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No screaming kids allowed

Posted: Sep 13, 2010

North Carolina Restaurant to parents: No screaming kids allowed

Restaurant to parents: No screaming kids allowed
Owner of Olde Salty restaurant in North Carolina spurs controversy with signs

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39075518/ns/today-parenti... /

On an airplane, in a movie theater or in a restaurant, the shrill sound of a childish voice raised in distress can resemble nails across a blackboard — especially when it’s not your child. Now one North Carolina eatery has drawn a line in the sand by posting signs prohibiting children’s uproar.

“Screaming Children Will NOT Be Tolerated!” say placards posted at the Olde Salty restaurant in Carolina Beach. N.C. And while the signs may seem to be telling some parents their patronage is unwelcome, restaurant owner Brenda Armes said it’s actually been a business boon.

“It has been a good thing for us,” Armes told NBC affiliate WECT. “It has brought in more customers than it has ever kept away.”

Indeed, a first-time diner at the Olde Salty told WECT he embraced the signage. “It’s not very enjoyable when you hear a bunch of kids screaming,” Gary Gibson said. “It’s nice to see a sign like that up.”

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Restaurants and screaming kids - OHMT

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It is about time restaurants start doing this, maybe others will follow suit when they see how much business it will bring in.

I work in a big box hardware store and would welcome this - sm

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I would also welcome keep your children from running around with no supervision. The heavy equipment (forklifts, pickers) are not toys, and we can't always see kids running in from no where. Neither are the heavy duty flat carts, ladders, and displays. If there is a chain up, it means you shouldn't go back there or climb on it. I am amazed at how many parents think it is cute to let their children climb all over this stuff.

Okay, rant over. It's been a Monday for sure! :)

screaming kids - bout time

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I wish wish wish that more restaurants and stores had "NO SCREAMING KIDS" signs! I support it.

I had even attempted resorting to shopping at a local Walmart late in the evening, while the stockers had the aisles all full of boxes and are throwing stuff around, you know, past 10 p.m. and there are still parents who have their little kids awake, screaming and running amok like wild children.

Oh, and heaven forbid you dare say something to the parent! I got knocked over by a boy about 11 years old at 11:30 p.m. on a school night and said something like "you know this isn't a playground, you've hurt me"... The mom SCREAMED and YELLED at me that "how DARE I scold her child, that I scared him, cussed at me, threatened me but sure didn't help me up! I got angry, asked for a store manager 'cause I hit my head on a shelf and the cans came down on me after, yet that lady and her brat disappeared.

I'm all for no screaming kids, no wild kids, no kids who don't know how to behave in public PERIOD! Parents too for that matter.

YES! Hallelujah! - MT

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I have 2 kids, 12 and 11, and I never took them out when they were hungry or tired, and only ever once had to leave a store because of a meltdown - and I left the full shopping cart the minute it started because I don't think the world needs to be subjected to my kids' behavior, unlike what seems like the majority of the population today. I wish EVERY restaurant and store had signs. AND I have a child with autism, so they SN moms who might jump on me and my "perfect" kids can jusy stuff it because I AM taking into account their issues. I still don't think the world needs to hear screaming kids.

Right on!!! - (sm)

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I was going to say the same thing, including that I have a child with autism. I don't like hearing screaming kids when I am out (or home for that matter ;)), and especially when the parents act like they do not hear it. I understand that there are single parents who may have to bring their kids to the stores with them, but I would not bring mine with me because I could not even concentrate on what I was trying to do (even if they weren't screaming, just trying to keep an eye on them -- think I'm undiagnosed ADD or something). I definitely would not have stayed in a restaurant and ruined everyone else's good time out if my child was screaming, and wish I could expect the same courtesy from others.

I make it a point NEVER to go to the supermarket - between 5 and 6 pm or so,

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when you've got an ear-splitting onslaught of moms who've just picked up their hungry, cranky, hyperactive, Ritalin-depleted kids from daycare.

