Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants

Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants (Full Version)

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[Poll]

Should restaurants be allowed to specify no chilren?

21% (12)

Should restaurants have set hours for no children?

3% (2)

Should restaurants have child free "zones"?

25% (14)

Should parents accept their responsibility of well behaved children?

50% (28)

Total Votes : 56

(last vote on : 5/13/2006 9:48:32 AM)
(Poll will run till: -- )

Message

MHOO314 -> Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants (12/10/2005 5:51:49 AM)
Living here in NC, I am amazed at the things this state can think of that's in the realm of the rediculous---the latest issue in My area deals with children in restaurants--it seems they want to pass a law that allows restaurants to offer a few options that would prevent or limit the amount of time children can be in a restaurant--of course I have My own humble opinions on this ( having raised a child that was welcome in any restaurant I selected from the time she was 7 months old--)--but I would like to hear from the rest of you---this poll does not address the 21 only restaurants or bars--

girl4you2 -> RE: Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants (12/10/2005 6:19:25 AM)
i never had problems with my munchkins in restaurants, and still don't (they are older now but still minors). if they are well behaved, what's the fuss? i suppose it's all in how you parent them and how you treat disruptions. segregation again...

MHOO314 -> RE: Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants (12/10/2005 6:36:46 AM)
yes, I agree that s word starts creeping in again, next it will be a section for single women, or men or...

siamsa24 -> RE: Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants (12/10/2005 5:19:40 PM)
I had to vote for child-free zones, similar to non-smoking areas. I know it seems harsh, but I just had a lovely dinner ruined by screaming kids the other night and am feeling rather biased. I think that well-behaved children are fine, but there is a problem with most of the kids right now.

champagnewishes -> RE: Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants (12/10/2005 6:38:03 PM)
Interesting topic....I will be glad to hear other's opinions on this. Having raised my own two children, I know there were times when as infants, they were fussy. Should I not go to restaurants and public functions for fear that there was a possibility that they could become fussy and disrupt someone? The difference I feel is I had enough common sense and empathy for those around me to take my children outside at these moments. (The same can be said about my smoking habit. I am very careful to walk a considerable distance away from where anyone is before I light up.) If everyone felt this way, I doubt there would be an issue. But I too have had many meals ruined due to some child screaming while the parents seem oblivious to it or are trying to “teach them a lesson by ignoring their outbursts” (at the expense of MY meal). Another contribution to situations such as this is we are becoming a very diversified multicultural country. For all I know, it could be acceptable for children to scream in restaurants in other cultures and the parents therefore do not think twice about the possibilities of disturbing others, as this is an excepted practice.

siamsa24 -> RE: Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants (12/10/2005 6:59:13 PM)
quote: The difference I feel is I had enough common sense and empathy for those around me to take my children outside at these moments. Many (dare I say most?) parents do not have this common sense and empathy. Taking it out of restaurants for a moment, I work retail. There is nothing worse then having a screaming child (notice I said child, old enough to know better) and the parents just continue to shop for HALF AN HOUR. Other people are trying to shop and people are trying to work. I don't have the option of leaving (which is what I will do most of the time) and have to try to work around some spoiled kid screaming because they can't have some stupid toy or something.

FelinePersuasion -> RE: Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants (12/10/2005 8:11:22 PM)
I think parents need to actually DO a job of parenting. I have had been in a pizza place an in walks a family and imediatly their 3 or 4 year old starts hooting and shouting and making all kinds of ungodly noises which his family happily did not mind while I did. It's not the restarants place or buisness to parent or police about kids. It's the parents job. If the little one is in there hooting and shouting and being loud it's the moms or dads job to say stop or we will go and follow through.

quietkitten -> RE: Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants (12/10/2005 10:30:49 PM)
I have no problem with kids in family restaurants, however, if I am spending a great deal of money for a good meal in a nice restaurant.. I feel differently. Nothing is more annoying than having small screaming children racing around when you are trying to have a romantic meal. It is also very unfair to the people who work there. I have seen servers lose entire trays of food after being tripped by unruly kids. As long as the children are old enough to understand proper behaviour and the parents take responsibility for their kids, there shouldn't be a problem. However, far too often the kids are allowed to do whatever they like. One small boy (probably four years old) wiped his snotty nose on my skirt... and his mother laughed and said " that is so cute!" You can probably guess that I didn't agree with her.

FelinePersuasion -> RE: Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants (12/11/2005 12:09:51 AM)
Ewww I hope you told her it wasn't cute

Manawyddan -> RE: Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants (12/11/2005 7:03:22 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: quietkitten One small boy (probably four years old) wiped his snotty nose on my skirt... and his mother laughed and said " that is so cute!" You can probably guess that I didn't agree with her. I hope you got in her face and yelled at her until she agreed to have the skirt professionally cleaned.

clover -> RE: Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants (12/11/2005 10:38:32 AM)
I had to vote for child-free zones, too. Of course, the ideal would be for parents to be mindful of others and to take their children out when they act up or get too loud - but, unfortunately, that's never going to be true for all parents. I don't think ALL restaurants need child-free zones. A pizza place or a family-type restaurant is a different matter. But when you're paying for wine and a nice, quiet romantic dinner, two children crying and whining at the next table over can really screw it up. Same goes for movie theatres, which I rarely go to anymore. You'd expect children in a PG movie or something geared toward families - but 3-year-olds running up and down the aisels at a 10:00 showing of Star Wars or War of the Worlds?! They should be at home in bed, not ruining a PG13 or NC-17 movie for adults. And forget trying to "sshh" them yourself. Last time I did that, the parents patted the kids on the head and looked at me like I was evil. sigh

