acceptable.
I should add that I took my kids to restaurants from the time they were a week old. If one of them cried, I nursed them.0 -
The worst is when the child is screaming and everyone else notices but the parents are either ignoring it or not doing anything about it.
I'll admit, I haven't read all the replies but wanted to get a say in. I think, if you have regular family meals at home and your children are expected to have decent table manners (i.e., not jump up & down, yell, etc.) than you should be able to expect them to have these same manners at ANY place you eat. Babies of course will cry but a parent should be expected to tend to them & quiet them even if this means holding and bouncing them while they try to eat their own meal. As a parent, if you aren't willing to do that in a nice restaurant than you should have hired a sitter!
This reminds me of a restaurant we visited in Niagra Falls. Probably not upscale but not Denny's level either. My kids were probably 9, 9 & 12. They are expected to have good table manners and did while we were there. A few tables over was a couple and their two children, approximately the same age as mine. The difference was that the 2 children were rolling around, wrestling in the isle between tables. I watched an older lady try to get past, she had no choice but to step over them. Just as she did, those kids rolled over and caught her foot! She fortunately caught herself on a nearby table. All the while the parents just sat at the table chit-chatting, never once even glancing in the direction of the kids.
THIS is the memory I have of one of our very few family vacations.
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I would never take my infant to and upscale restaurant if I'm paying $25 just for the entree then that's obviously not an infant friendly place! But, I wouldn't get worked up over it the baby is just doing what it does crying. I think because you don't have children you find it annoying once you have your own trust me you just kind of develop Mama ear filters you can just drown out what you don't wanna hear!! lol
Whether you hear it or not, your screaming child is f***ing annoying.
Look, a well-behaved child in a restaurant is just fine - it's not as though the presence of a child is upsetting. However, the screaming, crying and mess are just a handful of reasons why I don't want kids. Just because you have to suffer through your kids' tantrums doesn't mean I do, especially not in an upscale place catering to adults.0 -
And then your children never know how to properly behave in public. No thanks.Last I checked this is America and you can bring your children anywhere but an R rated movie. I might have thought the same way as you before i had kids, but until you have them and know the situation as to why their children are with them, you shouldn't judge. Perhaps there is NO family to care for them and the friggin parent needs a night out. Albeit, I've always kept my kids as quiet as possible when out, stepped outside if I had to and had the most respect I could for others, but we all gotta eat, and kids are a part of us.
If you have the money to go out to a nice restaurant, you have the money to hire a babysitter.0 -
Um, maybe stick to McDonalds and Chuck E Cheese until they've mastered behaving in that environment, and then work your way up from there? I'm all for socializing kids and teaching good manners, but you start with places that have kids menus and play areas, not nice seafood restaurants and steakhouses.
And then your children never know how to properly behave in public. No thanks.Last I checked this is America and you can bring your children anywhere but an R rated movie. I might have thought the same way as you before i had kids, but until you have them and know the situation as to why their children are with them, you shouldn't judge. Perhaps there is NO family to care for them and the friggin parent needs a night out. Albeit, I've always kept my kids as quiet as possible when out, stepped outside if I had to and had the most respect I could for others, but we all gotta eat, and kids are a part of us.
If you have the money to go out to a nice restaurant, you have the money to hire a babysitter.
- Said the person who had their anniversary dinner at 8pm at a nice seafood restaurant spoiled by the ~3y/o at the next table over randomly shrieking just because.0 -
Quite honestly I'd prefer my children didn't get used to Chuck E Cheese and McDonalds. We've taken them out since they were very young. And we've had to leave early because of them, I've had to hold them the entire time so they wouldn't scream.
Um, maybe stick to McDonalds and Chuck E Cheese until they've mastered behaving in that environment, and then work your way up from there? I'm all for socializing kids and teaching good manners, but you start with places that have kids menus and play areas, not nice seafood restaurants and steakhouses.
And then your children never know how to properly behave in public. No thanks.Last I checked this is America and you can bring your children anywhere but an R rated movie. I might have thought the same way as you before i had kids, but until you have them and know the situation as to why their children are with them, you shouldn't judge. Perhaps there is NO family to care for them and the friggin parent needs a night out. Albeit, I've always kept my kids as quiet as possible when out, stepped outside if I had to and had the most respect I could for others, but we all gotta eat, and kids are a part of us.
If you have the money to go out to a nice restaurant, you have the money to hire a babysitter.
- Said the person who had their anniversary dinner at 8pm at a nice seafood restaurant spoiled by the ~3y/o at the next table over randomly shrieking just because.
But now they are very well behaved in public, because we exposed them to it.