I call that time the "Daycare Death Hour". I'm very sound-sensitive (which is what helps me to be good at MT). One time when I was already very much on-edge, I made the mistake of going to Safeway at the Death Hour, and just about every checkout aisle had the worst of the worst that night, all screaming like little banshees. I abandoned my full shopping cart, and fled from the store.

re: supermarket - good one

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I like that! "Daycare Death Hour". Going to keep that in mind forever to remind me not to go to the store during that hour!

My kids behave...most of the time... - Kendra

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and they are disciplined when they don't. My children do not run around in stores and they do not throw temper tantrums. Occasionally, one of them will cry in a restaurant. Usually because they are hungry and it is taking forever for the food to come out and short-lived, easily controlled with a trip to the restroom for an attitude adjustment. As far as children in Wal-Mart in the middle of the night--you never know the cicrumstances. My children, who are usually in bed by 7, 7:30 at the latest, were with me in Wal-Mart at 11:30 one night. They were tired, but behaving (they are barely 4 and 18 months). I had an older woman admonish me for having them out so late. What she did not know is that my husband is deployed and our dog's face swelled up to about twice it's normal size, so rather than let the dog die, I packed her up and the kids and we spent a couple of hours in the emergency vet's office. On the way home, we needed to buy Benadryl to continue treating her and Wal-Mart is what was open. Sometimes, maybe it pays to be a little more understanding. I would bet that your children were not ALWAYS the little angels you remember them to have been. My mother told me one day, "You would never have behaved that way!" about something that I remember doing.

AUTISM - mom

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I agree that screaming kids can cause a headache. Mine has a DISABILITY that sometimes can result in screaming anywhere at any time. I guess I will just have to chain my child to the house and never go out as SMALL MINDED people cannot understand that it is not always the parent's fault. Nice world we live in. My beautiful boy thanks you for your patience.

Oh please. Every restaurant does not have that sign up - see inside

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and there is a difference in a situation such as yours versus children who are just allowed to sit and scream and throw tantrums.

Talk about small minded.

Yes, but a buch of posters are saying... - Kendra

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that they wish that sign was up at every restaurant. Also, unless you took the time to ask, how would you ever distinguish that poster's child from the children who are just throwing tantrums? Sort of like the lady who took it upon herself to tell me I am a bad parent for the one night my children were up late--you would never know the circumstances. I think that sometimes older people forget how children sometimes act because they have not been around them. Actually, I thought that my older son was talking away at 18 months, which after watching an old video, I know that he wasn't, but it has only been 2 1/2 years. Think what happens in 18.

I have no interest in distinguishing screamers - from other screamers

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I just don't like to pay money to sit and be audibly tortured by screamers. I don't care if your child is screaming because he's handicapped, spoiled, tired, or just too precious to be trained to behave in public, I don't want to hear SCREAMING while I eat.

So if your child "needs" to scream, get takeout until you can train him not to scream. If he liked to play with his weiner in public instead of scream, should the rest of the world have to contend with that too? I don't think so! Socially unacceptable is what it is.

As I said, I do not tolerate that type of behavior from my children... - Kendra

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but what makes you so sure that you NEVER do anything in public that offends anyone? I don't know, like maybe talking about weiners in a public forum? Some might find that socially unacceptable.

Good for you but.... - sereneone

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you are more the exception than the rule. Last time we were out, a little boy, 3 or 4, was allowed to wander all over the restaurant while his parents sat at their table and finished their dinner. Not only was it disturbing to have a little kid run by, sometimes hitting your chair or purse, but one of the waiters was moving pretty quick, as they were busy, carrying a very large pizza (hot out of the oven) and didn't see the little kid until he almost ran him down. The guy had to stop so short that I thought the pizza was going to go flying off the platter. I don't think the parents even noticed..... if they did, they couldn't be bothered to make the kid sit down. That's far from the only time I've seen kids wandering restaurants while their parent(s) ate and ignored them even in very expensive restaurants. Don't know how many times I've been in a booth and had a hard rocker hitting the back of my seat or a kid standing in the booth peeking over at us. Sorry, I can't condone behavior that affects others. I like and enjoy children when they are WELL BEHAVED and I understand every child acts out sometimes (whether from boredom, hunger, or a disability) but it's the parents responsibility to make sure the child's actions don't affect others and most parents seem to have totally abdicated that duty. Ever heard of the expression "your rights end where my nose begins?" Well, my ears count too, as does my physical comfort and children need to be taught that - some adults too as well apparently from what I see every time I go out.

