Discount for non-bratty kids
Replies
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I just had a thought for those saying it is wrong for the restaurant to reward the child's good behavior with "money." Do you tip more to a server who has done a good job (keeping your drinks refilled, fast and courteous service, etc) or ever tip less to a server who has not performed their duties to your satisfaction? Because if you don't ALWAYS tip the same percentage then you are *GASP* discriminating against "bad servers." You don't know if they are having a bad day. How dare you be so hypocritical!
True but we're talking about children here.
I think they should be told to respect the others, just because that's what you should do, and not because you will get money if you do.
Not sure about the "tip" argument, because I'm from France and we don't tip servers here
jk 0 -
While it was nice of the restaurant to do, I don't think it's necessary. Why should you be rewarded for doing something you should already be doing?? I don't think the prospect of a few bucks off their bill is going to make someone a more conscientious parent.
If your kids are a terror in restaurants, stay home till they are old or mature enough to eat out. Period. I have 3 kids. We go out every weekend to lunch with them, ages 6, 4 and 6 months. The older ones know if they act up, we leave. And we have done it, left some money on the table for our drinks and went home. That only had to happen once and they got the picture. If the baby cries, one of us takes her out of the restaurant, and switches off when the other is done eating if necessary. But we try to eat out while she is sleeping or in a good mood.
And, we try to go to kid friendly restaurants, not wine bars like in the article, I remember what it was like to be without kids and not wanting one screaming next to you at a fancy restaurant you are at for your birthday, anniversary, etc. I still remember having a couple next to us on our anniversary. They had a high chair pulled up to their romantic table for two, right next to our "romantic" table for two. That baby screamed and screamed. What a fun way to spend a anniversary and a ton of money..
Thank you. I wish more parents were like you.0 -
I like the concept. And as much as I love my kids, that is one discount that my family is never going to get.0
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I think it's quite unfair....
What are your thoughts?
Life isn't fair. Stop expecting it to be.
YUP!
Let me guess, you're one of those people who passes out medals to kids on the losing team, right? :laugh:0 -
I just had a thought for those saying it is wrong for the restaurant to reward the child's good behavior with "money." Do you tip more to a server who has done a good job (keeping your drinks refilled, fast and courteous service, etc) or ever tip less to a server who has not performed their duties to your satisfaction? Because if you don't ALWAYS tip the same percentage then you are *GASP* discriminating against "bad servers." You don't know if they are having a bad day. How dare you be so hypocritical!
True but we're talking about children here.
I think they should be told to respect the others, just because that's what you should do, and not because you will get money if you do.
Not sure about the "tip" argument, because I'm from France and we don't tip servers here jk
No where in the article did it state that the parents had their children behave in order to get a discount. They were rewarded for their kids doing what they should... Behaving.... The article also states that the owner did NOT typically do this which further illustrates that the parents didn't have their kids behave in order to receive a discount.0 -
I think it's an excellent idea. There is nothing worse than having my dinner ruined by obnoxious children. Whenever my husband and I go out to eat if the waitress is steering us in the direction of children we tell her that we don't want to sit there and please seat us somewhere away from them. There have been many times where we have also walked into a restaurant and walked right out because of the screaming.
When I go out to a restaurant to eat it's because I want to relax, have some drinks, a nice meal and just be with my husband. I want quiet. I want to sit in a booth and not have the kid behind me kick the back of it or stand up and lean over in my face while the parents coo about how "cute and adorable" it is that the child is bothering me.
If a restaurant feels they should reward a child for their good behavior then I say go for it.0 -
What constitutes a "well-behaved kid" in the eyes of this restaurant?
The common sense answer? If your kid is screaming, running around the table, throwing things, making an excessive mess, and won't listen to you he/she is not well behaved. If you allow them to act that way at home that's bad enough but to subject other people to it because you're to lazy to parent is offensive. Also, before someone goes blathering on about how hard it is to be a parent guess what? You chose to be one! Don't apply for the job if you don't want it!
Fair enough, but there are other factors that might contribute--not just laziness. Kids aren't robots. Maybe the kid that is terrorizing your restaurant recently lost a grandparent, or is getting bullied or is suffering in some other way. Now I will grant you that there are ****ty, lazy parents out there. But I don't think that you can draw that conclusion about a parent from a single encounter with a child that isn't well-behaved on a particular day.0 -
As a parent......If your kid makes me look over at your table because of noise or for any other reason, you should be kicked out of said restaurant!
