Discuss solutions to children misbehaving in restaurants

[Leros]

I think good parenting is not bringing the kid to the restaurant to start off with.

The little kid is 3 years old, to not expect him to cry, yell, or do some other equally annoying thing is just unreasonable.

Kids shouldn't be in a nice restaurant until they 8-10 years old.

As long as a kid is mature and quiet, it doesn't matter how old they are.

There are some 4 years olds that will be great in a restaurant and some 10 year olds that will be completely obnoxious.

 

[lxskllr]

There is no solution if it doesn't come from the parents. Anything you say or do will result in bullshit from some self righteous twat that can't take care of his/her kids. I never accepted poor behavior in public, and my kids learned very quickly that it wouldn't be tolerated. People are just lazy....

 

[Raduque]

I complain to the manager. As many times as needed. I also request my table be moved to somewhere far away from the snot-stains and their useless parents.

Edit:

I don't feel entitled to a perfect restaurant experience when I'm in Chile's.

Neither do I, restaurants are naturally noisy places (that gets on my nerves too, but the only solution there is to not go), but there's a difference between ambient noise from 40+ people talking and a child screeching it's head off while banging something against the table repeatedly for an hour.

 

[RbSX]

As long as a kid is mature and quiet, it doesn't matter how old they are.

There are some 4 years olds that will be great in a restaurant and some 10 year olds that will be completely obnoxious.

Agreed, I'm speaking in general terms here.

 

[DrPizza]

Here's another real solution - (since the parents will do nothing.)
Record video on your cell phone. Make sure the parents notice you doing it. Then announce "I'm going to post this on youtube so that everyone can see how you just let your children misbehave & ruin the dining experience for everyone else while you completely ignore the kids. Since we're in public, you have no reasonable expectation to privacy, making this video completely allowable."

 

[shopbruin]

I think good parenting is not bringing the kid to the restaurant to start off with.

The little kid is 3 years old, to not expect him to cry, yell, or do some other equally annoying thing is just unreasonable.

I had dim sum with my friend's kids about two months ago - age 1 and 2.5. They were both really well behaved, but we timed it so that the kids weren't too close to naptime, and I helped to keep the 2.5 year old entertained, getting him food and helping him get it into bite sized pieces.

No screaming, no yelling, and my friend was well prepared, ordering food she knew they'd eat and also brought raisins and their own cups for water just in case. Every kid is different. These two are just the cutest in the world.

 

[DrPizza]

For what it's worth, I don't mind the slightly misbehaving child. But, last time I was at a restaurant, 2 kids, about 4 and 6, were taking turns screaming at the top of their lungs and having temper tantrums. The parents did nothing but make the situation worse. The screaming and temper tantrums went on for at least 15 straight minutes.

 

[lxskllr]

For what it's worth, I don't mind the slightly misbehaving child. But, last time I was at a restaurant, 2 kids, about 4 and 6, were taking turns screaming at the top of their lungs and having temper tantrums. The parents did nothing but make the situation worse.

Four and 6 are more than old enough to behave properly in public. That's just piss poor parenting.

 

[Joemonkey]

hey guess what, all of us were annoying kids at one time... shocking I know, but we we really were

my parents actually cared about me and the dining experience of those around us (i know, shocking these days) so if i started to cause a scene... well i honestly can't remember what they did since I don't even remember causing a scene, maybe they just raised me well? I know my daughter has also never caused a scene in a restaurant, but she's annoyed me to the point of having to take her to the bathroom and make sure she understood that her behavior would not be tolerated.

anyway, the people you are talking about are the ones who don't give 2 shits about their kids and think they should take the herd out to eat so they can enjoy themselves while everyone else in the restaurant babysits for them.

 

[Jumpem]

Here's another real solution - (since the parents will do nothing.)
Record video on your cell phone. Make sure the parents notice you doing it. Then announce "I'm going to post this on youtube so that everyone can see how you just let your children misbehave & ruin the dining experience for everyone else while you completely ignore the kids. Since we're in public, you have no reasonable expectation to privacy, making this video completely allowable."

That's a good way to get your phone stomped on.

 

[Joemonkey]

That's a good way to get your phone stomped on.

that's assault brutha!

 

[Rifter]

.357 Magnum with hollowpoints

 

[sandorski]

That's a good way to get your phone stomped on.

Yup. It's a good way to escalate a situation.

 

[guyver01]

Four and 6 are more than old enough to behave properly in public. That's just piss poor parenting.

Exactly. The parent is the one responsible for the kids behavior.

My 4 (almost 5) year old knows that if he makes a scene in a restaurant, he's going to have hell to pay.

Then again, when we go out, we take him to Applebees, or Red Robin, or Chili's, or TGI Fridays because it's not a "fancy restaurant" .. they're more of an upper class McDonalds. If we were to go to a 'fancy restaurant' .. like The Broker (which we did for Mothers Day) .. he stays with Grandma & Grandpa.