Until you mentioned the pizza, I was sure you - were talking about - s/m

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Pete's Harbor Restaurant in Redwood City. (They don't serve pizza). My BF and I were out there one night, and the same thing was happening. A couple let their two small children run throughout the dining area like it was their own backyard. They were even taking food off of people's plates! It was unbelieveable!

Needless to say, when the offending couple finally left the restaurant, the entire clientele STOOD UP AND APPLAUDED.

Oh yeah or pushing one's own agenda or constantly trying to - be the forum conscience. LOL

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Any of that ring a bell, Kendra?

Those actions would not be offensive, would they?

You're right, I am sure I offend people sometimes. - Kendra

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I certainly don't mean to. I was not pushing my agenda. I don't have one here. I suppose it's easy to single me out because at least I am not afraid to put my name behind what I say.

I was making a point - virgin eyes or what?

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I don't know why you want to argue about this. Why in the world would you try to excuse or condone behavior in stranger's children that you would not tolerate from your own? "Oh, maybe they have an excuse". Well, maybe I don't CARE what their excuse is. I didn't pay money to be tortured and hear excuses why its OK.

YOU SAID IT SISTER!!! - nm

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x

re: distinguishing screamers - me too

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I agree completely! If your child screams because of discomfort or pain or other factors TAKE YOUR CHILD OUTSIDE UNTIL THE SCREAMING SUBSIDES!

It of course in some instances is not the fault of the parent and there are indeed factors to consider, BUT it is just COMMON COURTESY to allow the others that are paying good money to eat out TO ENJOY THEIR MEAL!

When my grandson fusses, someone takes him outside to calm him down or otherwise entertain him. He does not have the patience for long meals and we are considerate of this fact.

Once, on a flight back to the states from Japan (loooong flight...) a little not quite a toddler girl was fussing and fussing. The mom looked exhausted and had another toddler to tend to. After several other passengers kept shooting her the evil eye, I got up and asked if she'd mild if I tried to console the infant. She was very appreciative and was able to tend to her toddler. The child just got fussy having to be seated for a long time and wanted to be walked about. She soon went back to sleep happily and after that other passengers also followed my lead. We helped out the mommy. It felt good and there was no further screaming on the flight.

NO SCREAMERS! NO CELL PHONE LOUD TALKERS TOO! NO VULGAR LANGUAGE IN PUBLIC TOO!!!

I wonder why she didnt think of maybe giving him - some Benadryl before the flight?

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He'd probably sleep right through most of it.

Because it is dangerous to give infants Benadryl... - Kendra

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and also because it sometimes has the opposite effect on children--does not knock them down, but gets them wired. I understand that many people have safely given their children Benadryl so that they will not have to deal with them, but what happens if my child is the one who has the band reaction--on a plane--and dies? I would never do it.

re: Benadryl - are you serious

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I hope you don't dope up your children when you have a long flight or ride. Really? Dope up the kid for a flight?
Nice... I think it was very nice of the person to help out the mom. I'd have done that too. I say NOPE TO DOPE(ing children).

Works for pets.... why not brats? - ;p

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X

RE: brats - a real mom

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I hope you don't have either.

Come down off your pedestal - Every parent uses drugs

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Do any of your precious darlings have a diagnosis that requires one of the designer drugs du jour, likd ADHD meds? Then yes, you do believe in drugging your kids. Ever give them aspirin or cold medicine? Then yes, you do drug your kids. Get them vaccinated? That's drugging them too.

re: pedestal - realmom2

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Don't try to back step or side step on what you wrote.

There is a HUGE difference in giving a child a vaccination or a medication via prescription under the care of a physician and giving them an OTC drug like Benadryl to FORCE THEM to sleep for your sake.

If you believe it's okay to drug animals and children for your own comfort then whatever. I think that's sad. I really also hope that you have neither also.