...I absolutely agree. Every time my child acts up in public, either my husband or I will take him outside/to the bathroom to reprimand him and wait til he calms down. Other patrons shouldn't suffer because my child is throwing a tantrum.
That being said, if someone is annoyed by my child's laughter, they can kindly eff off.
I like the idea.
exactly. perhaps we should shift the focus from 'misbehaving kids' to 'insufficient parenting skills' and then perhaps there would not be so many people upset about 'fairness'.
i'm willing to put up with some kerfuffle from the small kids at the table next to me as long as the parents are actively trying to use that time as a teaching opportunity. how else are kids going to learn proper behavior if they never get the opportunity to learn and practice?
and like you said, anybody who is 'disturbed' by someone else's laughter needs to be asked respectfully to refrain from reproducing.
and let's face it, nowadays it's a wonderful thing for a family to sit down and eat together.
and of course any child (or adult for that matter) who has medical issues needs to be treated with compassion and understanding, not given dirty looks and rude comments. ever.0 -
We were at a restraunt with our 7 children the other day and a lady who sat next to us stopped us on the way out. She said, "I hate sitting by children, but yours were great! They were the best behaved children I have ever seen!" I wasn't sure to be offended or complimented by that one. We laughed later about the odd wording but whatever. We once had a guy leave his table and ask us if we had any youtube videos on parental instruction because our children did so well. There are countless more stories, but I've bored you enough with those.
Now, first of all, I know my children they are not perfect and we deal with it quickly and quietly. If it isn't going to be quick or quiet we go out to the van to deal with it. The majority of the time we don't need that step, but they all know it will be used if necessary.
Second, I can't stand sitting next to obnoxious children (mine or others) so I am careful not to inflict that on others. You as the parent are responsible for making your child behave. If they don't behave at home, what makes you think taking them out in public will be any better where they have an audience. Practice what you expect and deal with them.
Third, we have been to places where a restraunt or a patron has chosen to do something extra for us because they appreciated the well behaved children. We never expect it, but it is nice. It was their choice. It isn't discriminating when someone doesn't do that for everyone or for no one. Be thankful that someone got a blessing. Don't whine "where is mine?"0 -
I think it's the restaurant's money to lose if they want to give a discount, so what? They're not charging bad mannered children EXTRA, so their parents are not out anything.0
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I'm for it. Although I agree some kids may have mental or physical issues but that should be taken in regard as well and those families with special needs kids deserve discounts where ever they can get them.
Outside of kids with special needs... completely 100% agree. Sorry but if you have unruly kids, that is a form of conditioning they have become accustomed to because they have not been taught how to behave in public effectively, have not been disciplined correctly for their out of control behaviors, or their parents display inappropriate behaviors and the children follow them by example (enter "woman gets tazed in atlanta" youtube video where 2 of her children starts calling the security guard bad names because they see their mother misbehaving)0 -
I have never been one to get upset because kids are acting up in a place of business...that's what kids do!
It's much like the people, with kids, who get upset because their house is messy...it's gonna happen...you clean it up guess what's gonna happen next...messy!!0 -
What constitutes a "well-behaved kid" in the eyes of this restaurant?
The common sense answer? If your kid is screaming, running around the table, throwing things, making an excessive mess, and won't listen to you he/she is not well behaved. If you allow them to act that way at home that's bad enough but to subject other people to it because you're to lazy to parent is offensive. Also, before someone goes blathering on about how hard it is to be a parent guess what? You chose to be one! Don't apply for the job if you don't want it!
Fair enough, but there are other factors that might contribute--not just laziness. Kids aren't robots. Maybe the kid that is terrorizing your restaurant recently lost a grandparent, or is getting bullied or is suffering in some other way. Now I will grant you that there are ****ty, lazy parents out there. But I don't think that you can draw that conclusion about a parent from a single encounter with a child that isn't well-behaved on a particular day.
