Posted by Karen Upright on June 25, 1997 at 17:14:02:
In Reply to: Re: Children and Restaurants posted by gretchen on May 25, 1997 at 21:57:12:
: hi i would just like to say that as chef and mother that it is the parents who make beastly kids and that also kids are kids but i guess you forgot that .my son on occasion has acted-up in a cafe or such but never on purpose to ruin anyones dining exper.i do agree with you on the irritation of parents who bring their kids in with happy meals that are unhealthy anyways. my son eats everything from cherrios to paella .
Gretchen:
I haven't forgotten that kids are kids. I don't expect a child to stop being a child for a few hours. I do expect parents to know their children's limit and not bring them out to eat once they've reached it.
It is clear that a number of parents don't care what their child does in a restaurant or in any other public place. As management, I feel I should have some role in controlling the environment of my dining room for the comfort of all of my customers. That includes adjusting air conditioning or music levels, turning off the ceiling fan, lighting candles, and expecting some level of socially acceptable behavior from all of my patrons, regardless of age. I feel equally strongly about my adult patrons who behave in an inappropriate manner, such as blowing a nose on a linen napkin, becoming loudly drunk, etc.
I have had some perfectly lovely children in the restaurant, I wouldn't have missed that opportunity. So what do I say, and how do I say it, when things do get out of control? You may be a responsible enough parent to remove your child if things get out of hand, but let me assure you, I have had children sitting on the floor, mashing a muffin into the carpet with a bread knife, running at top speed through the gift shop, playing video games in the dining room, leaning back in their chairs and falling into the pastry case, I could go on and on and on. Not every parent is caring and concerned, so how do you propose we address those who aren't?
Karen