MsSonnetMarwood -> RE: Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants (12/11/2005 11:35:27 AM)
I have had quite a few years of experience working in restaurants. Aside from the usual food-all-over-the-floor and screaming/noise issues, the following incidents stand out: - a child threw up on a table and the parent decided it was the buser's job to clean it up, even complaining to the manager afterwards because the buser clearly did not want to do it. - two children literally getting into a food fight, throwing fries and chips at each other, and the parents sat there doing nothing to stop them - multiple cases of waitstaff tripping over children who are allowed to run around a busy restaurant instead of sitting in their seats. One incident in particular, a child was under the table; the child (who was about 10) came out from under the table directly in front of a waitress; the waitress tripped hard over the child, dropped a heavy tray of food, fell hard against the wall then the floor and broke her wrist. Frankly I blame the parents for not teaching their children table manners, and I honestly think that's the only solution. I also think that if taking kids out to eat, that parents should take them to more "kid friendly" restaurants rather than fine dining, unless the kids are prepared to be that well behaved.

SirKenin -> RE: Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants (12/15/2005 4:41:35 PM)
I can not stand screaming or loud and obnoxious brats when I eat. It seems that the parent is oblivious to the fact that they are disturbing everyone in the restaurant. Their rights end where Mine begin, and I have the right to a quiet, peaceful, enjoyable dinner.

liltxsubby -> RE: Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants (12/15/2005 6:03:39 PM)
I voted for child-free zones. Not in family restaurants, but at a nicer restaurant it would be extremely nice. Unfortunately too many parents today won't make their children behave or take them out for a moment if they're screaming. I always felt somewhat guilty before when I wished a family with a passel of unruly, bratty loud childred would be asked to leave. What kind of selfish wench am I? Maybe from now on I will just keep glaring at the parents until I have bored holes in the back of their heads.

Taik -> RE: Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants (12/15/2005 7:35:43 PM)
Ultimatly parents need to take responability for their misbehaving child. It's a nice idea, but I doubt it would be very effective. Like the old smoking section with the smoke that drifts over, misbehaving kids will still be heard through the resturant and unless they are belted to the seat they are still going to get up and run around. So I dont see much reason for the law, only way to fix it is to grow better parents.

MsSonnetMarwood -> RE: Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants (12/18/2005 6:20:33 AM)
quote: I always felt somewhat guilty before when I wished a family with a passel of unruly, bratty loud childred would be asked to leave. What kind of selfish wench am I? Unfortunately the restaurant really can't ask them to leave, although it would be nice. I have asked parents to not let their kids run around the restaurant, citing that when it's busy the servers will run into them, but that's always met with glares from the parents LOL

michaelGA -> RE: Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants (12/18/2005 6:24:30 AM)
i think that, if parents can't control their kids, they shouldn't go out in the first place...the parents, that is. it's due to the lack of parental teachings and control that the kids run rampant in public.

MissA -> RE: Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants (12/18/2005 6:46:16 PM)
My vote would be kid-free for specific instances and times. I wish I knew where I saw this but I once saw a very smart reply to an argument from a mom complaining that the public should be more considerate of her and her loud children seeing as how she deserves a night out, can't afford a babysitter, it's nice having someone else clean up after them (ie: the waitstaff) and kids will be kids and so on. The retort actually came from another mother and went something along the lines of "Picture this - I'm a mother of 4 who rarely gets out. I've saved up money for a month and a half to afford a babysitter so my husband and I can go out and have a quiet dinner and a movie only to be greeted at both places by the familiar sounds of home (ie: rowdy children). I can relate to the stresses of parenting and the need for some reprieve but I also am entitled to my kid-free time" (it was written much better but that was the gist of it). My husband and I always have the very worst luck, I love kids, I dislike the parents who allow them to grow up without understanding in the slightest sense the meaning of respect. It never fails when we go to even an R rated movie in comes someone with several children who talk out loud, kick the chair, throw popcorn and numerous other things until I'm ready to get up and leave. I don't understand how with 10 empty rows all over the theater they have to park directly behind or in front of us! The other day a mom and 3 kids sat in the row right behind us (in a fairly empty theater no less) for an R rated movie and all I heard for the first 10 minutes of the movie was the mom asking out loud to the child in the chair behind me if she could see alright. I thought "No she can't see! You sat her behind two tall people!" Did she expect me to move? Oh and shushing? I got shushed back by one insolent brat the last time I tried that and the father just laughed when he did it. Grr...climbing off the soap box now. ~Ms. A~

Wildfleurs -> RE: Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants (12/18/2005 9:15:18 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: MHOO314 Living here in NC, I am amazed at the things this state can think of that's in the realm of the rediculous---the latest issue in My area deals with children in restaurants--it seems they want to pass a law that allows restaurants to offer a few options that would prevent or limit the amount of time children can be in a restaurant--of course I have My own humble opinions on this ( having raised a child that was welcome in any restaurant I selected from the time she was 7 months old--)--but I would like to hear from the rest of you---this poll does not address the 21 only restaurants or bars-- I find that when I want to go out and enjoy dinner, I don't want to have to deal with children. I have choosen not to have them, so why do I need to hear them screaming through the dinner I'm paying for? If the parents can't seem to control their children then I don't see anything wrong with a restaurant having a policy of not allowing children, just like some decided to be smoke free before the wave of laws. Or a simple comprimise would be to only allow children between fixed hours. C~

michaelGA -> RE: Children Free Restaurants or Areas in restaurants (12/18/2005 9:20:58 PM)
i love children, but the way parents are today, some shouldn't have any. i also don't think that punishing children by banning them from restaurants. my usualy occupation is a server in restaurants and i enjoy families that drop by. it would be a shame to illiminate shildren from public view. it's not right.

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