Fair enough. That said, the discount idea is still fair then. Maybe 9 times out of 10 the child would be well behaved at the restaurant which means 9 out of 10 times the family would get the discount. Even if they bat .500 that still isn't too bad. I do find one thing a little unfair though. Seeing as how I don't have kids I'd like to know why single people who are way less trouble don't get a discount? LOL0 -
If your kid makes me look over at your table because of noise or for any other reason, you should be kicked out of said restaurant!
i have three very well behaved daughters. the reason they are well behaved is because i take them out in public and make them behave. yes, there have been occasional meltdowns, but its a learning process for them. you cant expect all children to act like adults in regards to manners...they are still learning.0 -
My kids, of course, are perfect! So I'm all for it.0
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After reading the article, I was thinking...."man I'll never get that discount". lol. My baby girl is polite but she never sits still..not even when she eats. I didn't read too much into it though - I had to go workout.0
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This immediately reminded me of another story, which I linked below. The restaurant decided to ban children under 6 because their behavior bothers other customers.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/11/restaurant-bans-children_n_894548.html
I have no problem with either. Their business and they should be able to run it how they see fit. You want to take your kid out to eat where he/she can run around and scream, take him/her to Chuck E Cheese.0 -
As a parent......If your kid makes me look over at your table because of noise or for any other reason, you should be kicked out of said restaurant!
...I absolutely agree. Every time my child acts up in public, either my husband or I will take him outside/to the bathroom to reprimand him and wait til he calms down. Other patrons shouldn't suffer because my child is throwing a tantrum.
That being said, if someone is annoyed by my child's laughter, they can kindly eff off.
I like the idea.
exactly. perhaps we should shift the focus from 'misbehaving kids' to 'insufficient parenting skills' and then perhaps there would not be so many people upset about 'fairness'.
i'm willing to put up with some kerfuffle from the small kids at the table next to me as long as the parents are actively trying to use that time as a teaching opportunity. how else are kids going to learn proper behavior if they never get the opportunity to learn and practice?
and like you said, anybody who is 'disturbed' by someone else's laughter needs to be asked respectfully to refrain from reproducing.
and let's face it, nowadays it's a wonderful thing for a family to sit down and eat together.
and of course any child (or adult for that matter) who has medical issues needs to be treated with compassion and understanding, not given dirty looks and rude comments. ever.
you also have to take into consideration that everyone is going through something. i had a very traumatic summer regarding my immediate family. i had my, now ex husband, arrested for assulting my 7 yr old daughter and her friend. not only did my daughter have to go through counseling, my 2 year old had to adjust with the fact that her stay at home dad would no longer be around, and i had to deal with other things i discovered... going out as a family was an adjustment for all of us, and most times it was like a vacation from our crazy life. if my children acted out in public, i didnt jump down their throats... they all had enough going on. that being said - remember - its not our place to judge people. parents or children... i get it that there are some parents who just dont care that their kids are brats... but i know my kids are good kids, they just had a very traumatizing life event, and it obviously changed their behavior for a while.0 -
If your kid makes me look over at your table because of noise or for any other reason, you should be kicked out of said restaurant!
i have three very well behaved daughters. the reason they are well behaved is because i take them out in public and make them behave. yes, there have been occasional meltdowns, but its a learning process for them. you cant expect all children to act like adults in regards to manners...they are still learning.
No, you're right. However people can expect adults to act like adults. Like a lot of parents on this thread have already stated, if their children act up, they remove them by either leaving the restaurant or going outside until the child is prepared to go back in public.0 -
What constitutes a "well-behaved kid" in the eyes of this restaurant?
The common sense answer? If your kid is screaming, running around the table, throwing things, making an excessive mess, and won't listen to you he/she is not well behaved. If you allow them to act that way at home that's bad enough but to subject other people to it because you're to lazy to parent is offensive. Also, before someone goes blathering on about how hard it is to be a parent guess what? You chose to be one! Don't apply for the job if you don't want it!
Fair enough, but there are other factors that might contribute--not just laziness. Kids aren't robots. Maybe the kid that is terrorizing your restaurant recently lost a grandparent, or is getting bullied or is suffering in some other way. Now I will grant you that there are ****ty, lazy parents out there. But I don't think that you can draw that conclusion about a parent from a single encounter with a child that isn't well-behaved on a particular day.
If your child is going through something tramatic like that maybe you need to stay home and take time to deal with those issues. When I lost my grandmother, I didn't terrorize everyone around me. If my children, lose one of their grandparents I would still expect them to behave. We shouldn't allow outburst based on emotion.0 -
This ^^^If this was indeed a one-time occurrence by an employee to show gratitude to parents with well-behaved children, then that is perfectly fine. Restaurants give perks and added items all the time to reward good customers and keep them coming back.
However, if this were to be a standard practice for ALL patrons, then the restaurant would start losing money and have to increase prices to make up for the discounts. Then, those without children, or those with special needs children, etc, would then be penalized by having to pay higher prices.