LMAO. If you have little ones, tell your pediatrician that - sm

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I have worked in a couple of physicians offices, one with a large volume of children patients. I would love to see the look on one of their faces for a parent giving their child Benadryl to sleep, so others are not bothered by them. They are a couple of different docs in particular I would love you to tell that to also. Maybe you could ask for some Phenergan with codeine if that didn't work. Go ahead and pull out the big guns. LOL

Since most of us are MTs, just curious, have you ever had patient's that were allergic to Benadryl, and I mean acutal allergic reactions. I have.

I am sorry for your son's disability, I have two cousins with autism. However, (sm) - anon

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when they become difficult to handle or starts screaming, my aunt and uncle first try taking one or both outside to calm them down and if that does not work then they leave out of courtesy to everyone else in the restaurant. No one is asking you to "chain your child to the house," or anything remotely close to that. Again, I am sorry for what you and your son are going through but do not use his illness as a crutch.

I agree. A screaming child by another name is - still a screamer. And if I have - sm

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paid good money to see a movie, or have a relaxing dinner and chat in a nice restaurant with a friend, I don't want to suffer while someone else is inflicting their child's NOISE POLLUTION on the entire place. Yes, crying/screaming kids & babies happen. But the POLITE, correct thing to do when that situation arises, is to TAKE THE CHILD OUTSIDE until he/she calms down, so everyone else can enjoy their meal or their movie, or the wedding, or whatever, in peace.

Ahhh Thank You!! There is some sanity left in this world - nm

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:) :) :)

I'd definitely eat at that restaurant! - sm

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I really don't have a problem with a child in distress. If a baby cries or fusses in church, I'm not annoyed. If a little one is uncomfortable in a grocery cart, no problem, if the parent is attending and trying to comfort the child. What I hate is screaming for the sake of screaming. I hate the I-want-my-way-now type screaming, and parents who let that continue, or allow their children to run around like little beasties. Yes, please do go somewhere else. Chuck E. Cheese will accommodate you.

LOL! OMG!!! Chucky Cheese! Now THAT is my - idea of pure He!! on earth! Aagghh!

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Good for them! My children NEVER acted like that in public - because I wouldn't allow it.

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Kudos.

After going to dinner last night with my hubby and having to listen to (sm) - Happy MTer

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a child who was about 2 years old scream for a solid hour, I welcome this and hope that more places adopt this. I raised two kids and have two grandchildren and there is no way that I would ever sit in a restaurant with one of them screaming constantly, I would have enough courtesy for everyone around me to take them outside. These parents or grandparents that had this child last night sat there the entire time that this child screamed, everyone was completely miserable. The staff at the restaurant told me that they come in once a week and that the child is always like this when they do. The shrill of this child was literally spine piercing and once she started screaming it would go on for about 10 minutes before they could calm her down only to have her start up again a few minutes later. Needless to say, it was a very miserable dinner.

Ive walked out of restaurants without paying because - management wouldnt ask parents - sm

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to take the screaming child outside.

Got a refund at the movies once, when I asked the manager to please remove screaming baby from theatre. He wouldn't do it (chicken!), so I asked for my money back, and got it.

If I had one behind me on a plane, I'd be tempted to go ask the flight attendants for a parachute!

Speaking of flights and - screaming younguns...sm

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On our way home from Montana last year at Christmas, our flight from Denver to Atlanta had a baby that cried THE ENTIRE 2 OR 3 HOURS!!! It was a late flight, we arrived in Atlanta at like 6ish in the morning, and that baby cried the entire flight! Now that was one miserable trip...

They should have special soundproof compartments - in which to place the screamers & parents.

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They have these in movie theaters in Portland - deenibeeni

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They call them "crying booths" and if you have a kid you can sit in this glass soundproof booth & enjoy the movie. Or I guess I should say, everyone else can enjoy the movie while mom sits in there with her screaming kid. It's great.

Ooooo, I LIKE that! I would enjoy the movie ever - so much more, if I knew that - sm

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the parent of the screamer was locked inside a soundproof booth with it. Don't you wish they had those EVERYWHERE?

