Thoughts on Banning Kids From Restaurants
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Banning Kids From Restaurants - Introduction
Banning Kids From Restaurants - Introduction
What are your thoughts on banning kids from Restaurants? Is it a good idea in some restaurants or is that going to far? I personally in favor of it because there is nothing worse than going to a nice place to eat only to have my dinner ruined by screaming brats at the next table. In this lens we are going to discuss whether the banning kids from restaurants is acceptable.
Image credit for this lens are from Dreamstime and 123rf photos
Banning Kids From Restaurants - Its About Time
Banning Kids From Restaurants - Its About Time
When you are like me and on a budget going out to eat is something I only do once per week if I'm lucky. I put time and energy reading reviews in an attempt to find an awesome place to eat. My other half and I look forward to this all week and we arrive at the restaurant anticipating a great meal
The waiter takes our order and our food arrives. We are having a fabulous time until it happens. The sound of screaming kids or a crying baby fills the room. Sometimes the parents will do the right thing and escort the kids / babies out to the car and deal with them, but more often than not the parents just sit there and do nothing.
As a patron I have two choices either ask the waiter to move us or just put up with the noise. Neither of these alternatives are acceptable to me because it disrupts my evening and when you are paying a great deal of money you want things to go well.
In a perfect world parents would deal with their children and we all could dine happily together. Recently there has been a trend where restaurant owners having implemented policies banning kids from restaurants.. I was thrilled when I heard that because all this time i thought I was alone. This new trend among restaurants has been received well by most people but there are parents who have issues with banning kids from restaurants.
As a mom of a beautiful nine year old girl I can understand both viewpoints but as a rule of thumb I don't take my little one to the more upscale restaurants. When I do take her out to eat she behaves better than most adults because I have taught her that and she knows that she will be in big trouble if she deciders to act up in public
Before we go any further I want to set the record straight. I love kids in fact I adore them if they are well behaved. Generally speaking when kids scream and throw fits in restaurants, it isn't their fault they are just acting up. I blame the parents for allowing them to act in such a manner.
Its normal and acceptable if a kid gets upset for a couple minutes but for parents to allow them to throw fits, cry and screen for the duration of a meal is simply unacceptable.
At times like this I have no issue speaking with a manager and thankfully they take care of the problem. I have to admit I've had some pretty nasty looks from parents but at the end of the day I sleep well.
I think permanently banning kids from restaurants is a little harsh but I think its perfectly acceptable for a manager or business owner to ask people with misbehaving kids to leave the establishment.
Many parents assert that kids will be kids but honestly kids only conduct themselves the way we allow them too. In the end, I feel the banning of kids from restaurants is a very good thing.
What are your thoughts on Banning Kids from Restaurants?
What are your thoughts on Banning Kids from Restaurants?
Yes, Screaming brats is the last thing I want to hear.
Ruthi says:
Ban the bratty wee ones, as well as their bratty parents. Having worked on and off for decades in the restaurant industry, I vote for well-behaved children and parents and if they aren't, then out the door with them. I also feel the restaurant owners have a right to say who can and can not enter their establishments. I see nothing wrong with restaurants who are now not even allowing children under a certain age to enter the premises.
Tabby says:
Yes. Restaurants have the right to set age restrictions for themselves; why do people not get this simple fact? These places are private establishments, not public ones.
Photahsiamirabel says:
It depends on the restaurant. I don't like to see very young kids in pubs for a start and they could spoil the experience of an experience restaurant for adults. I hate the "Kids eat free" lie too. Some parents inflict awful offspring on the world because it is cheap to eat that way! Kids don't eat free, everyone else pays for them instead of their parents!
MiddleSister says:
It would be nice if there were some restaurants here and there that would not allow kids. I am amazed at how often children literally run around in a restaurant.