I have a son with severe Aspergers, (high functioning autism) He has made great progress over the years and we can now take him to any restaurant or public place without worrying, but when he was younger and could easily become overwhelmed by noises, crowds, and surrounding environments, but we did not take him to high priced sit-down restaurants. There were a couple of years when I couldn't take him to the grocery store by myself, because if he had a meltdown, or ran off, I couldn't chase him down. After a horrible experience in Walmart and a lady trying to get management to call CPS on me, I started putting off grocery trips til after hubby was home from work.
There were some really bad years in there, where we had to leave in the middle of dinner or movies, shopping, etc because our son had lost control. But we LEFT and took care of our son. The only way for him to learn how to deal with being in public, was to take him in public. But again, we wouldn't take him to high priced restaurants, because people who are paying $200 for a nice dinner should not have to deal with my son's meltdowns. And we definitely would not have had him at a table with glassware!
Before we became parents to a special needs child, we were the typical people who gave dirty looks to 'bratty' kids and their parents who apparently did not have the excellent parenting skills that we had. Now, after eating a lot of humble pie, we try to give them the benefit of a doubt and consider that they may be dealing with something deeper than just misbehavior.
That said, no parent should allow any child to run rampant thru a place, wreaking havoc and disturbing other patrons. Deal with your children, and tend to their needs. It is called parenting. And it is not always easy.
Any parent of more than 1 child should know they all come very different. And that your parenting skills aren't all they're cracked up to be. Of course, there's bad parenting, but that does NOT fully explain the behavior of some kids.
Don't get me wrong, I kinda like the policy too. But anytime I hear anyone say it's as simple as good vs bad parenting I chalk that up to naivety.0 -
AMEN to this....we should get some kind of tax break too! :laugh:Seeing as how I don't have kids I'd like to know why single people who are way less trouble don't get a discount? LOL0 -
I usually see more grown-ups acting up than kids 0
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I just wish parents wouldn't bring their kids to certain restaurants. There are some places that aren't kid friendly and I don't want to hear screaming, shrieking and crying when I'm trying to enjoy my dinner.
Take the brats to a child-friendly place and teach them manners there.
- and yes, I'm a mom.0 -
hahaha! yup. i have seen some pretty obnoxious adults as well. I am not one to send my food back, and am polite to our waiter/waitress...I usually see more grown-ups acting up than kids
also, when my girls were in highchairs, i ALWAYS picked the floor up before we left. And before we leave our table, we all put our napkins, straw wrappers, utensils, etc on top of our plates... i know employees get paid to clean tables, but it doesnt hurt to help out a little either... and i dont expect anyone else to pick up after my children. My older girls are big enough to clean up after themselves.0 -
Jeez, I guess it doesn't matter what you do; somebody is going to be offended. This is like the parents that get offended because the kid who won the race got a trophy and their kid didn't. This is why kids nowadays are washed up and don't know how to take a little competition. It's not because the kids can't handle it. It is because the parents get offended.
It is not like the restaurant is punishing the parents of kids who act out. They are rewarding the parents of kids who don't.
I can see what you are saying about the kids with the medical issues, but you should know by now that life is not handed to you on a silver platter. I know some kids with autism that are more well-behaved than other kids. Unless they are set off by a noise or something that hurts their ears, a lot of kids with autism are typically well-behaved. So who knows, maybe you will get your discount too. Then, won't that make you feel proud?0 -
This is how I feel as well.I just wish parents wouldn't bring their kids to certain restaurants. There are some places that aren't kid friendly and I don't want to hear screaming, shrieking and crying when I'm trying to enjoy my dinner.
Take the brats to a child-friendly place and teach them manners there.
- and yes, I'm a mom.
If we go to Applebees or some place like that at 6pm, I expect it to be loaded with families and small kids, but if its a bar that serves food, or a more expensive, quiet, higher-end place, and its past 8:00 at night, and somebody's 3 year old is running around underfoot, or screaming at the next table...THEN I get annoyed!0 -
If this was indeed a one-time occurrence by an employee to show gratitude to parents with well-behaved children, then that is perfectly fine. Restaurants give perks and added items all the time to reward good customers and keep them coming back.
However, if this were to be a standard practice for ALL patrons, then the restaurant would start losing money and have to increase prices to make up for the discounts. Then, those without children, or those with special needs children, etc, would then be penalized by having to pay higher prices.