I can't imagine how embarrassing that must be... - Kendra

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Which is exactly why I am having someone else watch my kids and house when I have to take a trip this month. I just can't imagine that my 18-month-old can handle a cross-country flight.

re: flight and screams - mommy of 1

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I had a horrible experience on a flight from Florida to New Mexico. My son has a history of having ear infections and has tubes. Before the flight I asked the doctor if it was okay to fly with my baby and he said yes it was.

Well, apparently the pressure change was too much and he began to get uncomfortable, that changed to fussy then escalated. His ear started draining and it became painful and he started crying. I was so upset and told the flight attendant I was sorry. MOst of the passengers were concerned and understanding (thank goodness), but of course it made the flight horrible for all of us.

A nurse on the flight helped with warm compresses and some Tylenol and that helped a little. He didn't scream the WHOLE flight, but was in pain and uncomfortable and it was NOT an easy flight.

Turned out a tube dislodged and his drum ruptured. We drove back home...

I am glad that some people stepped up to help and were understanding. Some kids do indeed cry for reasons other than tantrums.

At the mall, too - Don't like it either

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I get very irritated when parents think it's cute when their kids do the loud screaming (not crying) in public. It is so loud in the mall, and it goes on constantly. The kids do it all the time at home, so why not in public? One time, however, in a restaurant I sat across from a young couple with two little kids, the youngest not even a year old. The waitress just brought all their meals, and the kids were obviously tired and cranky. They both began to howl and scream, and to my surprise the parents quietly got up and left the restaurant even before they ate anything. I felt sorry for them. That was a restaurant in our mall,and I guess after shopping the kids were tired. I give the parents a lot of credit, but I felt bad that they couldn't even enjoy their dinner.

Screaming children - Pearl

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Fussing children are in stores late at night often due to mom\'s not having someone to care for them but most often so the kids will be so tired they will sleep late the next morning. I also took my kids to the bathroom for attitude adjustments or left the restaurant, etc.

One should have taken the kids outside and the other gotten to go containers - So they could have eaten at home

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That way they all could have at least eaten their dinner at home.

I applaud parents like that who do the right thing, especially since I've had it to do it myself once or twice (not with my daughter, who loved eating out and never tantrummed, but with my niece and nephew who were holy TERRORS up until they were about 10 or 12).

It takes sacrificing being a parent, and leaving a restaurant or store or the mall unexpectedly due to a child's sudden turn from Jekyl to Hyde is one of them.

We have left before eating - sm

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We had went to a restaurant with some friends and took all of the kids. We got a waitress who was working her first weekend, and after an hour or so of no food, we asked for them just to bring it in to go containers. It was an extreme amount of time. So much that 8 people got free meals. My kids were of course whinny by this time, and I did not blame them. It is not always the kid or parents fault. I mean they've watched people eating for over an hour without getting any food. My son who was about 7 ending up falling over asleep on the table. Was I upset with my kids for being whinny, no not in that situation.

ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS DISCIPLINE HAS CHANGED SO MUCH - Amy

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I am in my early 30s and I know that anytime I was in a store with my mom, I wouldn't have thought about yelling/screaming/throwing a tantrum or anything to that extent. If I got out of line I do remember a couple of times getting a pop to the mouth, slap to the arm, slap to the back of the leg, etc. I don't AT ALL feel my mom was abusive, that is how parents did it back then. Nobody in the store would look twice if a kid was out of line and had to get whacked by the parent.

NOW DAYS though, people are so against ANY form of physical discipline, they believe in "time out". So, how do you put your kid in time out while in the grocery store. Do I leave my cart there full of the groceries that we NEED in order to take him/her out of the store? Do I stand him/her in the corner of the grocery store for time out? The problem is not as much with the parents, I do not believe, as with society and government and people interfering on how we raise our children. I got my butt SPANKED when I got out of line as a child and I was a pretty darn good behaved child, I turned out pretty well, I believe.

Believe it or not, spanking is not illegal - in most states...