Shanna_Redwind says:
I'm a parent, and I don't really mind the thought of banning kids from restaurants. But... the other side of the coin is that now that people with no children (or none in tow) have somewhere else to go, they should go there rather than go to McDonalds and then glare at me for having high strung children (Not screaming, just excited because this is a once every 6 month or so treat)
Mujjen says:
This is a tough question. I am a mom, and usually take my kids with me when we go out to eat. This is a completely different experience to having a romantic evening with your husband. The children need a lot of attention, the focus is on them a lot. I could think of choosing a childfree restaurant if I went out alone with my husband!
D Howard says:
I'm no parent, but I AM a teacher, and I spend more time with most of my students than their parents do. I love each and every one of those little monkeys - even the ones who drive me nuts. And there are definitely places where I wouldn't take a little kid.
So let's exercise a little freedom to choose, shall we?
If I'm spending some of my hard-earned time and money on a classy meal, I don't want to deal with children acting up. If I go to my local TGI McFunsters, then I fully expect to have kids running laps around my table and up the walls. And I know that going in.
So restaurant management should exercise their rights to ban anyone who does not conform to the atmosphere they want for their customers. After all, no one complains about dress codes at restaurants here...
And if they want to cater to families: wonderful. A nice dinner out is... well... nice. Even if it gets a little boisterous. If you're going to Chucky Cheese or McDonald's for a quiet candlelit dinner, you're delusional.
So please stop assuming that your nearest eatery must cater to your whims, and please exercise your ability to choose one that suits you: kids or no kids.
BinnieBrower says:
I have worked in the restaurant business for over 30 yrs. I have seen some pretty bratty kids in that time, and I feel it is the parents job to keep their children from disturbing the other patrons. The parents don't have a clue. How could their 'little angel' do anything wrong? Screaming is one thing, but when parents let their children run around inside the restaurant, not only is it annoying, but downright dangerous. Servers are carrying HOT food on big trays that block their view of what is underfoot. When the servers come out of the kitchen doors that door is kicked open with a force and any child standing on the outside will definitely be hurt, not to mention the server spilling the hot food all over themselves.
If parents can't control their children and keep them quiet and in their seats, then they should not ruin the dining experience of others who are paying good money for a nice meal.
Upscale restaurants with pricey menus, or any restaurant for that matter, should be able to set standards as they see fit from dress code to age limits.
I would certainly pay extra for a meal when I knew there would not be any screaming children allowed in the dining room to ruin my meal!
ccorrig says:
I don't necessarily think it is right to ban kids from their establishments, but I do believe restaurant owners should have the right. There will always be family restaurants that families can take their kids too. When you pay a certain amount of money, you expect a certain type of mood and atmosphere. I assume most don't want to hear crying children as their ambient music.
troyreed23 says:
Yes in extreme circumstances when the kids parents refuse to take action and its a restaurants right to refuse service to whom ever they see fit.
No, the banning of kids from restaurants is just wrong.
kab says:
Kids need to learn how to behave in a restaurant. In order to learn this, they must be in the restaurant. I have no problem with some restaurants to be adult only, but in general, no.
noel_rocs says:
High-class, very expensive restaurants--sure, they could say "No children under (random #) 12 allowed." But, I do not think children should be banned from regular dine-in restaurants. In terms of a regular crying child, it's just part of life. No different than how annoying cigarette smoke is when it gets all in your face, hair and meal in the NONsmoking section--it's just something that you have to deal with when you choose to dine with the public. I think that someone who is so fixated on another person's behavior--that they cannot just eat & ignore it--has a greater issue than an upset child has. When I'm on a good date, the walls could fall off of the place and I wouldn't notice...
srioschavez says:
i would not eat where my son isnt welcom however, i will say that at times i can understand why it would be done some people allow their children to do anything in public
shall1432 says:
It would be such a terrible thing to do. Kids are fun despite some of them acting p from time totime. This would diminish the profits of the rstaurant because less peole could go out to eat, hurting both the restaurant and the family in the end.
