Restaurant in Chicago asking children to behave

[Lil Red]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' date='Nov 11 2005, 02:24 PM']Now, my kids aren't perfect, but I tend to pull the reigns in pretty tightly. However, I remember one time... when HSdaughter was, oh, about ten months old. It was Valentines Day. HSdad, daughter and I went to a medium-nice restaurant. We went early so that we would avoid the later couples going out. It was not crowded and we were seated off by ourselves. HSdaughter was doing really nicely... She was coloring on her paper placemat or something. Not even making any noise.

A couple was seat near us. And the woman gave me "the look" .... Later in the meal, HSdaughter dropped her crayons or something and the woman said (loud enough for us to hear her) "Thank GOD for birth control."  She was so rude. I'll never forget that and it was nine years ago.

People can't expect children, especially toddlers, to be silent.
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so do you say anything to people like that? if so, what?

[homeschoolmom]

I was so taken aback, we said nothing.

We just thanked God that we didn't think like she did.

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' date='Nov 11 2005, 04:24 PM']...on the other hand... people without children have to bend a little, too. I've gotten "looks" from people who see we [i]have[/i] children with us (they hadn't even DONE anything)

Now, my kids aren't perfect, but I tend to pull the reigns in pretty tightly. However, I remember one time... when HSdaughter was, oh, about ten months old. It was Valentines Day. HSdad, daughter and I went to a medium-nice restaurant. We went early so that we would avoid the later couples going out. It was not crowded and we were seated off by ourselves. HSdaughter was doing really nicely... She was coloring on her paper placemat or something. Not even making any noise.

A couple was seat near us. And the woman gave me "the look" .... Later in the meal, HSdaughter dropped her crayons or something and the woman said (loud enough for us to hear her) "Thank GOD for birth control."  She was so rude. I'll never forget that and it was nine years ago.

People can't expect children, especially toddlers, to be silent.
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My first response would have been to say" pity your mother didn't think of it".

[Lil Red]

oh snap, cmom!

[zealousdefender]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='Nov 11 2005, 10:50 AM']If my kids goal was TO leave, we left, and they came straight home to sit in the corner while the rest of us ate pizza.
My kids never misbehaved in church, not even as babies.
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Thank God for parents who know the value of discipline, and how to apply it wisely. CMom knows how to demonstrate to her children exactly who is running things. Yeah, OK. You acted up and so we came home. Now here are the consequences. And I'll bet that's why they never acted up in church. I'll bet at some point you made it quite clear that would have an unpleasant outcome.

Good for you. And your children will be much better adults for it. So many parents seem to be trying to treat their children as equals, or as "little adults." Children neither want nor need this -- believe it or not they want discipline. They want to know that somebody [i][b]is[/b][/i] running things. I think it gives them a sense of security.

[Captain_Fantastic]

[quote name='Lil Red' date='Nov 10 2005, 04:34 PM']so what do you guys think? is it fair for a restaurant to ask parents to make sure their children behave in a restaurant? sometimes, in a restaurant, i see parents letting their children be total brats and it does disrupt a person's dining experience. [/quote]

Restuarants are privately owned, and the owners can make any rules they like.

Diane