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It is only illegal if it gets out of hand and someone abuses his/her child. I am not above swatting my child in the middle of a store, but that's just me. :)

I think sometimes it depends on personality - sm

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I had very strict parents. My mother would tell you today that she would probably be arrested for child abuse. They do not believe in time out, counting, any of that. Lets just say her spanking, slapping, etc. did not do a lot for me except get me going. I had horrible temper tantrums. I would bang my head on the floor, hold my breath, spit. My mother would spank, get the belt, spank some more. I would just laugh, keep banging my head. I am let's say a "very determined" person. I don't blame my mother at all for spanking like that as that was how she was raised. I now have a son with the same temperment. I have learned if I want to get through to him there are other ways than beating the living crap out of him. Once the spanking starts, he is pretty much closed off just as I was. The feeling no pain sets in, and it is either physically hurt him badly or use other methods.

I actually have always excelled in school and other than the temper tantrums was a pretty good child.

Now for me personally, children bother me very little in a store or restaurant. I am usually bothered more by adults. I kind of expect kids to behave like kids. I do, however, expect adults to also behave like adults. I don't expect them to be talking loudly, gassy in public, talking on cell phones in inappropriate places, etc. Bet none of the commenters here do any of these annoying things.

"Time out" is such a JOKE. - So is "bargaining" with kids.

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My mom managed to ride herd on five of us, and keep us in line, by teaching us the meaning of the word "no" when we were in diapers. She'd say "NO!" and swat us on the butt. We learned that when she said "no", she meant it.

She didn't take infants or very small kids to sit-down restaurants, my parents hired babysitters so they could go to dinner and be able to control the kids they did take with them, if they took them. I remember them taking us one by one, once we reached age 5 or 6 or so, to a fancy restaurant for the first time. We learned that you can't always have hamburgers, that you cant comb your hair with your fork, and you have to use your indoor voice to speak.

It didn't matter whether we were in a restaurant or a fabric store. If we misbehaved, we had to either (a) sit out in the car if we were old enough, and (b) if we weren't, then she took us outside and we got a VERY stern warning. We only got ONE more chance to go back in the store, and we all knew better than to misbehave a second time.

If we were at church, anyone who cried or whined or acted up was taken outside by one of my parents. My mom also had a reward-system for good behavior. If we were being really good in church, she'd slip us a Lifesaver to suck on. Or else she'd give us little hand-held puzzles, or a piece of paper and a pencil to draw with. But, she was proactive... she didn't just sit there, let us misbehave, tune us out, and let everyone else suffer. As a result, all of us grew up with a CONSCIENCE when it came to making other people comfortable or uncomfortable.

My two cents (SM) - Situational Expectations

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First of all, I just want to preface my post by saying I have two different sets of expectations; those that I hold when dining at an establishment such as Denny's or IHOP (family-friendly eateries), where I fully expect to hear fussy children and an increased noise level in general, and then those to which I hold pricier, "nicer" eateries where I'm paying $30+ per plate for a "nice relaxing dinner." At finer eateries, I expect (and reasonably, I believe) to be able to sit and chat with my dinner companion, and a thoroughly enjoyable evening. The LAST thing I want to hear when I'm paying for such a dining experience is someone's annoyed/irritated/tantrumming child wailing at the top of its lungs with the parents seemingly oblivious to the situation and how grating it is to everyone else in the establishment.

A few years ago I had just started a new job in a new town, which coincided within 2 weeks of my parents' wedding anniversary. I chose the nicest restaurant in the area to take my parents to and made reservations. The night of our dinner, we checked in and were called to our table. At the next table over was a woman with whom I worked at my new job, her husband and their approximately 2-year-old son. She said hello, I said hello, and my parents and I sat down to look at the menu. The restaurant was gorgeous on the inside, very tranquil-appearing, dim lights, etc. We hadn't been seated for more than 10 minutes when the child of the woman with whom I worked began to whimper, which quickly escalated into very loud wailing; wailing so loud I couldn't hear myself think, much less even focus on the menu in front of me. I assumed this woman or her husband would shortly remove their child from the situation and take him outside or to the restroom area to calm him down.

