Children in cafés and restaurants

[Bonzo77]

I usually burp in their faces, seems to work quite well. If it does fail I throw in some colon relief and if even that fails I will kick a few around for a while.

 

In seriousness though, I don't go to places full of kids, it works really well.

 

You'd end up in hospital if you tried that with my kids......Having said that, I know you're only joking!

[Alcoblog]

I've managed to perfect the look of a psychopathic killer, whereby, irrespective of wether it be the young brats themselves or the parents, by simply transforming my (otherwise handsome) face into a hideous malevolent mask and staring unblinkingly at the offending parties over the top of my glasses (head bowed menacingly), I'm pretty much guaranteed to be able to clear surrounding tables of any miscreants.

 

If it's a nice sunny day and I'm sat outside a nice cafe in Derbyshire (Monsal) enjoying a chat and a coffee with the G/F, swatting wasps in the direction of the noisy kids works well too! (managed this twice now with great success, although sadly, no actual 'stings').

[Bonzo77]

I've managed to perfect the look of a psychopathic killer, whereby, irrespective of wether it be the young brats themselves or the parents, by simply transforming my (otherwise handsome) face into a hideous malevolent mask and staring unblinkingly at the offending parties over the top of my glasses (head bowed menacingly), I'm pretty much guaranteed to be able to clear surrounding tables of any miscreants.

 

If it's a nice sunny day and I'm sat outside a nice cafe in Derbyshire (Monsal) enjoying a chat and a coffee with the G/F, swatting wasps in the direction of the noisy kids works well too! (managed this twice now with great success, although sadly, no actual 'stings').

 

On the other hand, i've just been in a pub full of families and children and had a right go at some arse hole giving my kids funny looks for no reason. In the middle of a child friendly pub, the thought it was funny to start tutting every time one of the kids raised their voices (there was about 5/6 families). He soon supped up and left. What a total prat!! Get a life!!

[aliceBB]

This pub made no claim to be family friendly, it was 9.30 pm and the noisy brats were the only family in the place - as I said, all the other customers were adults trying to enjoy a quiet pint and/or meal.

 

I agree that if you go to places like Toby Carveries on a Sunday lunchtime, you will expect to observe some fairly tiresome and annoying behaviour from the other customers. But it's unreasonable to allow your brats to drown out everyone else's conversation in the bar of a quiet local pub after 9 p.m.

 

---------- Post added 27-04-2014 at 18:49 ----------

 

When you went out with mom and dad as a kid, did you sit quiet until everyone finished?

 

Yes, actually. We didn't go out for meals that often as there were six of us and it was expensive. But when we did it was on the understanding that we behaved appropriately. If we finished eating before the adults, we either joined in the conversation or asked to go and play in the pub/hotel garden, if there was one. Or we read a book or coloured in pictures or played I spy or whatever. But shrieking and running around and whining wasn't an option - my dad would have half-murdered us!

[donuticus]

If there's screeching children and pictures on the menu then it's not a real restaurant.

[aliceBB]

I've managed to perfect the look of a psychopathic killer, whereby, irrespective of wether it be the young brats themselves or the parents, by simply transforming my (otherwise handsome) face into a hideous malevolent mask and staring unblinkingly at the offending parties over the top of my glasses (head bowed menacingly), I'm pretty much guaranteed to be able to clear surrounding tables of any miscreants.

 

 

Sounds like a damn good idea. I did try my best 'Paddington stare' on the ratbags in question, but they were oblivious both to my stares and those of everyone else in the pub. It was as though they thought they were in their own bloody house.

[Bonzo77]

This pub made no claim to be family friendly, it was 9.30 pm and the noisy brats were the only family in the place - as I said, all the other customers were adults trying to enjoy a quiet pint and/or meal.

 

I agree that if you go to places like Toby Carveries on a Sunday lunchtime, you will expect to observe some fairly tiresome and annoying behaviour from the other customers. But it's unreasonable to allow your brats to drown out everyone else's conversation in the bar of a quiet local pub after 9 p.m.

 

---------- Post added 27-04-2014 at 18:49 ----------

 

 

Yes, actually. We didn't go out for meals that often as there were six of us and it was expensive. But when we did it was on the understanding that we behaved appropriately. If we finished eating before the adults, we either joined in the conversation or asked to go and play in the pub/hotel garden, if there was one. Or we read a book or coloured in pictures or played I spy or whatever. But shrieking and running around and whining wasn't an option - my dad would have half-murdered us!