I think the worst kids are the ones who DID always have their parents leave them with a sitter.
**that said, I have the good sense NOT to take them to a place where we spend over $20 a plate just yet. Soon though.0 -
We rarely ever go out to eat and never to fancy places. But if we do go out we will go to family friendly joints that have outside seating. We almost always sit outside. But, like I said, very rare!0
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I would never take my infant to and upscale restaurant if I'm paying $25 just for the entree then that's obviously not an infant friendly place! But, I wouldn't get worked up over it the baby is just doing what it does crying. I think because you don't have children you find it annoying once you have your own trust me you just kind of develop Mama ear filters you can just drown out what you don't wanna hear!! lol
Whether you hear it or not, your screaming child is f***ing annoying.
Look, a well-behaved child in a restaurant is just fine - it's not as though the presence of a child is upsetting. However, the screaming, crying and mess are just a handful of reasons why I don't want kids. Just because you have to suffer through your kids' tantrums doesn't mean I do, especially not in an upscale place catering to adults.
The parents have just as much right to be there as you do. I don't have kids, but I don't get upset at babies being babies. If the kid is five and running around, that's different. But an infant crying--get over it.0 -
Probably gonna get a lot or hate for this but children should be seen and not heard....anywhere
Eurgh, noisy horrid things that hurt my brain and ears with any noise that comes out of their mouths0 -
*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.
^^This. My husband and I went to a jazz restaurant where a group of adults talked and laughed so loudly it was hard to hear the music. A fussy infant, I can understand. Adults? Unacceptable.0 -
I will not bring my baby to a high class restaurant. In my opinion, if you want to bring your baby out to eat with you, you should go to a child friendly restaurant: that's to say, they have a KIDS menu.
That's really too bad. I think early exposure to adult enviornments (including formal banquets) is what taught my son how to behave so well. I always removed him if he got cranky (out of respect for others AND his little baby discomfort).
Not only that, but kids meals at most places (even the "nicer family friendly" ones like Chilies) are low quality or fried glop.
Seems to me, the real beef is not whether kids should be allowed in swanky restauraunts, but rather, whether poor parents (and ill-mannered patrons) should
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I love how some of the replies are about everyone having the "right" to be someplace, as though this supposed "right" excuses bad behavior (whether from an infant/child/adult). Aside from whether or not it's a right to patronize any establishment you want regardless of one's behavior, whatever happened to ***common courtesy***? If I'm trying to enjoy a meal out, which I rarely do because I do not have the funds to go out whenever I want to, I don't want to hear a constantly screaming child anymore than I want to hear a group of adults talking loudly so everyone can hear every bit of their conversation while they also laugh like a pack of hyenas. And I would say that (nearly all of the time) the number of patrons practicing common courtesy outnumber the ones who don't give a f*** because "they're paying too" or "they have a right to be there." Maybe those who have learned manners should drop their courtesy every once in a while and have a word or two with the discourteous.0
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I have to laugh at the whole "restrict you restaurant choices to ones with a kids menu"... I'm sorry, but why? My 16 month old (which I have never, nor will I ever, stated that she is an angel... she can most definitely be a hellion) rarely eats off the kids menu... unless there is some fruit involved... she wants to eat what the big people are eating... she pretty much does not like "kid food" and honestly I would like to keep it that way... And I can bring our own crayons and coloring books...
And if it's the atmosphere... any human being can be super annoying in any restaurant setting.0 -
My ex-husband & I took our kids out at various ages. If they got fussy, we’d take them outside until they calmed down. If they didn’t, we’d ask the server to box up the food & we’d go home. If we hadn’t ordered, we’d just leave. Our kids learned quickly that they needed to behave if they wanted to go to a restaurant.
Even before I had kids what would irritate me the most is when the parents ignore their obviously distressed infant in favor of continuing their meal. Or when they let their toddlers run wild. Really? My boss told me a story about how he & his wife were at a local Mexican restaurant and toddlers were running amok. The parents did absolutely nothing to control them & they kept running by the door to the kitchen where the servers would enter the dining area. Well, they ran by one time right as a waitress was coming out with a tray of sizzling plates of fajitas. The kids damn near tripped her…she lost her hold on the tray & ended up dropping the sizzling plate on another patron. The paramedics had to be called & the poor woman ended up with 2nd degree burns. The waitress was beside herself because of what had happened & the parents…NOTHING. They collected their kids & left.0 -
1 - Kids scream/cry. You did it when you were a child...It's a fact of life, Get over it. Think of the parents needing to keep the magic in their relationship at all costs...could have been the situation
2 - Parents allowing the child to continuously cry/scream without attempting to calm them...FAIL.0
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