ScareYouDiva says:
I don't think blanket solutions ever work. I support the right of a restaurant to ask a patron with misbehaving kids to leave if they won't control their kids, but there are plenty of well-behaved children that are fine in restaurants. Also, how does a kid learn how to behave in a restaurant if he doesn't even get in one until age 18? Please!
mamabush says:
I have 5 kids and no babysitters...if they banned them from restaurants, I would never eat out of my house! However, my kids are very well-behaved in restaurants. I have seen kids who should have been banned. :)
fanfreluche says:
I am partial here because I do love to take my kids with us in restaurant. BUT my older one is well behave, he speaks a lot and ask loads of question (he is 4) but he never cries, scream, act up in public places. My baby only cries when she is wet or hungry. If that happen, I go out with her. Unfortunately, more often than not, the kids that are misbehaving are the ones with parents doing nothing. But banning all kids from restaurant seems extreme. Because if we go that way weshould ban them from planes and trains as well and so on...It's not their fault if they have bad parents lol
Have You Ever Complained About a Crying / Screaming Kid(s) While Dining?
Have you ever complained about a crying / screaming kid(s) while dining?
Yes I have or Yes I would
troyreed23 says:
I have complained a couple times at restaurants when kido's were being unruly. Especially when you are spending a large sum of money on a meal.
No way I'll just ride it out
ChrissLJ says:
No, but I've wanted to. While I have no problem for children getting upset, I want to scream myself when parents just let children ride out a tantrum. When parents say, "I'm not going to let children control me with their tantrums," I want to ask, "So you're going to try and control us with them?" If it lasts more than a few minutes, find a quiet place like the bathroom or step outside.
restaurantboy says:
No but I go sometimes get a bit annoyed.. It's the parents of course.. not the child who need educating!
ionee_25 says:
I just always stuffed my ear with cottons or listening to music using my mobile phone, so I wouldn't hear both the crying and screaming, and go on with my meals.
srioschavez says:
i have wanted to though
Photahsiamirabel says:
No, but I have walked out without ordering.
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Your 2 Cents - What are Your Thoughts on Banning Kids From Restaurants?
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Nimsy
Feb 13, 2012 @ 6:58 am | delete
- I think it would be shame to ban kids from restaurants. What next, banning OAPs? lol When I first went to live in France (back in London now), I was surprised to see the whole family out at meals, even in 'posh ' restaurants, and in fact that is how the children learnt to behave in restaurants and to enjoy good food. It would be a great shame if the only places to eat the children had experience of were the fast food ones.
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noel_rocs
Nov 18, 2011 @ 11:05 pm | delete
- If it's an expensive restaurant, see: white linen table cloth, cloth napkins, piano etc and it comes with wine and a huge bill, then, yes, it's not a child-friendly restaurant... BUT, I think that it's senseless to suggest banning children from most restaurants, because children are people, too, and they are part of a paying customer group, as well. Most of us would not be able to dine out if we could not take our child with us. It doesn't matter how well-behaved your child is taught to be, everyone has a bad day or a bad moment. Banning children from restaurants just teaches them to be intolerant as adults, because that's exactly why someone would do such a thing. Children need life experience to learn and grow. As for the parents, there are many children who have developmental disorders or disabilities and cannot control their tears/fears/tantrums... I think we should all strive for equality and not judge children or parents by what we see. What you SEE will never tell you what's REAL and you NEVER know when you may be the parent with the screaming child one day... If you have kids, then you have been this person before. You know this.
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srioschavez
Nov 18, 2011 @ 9:37 pm | delete
- I completely understand where people are coming from but i have only one child right now and if we treat ourselves we usually treat him and i would like to continue that. It does seem that every year at our anniversary when we are trying to be alone we get seated next to the kids from hell lol
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SquidooKimberly
Sep 21, 2011 @ 2:09 pm | delete
- I first heard about this idea from a friend of mine who has four kids...and agrees! Sometimes you go out to get away from the kids, not deal with someone else's. Unfortunately, the general trend towards entitlement means you may not get a break from the screaming and bickering. Great topic for a HMB lens!
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AsaGislason
Sep 6, 2011 @ 2:59 pm | delete
- I think I would like to see the parents behave more responsible rather then banning kids. Ps. and agree, cell phones are realllly annoying
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