Banning Kids In Restaurants...

[Young Heritage]

I do not think they should be banned. That is like banning old people because they move slow or talk to much or something else stupid. The problem is with the crappy parents who let the kids do this. Not the kids fault. Now if all kids are banned then the few that do actually behave cannot go their anymore. I have a special needs child that is very high strung but my child behaves better than 99% of the kids we see out in public because my son has parents who actually take care of their child and teaches them values and respect.......Just my 2 cents

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Quote:
Exactly. It's not the kids, it's their parents.

As for the restaurants I believe they should be able to discriminate against anyone they choose. Their business, their prerogative. Governments and government contractors of course are a different matter entirely.

 

[Laurajean]

Quote:
Good point. Too bad there isn't a way to know those parents from the disciplining parents before they sit down at the restaurant though. Unfortunate to think that good parents with well behaved kids can't enjoy lunch wherever they choose, but on the other hand I do hate it when kids are allowed to run around wild, and as you said, that's the parent's fault, not theirs. One comment was made about a crying baby however, and I see that a little different than an older child who can be told to behave. Babies do cry. Yes, mom or dad could step out with them, but I'd rather see a new parent *attempt* to eat a nice meal out too.

 

[Sword]

Quote:
X2

 

[Jerseycoop]

Quote:
I think most restaurants have the right to refuse service to anyone, it is up to their discretion.

Actually this is not true. My in- laws own a restaurant and there are discrimination laws applied to the licenses. There are many well behaved children who eat out with their parents. It would be better said that the parents be held liable for their child's behavior than to banned all children from these establishments.

 

[bullyforme]

How about a sign stating, "we welcome your well-behaved children, however if children are disrupting others' enjoyment of their meals, their party will be asked to leave."

 

[mikensara]

when we do eat out as a family we go to places like pizza hut, mcdonalds, etc
I dont expect my kids to be perfect. I do tell them when we go in what i expect of them and tell them there will be no warning i will simply take the offender out to the vehicle while the rest of the family gets to stay and eat.
If hub and i want to eat at a priceier establishment we just get a sitter for the younger two and leave the teenagers home.

 

[teach1rusl]

The restaurant industry is in it for the money, like any other business. They obviously feel that business will be better without having to deal with the problems children can create. If they felt business would be worse (less money coming in), they wouldn't do it.

And A.T. Hagan - I thought privately owned businesses COULD discrimate any way they want??? Typically, with most forms of discrimination, they would lose money though...

 

[LindsayB]

I'm sorry but I have to disagree with this...I have a 2 and 4 year old and its very upsetting to hear that a restaurants are banning children...Thats a bunch of bs if you ask me. I will agree that parents don't discipline their kids like they should. I can't stand going to dinner and seeing kids running around the tables but its not really my place to say anything. If you don't like children, asked to be moved to a different side of the room, or go earlier before the crowd. I think most parents that have rowdy kids wouldn't take them to nice, quiet places anyway.

 

[Wise Woman]

While I do agree that diners have a right to dine in peace, I think the problem is bigger than just misbehaving children. I personally feel that these days, there is a general lack of respect everywhere. I live in a small resort town and some of the tourists are way louder and more obnoxious than the misbehaving children. I think that people need to be more respectful of each other. I am sick to death of listening to other people's cell phone conversations in stores, restaurants, the post office and just about anywhere these days. I am sick of parents who don't teach their children how to behave and expect others to put up with it. I find people who laugh and talk so loud in a restaurant that it ruins my meal to be very disrespectful as well.

Case in point. My husband and I do not have a lot of extra money to throw around on fancy meals out. However, each year on our anniversary, we do go out to our favorite restaurant in town and splurge on this one meal, once a year. It is a very big deal to us. We save up for it, plan for it, look forward to it and dress up for it. This year a group of 7 tourists had a table next to us and were so loud that we couldn't even have a conversation. We sat there eating our meal in silences. When we spoke to the waitress, her reply was also, "What can we do?" So our $100 meal was ruined by 7 adults who only were concerned with themselves. This is not the first time this has happened to us either. It goes on at all the restaurants in my area.

We all need to start being more aware of how our actions effect others around us. I have 4 children, including a set of twins. When they were small, it was not unusual for us to get up and leave somewhere due to babies crying, throwing fits or whatever. We never thought it was ok to inflict our children's misbehaving on anyone. We taught them what was acceptable behaviors and what wasn't and it wasn't too long before they could be taken out to eat and would behave quite well. We too would get compliments on how mannerly they were. And we we also tried to find situations that would not be that difficult on the children, but instead went to places where they could be comfortable in. Lots of restaurants are kid friendly and by finding places that are better for children, we were not setting our kids up for failure. Some common sense, consideration and a few manners, go a long way.