I have a son with severe Aspergers, (high functioning autism) He has made great progress over the years and we can now take him to any restaurant or public place without worrying, but when he was younger and could easily become overwhelmed by noises, crowds, and surrounding environments, but we did not take him to high priced sit-down restaurants. There were a couple of years when I couldn't take him to the grocery store by myself, because if he had a meltdown, or ran off, I couldn't chase him down. After a horrible experience in Walmart and a lady trying to get management to call CPS on me, I started putting off grocery trips til after hubby was home from work.
There were some really bad years in there, where we had to leave in the middle of dinner or movies, shopping, etc because our son had lost control. But we LEFT and took care of our son. The only way for him to learn how to deal with being in public, was to take him in public. But again, we wouldn't take him to high priced restaurants, because people who are paying $200 for a nice dinner should not have to deal with my son's meltdowns. And we definitely would not have had him at a table with glassware!
Before we became parents to a special needs child, we were the typical people who gave dirty looks to 'bratty' kids and their parents who apparently did not have the excellent parenting skills that we had. Now, after eating a lot of humble pie, we try to give them the benefit of a doubt and consider that they may be dealing with something deeper than just misbehavior.
That said, no parent should allow any child to run rampant thru a place, wreaking havoc and disturbing other patrons. Deal with your children, and tend to their needs. It is called parenting. And it is not always easy.
You are absolutely right! It is super difficult with certain children. I don't make sweeping judgments based on an outburst. However, what comes next is more important. Does the parent deal with it? No yelling or meanness required, just take them out or get it quickly under control. We have been places where the children were out of control and the parents periodically shrieked at them, but never dealt with it. This bugs me. Someone dealing with a child is encouraging to see and I have no problem with that at all. Kudos to parents who deal with it!0 -
When I was younger, I waited tables at a buffet and also at a local pizza place. Both places you could consider to be "kid friendly". However, that does not give the kids free reign to act like heathens. I had kids run all over the place, make huge messes (I am not talking about a little food thrown on the floor, I am talking food grounded into the carpet, paper, crayons, just everything underneath them). And the parents would allow them to do this and basically ignore them. And then, wouldn't tip. They sure made me earn my big $2.13/hour.
I have a 12 year old and an 18month old. I know my son is at the age where he is throwing his food on the floor and not wanting to stay in his high chair. So, I don't take him out to restaurants, even the "kid friendly" ones.If I want to go out to eat and relax, I find a babysitter. I don't know about anyone else, but it is not very relaxing having to tell my son to sit down every 2 seconds or to not throw food. If, on the rare occassion that we do go to dinner and he is with us, if he starts his tantrum food throwing, me or my husband take him out to the waiting area and wait for him to calm down.
I, and most people, understand that kids are kids and they are not going to be 100% perfectly behaved, no bad behavior. But there is a difference between a child who is running around the restaurant, throwing things and spilling things on people and those kids who may squirm and may let out a cry every once in awhile. I don't notice those children who act up a little and their parents correct them. I don't pay you any mind. But what I will pay attention to and what will ruin my evening is if a child are running around the place,being loud, throwing food, and their parents aren't doing a darn thing to correct them.0 -
I would frequent this place often! OMG!
I can not count the number of expensive meals that a child at a table near by has ruined.
It would be one thing if the parent was trying to keep the child from acting up, but I am talking the kid running around the restaurant screaming while the parents smile and drink their wine. Kids fighting and screaming at each other at the table with out even so much as a shhhh from the parents as they are busy drinking their drinks and engaged in conversation with each other or their friends. It is ridiculous to me that people think it okay because they deserve a night out too. It is not like I am talking about family restaurants either. I am talking 30 dollar entree places that serve alcohol.
I go up to parents that have children that behave and compliment them on their parenting skills and how much it is appreciated that they are raising children with manners.
It is understandable when people have toddlers and they TRY to do something about it, I get that, but after the age of 5 a healthy child should be able to sit at dinner with out screaming and throwing a fit, period.
Things I have done:
I carry a condom with me and place it on the table, telling the parents that is very important that they use this to keep from creating any more children they can not parent.
Ask in a very southern tone if I can video tape their kids acting so bad in the restaurant "cause my kin folk back home dont believe me when I tell them people actually let their kids act this way in public".
Ask if they would like to pay for my meal.
Yep, I am that itch. And yes, it works.0
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