 

[Crono]

Complain to restaurant management and/or parents (in a nice way).

That's the only acceptable solution, as you really can only discipline your children or children under your charge (like if you are a teacher). Even just casual comments directly to kids to behave can offend some parents.

 

[Ronstang]

Complain to restaurant management and/or parents (in a nice way).

Actually your only recourse is to complain to management as talking to parents who allow their children to be unruly is a waste of time. The parents have the same sense of entitlement and lack of respect that children and youg people have these days. If they don't have enough respect or smarts to contain the situation in the first place you commenting will only end badly. People are becoming increasingly useless at an alarming rate these days.

 

[SparkyJJO]

 

[Fritzo]

The question isn't whether you can tolerate it, the question is whether your kids are ruining the dining experience of the other people around them.

Yeah! Kids are like smokers!

 

[The-Noid]

I was in a restaurant a couple of years ago and had one or two too many drinks during the day. A restaurant kids more or less should not have been in (Ruth's Chris Steakhouse). I was getting a bit annoyed (I was with my wife and not driving before I get the ATOT death posts) and I leaned over the father and asked "can you do us all a favor and beat your kids?" Needless to say that didn't go well and we ended up buying him and his lovely bride a bottle of wine.

There are some people that have the theory (and this guy said it) our money spends the same as yours, we are going to do whatever we want. Our kids may influence your dinner but it's not going to stop us.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Generally, the kids at my place are pretty well behaved. However we occasionally have a problem with kids running around at Holiday functions. I put on my evil face and tell them to sit down. If that doesn't work, I tell the parents that they need to take their children home. It's worked so far.

 

[Kaido]

For what it's worth, I don't mind the slightly misbehaving child. But, last time I was at a restaurant, 2 kids, about 4 and 6, were taking turns screaming at the top of their lungs and having temper tantrums. The parents did nothing but make the situation worse. The screaming and temper tantrums went on for at least 15 straight minutes.

I come from a big family and I'm planning on having a big family, but the truth is you just have to practice some tact. If you're going to bring your kids out to eat, take them to McDonalds. Or Dennys, if you want to train them how to behave in a restaurant atmosphere. A lot of people at the nicer restaurants have hired and paid for a babysitter for the night and want to enjoy a nice night out as a couple, only to be thwarted by someone else's screaming children. Yeah, everybody has their right to do whatever they want, but that doesn't necessarily make it a good decision to let your kids run loose. And this doesn't apply to everyone's kids - there are plenty of kids out there who are taught how to behave and do so. Really, it's the parent's fault who let them go nuts in public places. McDonalds, yes. Dinner date at a nice restaurant when I haven't seen my wife all week, not so much.

Also, don't bring (and stay with) your screaming baby in a movie I paid $11.25 to see. I can't believe people do that - just let the baby scream and scream during a movie everyone else paid to see. It's okay if you take them out, but you have to TAKE THEM OUT!! The moral of the story is, get a babysitter is you've got a baby or kids that can't behave.

Also, this is why I grill at home and have a home theater projector. That and I can't stand paying $16.50 for popcorn/soda/pretzel on top of a $12 movie ticket

 

[guyver01]

There are some people that have the theory (and this guy said it) our money spends the same as yours, we are going to do whatever we want. Our kids may influence your dinner but it's not going to stop us.

Which is why you go directly to the management.

"If you wish to allow them to turn your steakhouse into a mcdonalds, then i will take my business to a steakhouse that wants to be a steakhouse.."

 

[GiggleGirl]

my daughter doesnt act out or cause scenes in restaurants. i can honestly say that her only annoyance is either talking too much/too loudly, complaining that she has to wait too long for her food, or interrupting my adult conversations. these are only immediate irritations to those who decided to dine WITH me.
my daughter is 5 and theres a certain level of impatience that i expect taking her to a restaurant. usually the coloring or letting her play games on my iPhone is enough to appease her.
shes a well-behaved child. im lucky... or possibly just a good parent

 

[SandEagle]

i always dreaded taking my kids out to restaurants when they were younger. i'm the type that wouldn't want to ruin others dining experiences with my screaming kids.

a few times at the Olive Garden that we visit often, two of mine started throwing tantrums before our food was served. i asked the waiter to just pack it up to go. oh well, we ate it at home...big deal

 

[lxskllr]

Really, it's the parent's fault who let them go nuts in public places. McDonalds, yes. Dinner date at a nice restaurant when I haven't seen my wife all week, not so much.

I disagree with this. I don't care if it's McDonalds, or Ruth's Chris; kids should behave properly. Just because it's a fast food joint doesn't mean it a free for all. Keep your voice down, keep your fuckin' feet off the seats, and sit in your seat until everyone's finished eating. The rules don't change just because you're in a inexpensive restaurant.