No, this isn't going to be one of my militant mouth posts.

I went out for lunch today. I like having lunch alone because I can read a few chapters in my book.

A woman and 3 kids (maybe 10 yrs on down to about 3) sat at the table next to me. My first thought was that it was going to be loud. I was so pleasantly surprised that all three of those kids sat there and weren't loud or intrusive to the other diners. The lady brought in something for each of them to do. While the 2 youngest ones were playing with some sort of small castle, the oldest one was reading trivia questions. These questions were at all levels. Even the youngest one would get a question and usually answered it.

When I finished eating and got up to leave, I had to stop and tell her that those children are wonderful and she should be very proud.

She just got the biggest smile on her face and thanked me. She said she always tried to bring something to keep them entertained until the food arrived. (Oh, this was a restaurant, not a fast food place).

It has always been my opinion that rather than "smoking" and "non-smoking," restaurants should have "children" and "no children" sections.

I had that happen once. I was on a business trip to Seattle and went out to dinner at Red Lobster (splurging on the company dime!) A huge group came in (3 or 4 couples) and much to my dismay, the adults were all seated in a big table at the edge of the room and the 6 or so kids were seated BY THEMSELVES right next to me. Youngest was about 3, oldest was about 8. They were AWESOME. The oldest helped everyone ordered and cut the little one's food up. When they were done eating they very quietly got up and went and sat in the little nook behind their parents table and pulled out books and coloring things.

I said something that day too.

I realize that this has happened to me many times. We always assume the kids will be bad. It is obvious that it is the parents who are now doing something right in raising the kids to be well behaved. You did a great job to say something to the mom!!!!

All I can say is that it is obvious that you weren't in Utah. I refuse to eat out there unless it is a private club where children are not allowed. I've never allowed my children to behave badly in restaurants, but I've witnessed poor parental skills in many "family" restaurants there. (And I grew up there.)

I've said the same thing many times. This way all the "families" could all sit together and not have to worry about distracting others and vice versa, if some adults are having a really "adult" conversation, the children won't over hear it.

These are just my opinions.

Hey! I AM a mom, and I gotta say, it'd be a cold day in you know where before I'd sit in the family section. Some parents simply don't know how to control their kids. I'm raising my second one, and I used to sit with my daughter next to "those" kinds of kids (and their parents who were studiously ignoring their behavior), and would think "If you EVER act like that..."

Amen heaven... so there needs to be a rowdy and not rowdy section, cause there are some adults whose behavior isnt much better. And the cell phone yakkers can go in with the rowdies.

Yes I do understand that not ALL children act like that way and that not ALL parents let their kids get away with it either. My mom would NEVER ever let me act that way when I was a kid and IF I did, then she would take me outside. Parents do have a BIG part in how their children act. Our friends have 5 children and they are very well behaved as their parents don't let them get away with the things that SOME parents let their kids get away with that we have all seen in public.

That is true. Adults can be just as annoying, if not more than the rowdy children at times!


Well that is all I have to say and again, these are just my opinions, not meant to offend anybody.

Adults are most often the most annoying.

Liz

I was a server for five years, and believe me - I would shake my head when I saw some of these kids and say "if I EVER acted like that in a public place, I'd either not be here today or I'd have absolutely no behind whatsoever"

I personally love children, (am quite envious of my Aunt Christy who has several and each is the funniest little thing) but cannot stand parents who let their children run amock and don't seem to care at all, as long as they can ignore them.

I agree!

Well, people shouldn't be having "adult" conversations around children anyway. Save it for when the kids are out of the room.

What's annoying to ME is sitting in a nice restaurant trying to have a nice quiet dinner and then hearing a kid screaming and crying he wants ice cream or getting up from the table and wandering around the room or babies screaming their heads off and the parents just sit there and let it happen. No, you can't stop a baby from crying. But you could get up and leave the room with the baby until it has calmed down.

First of all, I never took my son (when he was that little) to a nice, quiet restaurant, especially an evening meal where people are trying to relax at the end of the day and probably get away from their OWN kids for a night. If I couldn't find a babysitter, I just didn't go at all. Secondly, if we were in a family-oriented type of place and he would start crying, I'd get up and go either outside or in the bathroom with him so as not to disturb the other restaurant patrons. Nobody wants to listen to that and they shouldn't have to.

Not in a restaurant, but a related story:

The last time mom and I went to Branson we went to see Legends in Concert. Great show. Would've been even better if the folks behind us hadn't had a 2-year-old who alternated between crying and kicking the back of my chair. Mom wouldn't let me say anything to them (but boy I sure did want too!!) so I finally got up and moved to the seat on her other side, which happened to be empty. To clinch it, when the show was over and everyone was leaving, the folks with the unruly child were giving ME dirty looks!!!!!