 

No....not just Toby carveries. Anywhere allows kids before 8:30 or 9. I wouldn't feed me or my kids that s**t!

[aliceBB]

No....not just Toby carveries. Anywhere allows kids before 8:30 or 9. I wouldn't feed me or my kids that s**t!

 

I'm glad to hear it.

 

I suppose what I'm unhappy about (and unwilling to tolerate) is the attitude (which you seem to endorse) that it is inevitable that children will behave badly when in public, and that everyone should accept that as a fact and just 'get over it'.

 

I think kids can be great company and I have no objection whatsoever to them being in restaurants, pubs, etc., as long as they do not wreck other customers' enjoyment. For their parents to allow them to do so is simply antisocial and selfish, and they are doing their kids no favours by not stopping them from being rowdy/whiny/generally loud and annoying. You wouldn't accept loud, rowdy behaviour in a resturant from an adult or group of adults - so why is it OK for children to behave like that when they are in a public place where people's enjoyment of their food, etc., depends on the atmosphere being generally quiet and peaceful? It's not a football terrace, or a shopping centre, or a playground. Expectations are different.

[I1L2T3]

I'm glad to hear it.

 

I suppose what I'm unhappy about (and unwilling to tolerate) is the attitude (which you seem to endorse) that it is inevitable that children will behave badly when in public, and that everyone should accept that as a fact and just 'get over it'.

 

I think kids can be great company and I have no objection whatsoever to them being in restaurants, pubs, etc., as long as they do not wreck other customers' enjoyment. For their parents to allow them to do so is simply antisocial and selfish, and they are doing their kids no favours by not stopping them from being rowdy/whiny/generally loud and annoying. You wouldn't accept loud, rowdy behaviour in a resturant from an adult or group of adults - so why is it OK for children to behave like that when they are in a public place where people's enjoyment of their food, etc., depends on the atmosphere being generally quiet and peaceful? It's not a football terrace, or a shopping centre, or a playground. Expectations are different.

 

Kids are kids, not mini adults.

 

Exactly how do you want kids to behave? No raising of voices? Only walking in straight lines? No laughing? No crying? No joking? Perfect table etiquette? What if other adults laugh loudly or joke? Does that annoy you too?

 

What is it precisely that annoys you?

 

I'm a parent myself. My kids are older now but I'm pretty much immune to noise and activity from other families when we go out. In fact my lot our pretty sociable and readily combine with other kids.

If I wanted to take my partner for a quiet meal without kids I'd pay to go somewhere where we could have that. I wouldn't be rocking up at a family restaurant expecting everybody to behave precisely how I expected.

 

Stop torturing yourself.

[aliceBB]

Kids are kids, not mini adults.

 

Exactly how do you want kids to behave? No raising of voices? Only walking in straight lines? No laughing? No crying? No joking? Perfect table etiquette? What if other adults laugh loudly or joke? Does that annoy you too?

 

What is it precisely that annoys you?

 

I'm a parent myself. My kids are older now but I'm pretty much immune to noise and activity from other families when we go out. In fact my lot our pretty sociable and readily combine with other kids.

If I wanted to take my partner for a quiet meal without kids I'd pay to go somewhere where we could have that. I wouldn't be rocking up at a family restaurant expecting everybody to behave precisely how I expected.

 

Stop torturing yourself.

 

You misunderstand. I'm not torturing myself in the slightest, nor am I saying that children should be seen and not heard in restaurants... just not so loud and boistrous that they frequently disrupt other customers' meals.

 

In an ideal world, all restaurants should welcome families. It seems to work well in most European countries - why do we have to have different eating places for adults and families? But parents have some responsibility, surely - to keep their kids engaged during the meal by not ignoring them, by teaching them some table manners so that it doesn't end up as a riot, and in the end, being willing to take them outside to prevent their screaming through (and ruining) everyone's lunchtime.

 

The conclusion you have to come to is that some parents can't be arsed to invest the time and energy to teach their kids good behaviour, or that they lack the parenting skills to deal with poor behaviour when it arises. It's not the children's fault, is it?

 

And (again)...the pub in which my evening was spoilt was not a family restaurant and it was 9.30 at night. It wasn't McDonalds on a Saturday lunchtime - I agree, it would be unrealistic to expect a pleasant, peaceful eating experience there!