Boy, was I wrong. For at least 30 minutes, this kid wailed at the top of his lungs. The ONLY attempt I heard from that table to calm down this crying, screaming, shaking tantrumming bundle of "joy" was, "Now, Dalton, stop crying for mommy," "Dalton, look at your food, it looks good!," "Oh, Dalton, I hope you're happier when we get back home," etc. All baby talk and no constructive action. Finally, after about 30 minutes of inflicting this child's tantrum onto at least 50 other diners, and only AFTER they had finished their dessert and wine, did this woman and her husband extract themselves from the situation and leave.

This not only pretty much ruined my plans for a nice relaxing dinner with my parents to celebrate their anniversary, but to be honest I never had much respect for this woman at work. Anyone who could be so freaking inconsiderate of everyone else at that restaurant and so wishy-washy in correcting their child's behavior really impacted my view of this woman, whether it be on a professional or personal level. Every time I saw her, all I could envision was that night at the restaurant, and I gave thanks under my breath that I didn't work directly with her.

On a closing note, I never did eat at this particular restaurant again. It was my feeling that in such a pricey establishment, the management should have at some point during that 30-minute ruckus have approached my co-worker and her husband and requested they take the child outside. If they couldn't give courtesy to the other 50 or so diners in their establishment paying through the nose for their meal (and presumably peaceful environment in which to enjoy the meal), they didn't deserve my business or hard-earned money.

I would be angry in this situation, as well... - Kendra

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For Valentine's Day, when my oldest son was 6 months old, we went to a restaurant for dinner. We had never been there and, from the outside, could not tell how fancy it was. It was nicer than I would have brought the baby to and he started crying after we had been there about 15 minutes (we went out at 4:30 to miss the rush). When it became clear that he was not going to get better and was probably heading for a total meltdown, we paid for our drinks (we had not ordered yet) and left. Clearly, I cannot discipline a 6 month old, but see no reason to ruin everyone else's meal. On the flip side, when he was 9 months old, our power went out and we went to the Family Pancake House to eat. He was laughing and playing in his high chair and an older woman was angry because she thought he should be completely silent--at the Family Pancake House. I think that there is a bit of ridiculousness on both sides of the aisle.

My boyfriend and I used to go to a family-style - restaurant called Lyons all the time -

[ In Reply To ..]
because it was open late, and we always ate dinner late. In the waiting area near the front door, they had a sign pointing to the smoking section and the non-smoking sections of the restaurant. We of course always sat in non-smoking.

But, on that night, someone in non-smoking had an infant in a car-seat-type carrier on top of their table, screeching its lungs out while they ignored it and ate. My BF knew my low tolerance for that sort of noise pollution, and my propensity for walking out of restaurants that contained screaming babies. So when the guy comes to seat us, the BF asks, "Do you have a NO BABIES section?" The guy knew exactly what we were talking about. So, he led us 'way to the back, opened up a little special section they had for parties only, and let us have the whole section to ourselves.

Needless to say, we not only had a peaceful dinner and a nice conversation all evening, but we also gave that waiter a HELLA good tip!

Makes me glad I live in NC!! - lol

[ In Reply To ..]
I can't believe how much controversy this has caused on this board.

Look, the bottom line is that they are not saying they don't want kids in their restaurant. They aren't saying they don't like kids. They are just saying that if you bring your kid and they start screaming/having a fit/whatever, TAKE THEM OUTSIDE because it will not be tolerated.

That's all. That's it. It is not a reflection on anyone's parenting. They are not calling kids brats. BTW, this restaurant is at the beach (I live near there) and there are A LOT of children around on a daily basis, especially in the summer.

They are trying to create a peaceful atmosphere for diners as well as the people who work there.

Between my boyfriend and I, we have 6 children ranging from 5 to 12 years old. NONE of them throw fits or scream in stores or restaurants because they have been taught not to. My son pulled that ONE time in a store when he was 3. He wanted a toy and I said no.

I immediately picked him up (he had thrown himself on the floor) and we left the store and went home.

He is 12 now and has NEVER EVER thrown a fit anywhere since.

If you take offense to this restaurant openly stating what people often would like to say when a child starts screaming, then maybe you have a child who is guilty of screaming and throwing fits in public.

I, for one, think it's brilliant and am not offended in the least.

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