# Restaurant Bans Screaming Kids, Business Booms



## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Now I don't mind kids being kids, but I HATE it when parents let their kids misbehave without so much as a glance in their direction. I'd go to this restaurant ....

*Restaurant Bans Screaming Kids, Business Booms*
By Ben Popken on September 8, 2010 3:00 PM 0 views









http://consumerist.com/2010/09/restaurant-bans-screaming-kids.html

The female owner of a North Carolina restaurant has put up a new sign on its front door saying, "Screaming children will not be tolerated."

The restaurateur says she got sick of customers complaining about parents who couldn't control their kids during meals, treating the restaurant like their personal playground, misbehaving and squawking.

If a kid starts screaming, an employee will ask the parent to please take the child outside.

"We want to attract the type of people that come in knowing they aren't going to have to sit behind a table with a bunch of screaming children," the owner said.

Asked for her opinion, one mother said that she had never seen such a sign and that, "You can't help it if your kids scream."

The restaurant says it's brought them more new business than it's driven away.


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Any "parent" who says they can't help it if their kid screams in a restaurant needs to go have parenting lessons. 

When our three children were little we would enagage their attention as soon as we sat down at the table. We played word games and trivia things with them as soon as they were able to talk. Heck, they are teens now, and still enjoy doing that. We routinely had people from neighboring tables tell us how peasant it was to sit near us and our well-behaved & smart children. And how nice it was to see families engaging in conversations with each other. Never ever did we have a kid start screaming in a restaurant.

Word games we played, Last letter/first letter. Whatever the last letter of that word was, the next person had to come up with a word that started with it. When they were little, we took any word given. As they got older, we updated the rules. sometimes we picked a subject, like locations.. every word had to be a physical place. Could be planets, galaxies, or streetnames, citynames, whatever, it just had to be a location, or.. food... or whatever the agreed upon subject was.


----------



## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

I hate when parents let their kids scream at the table or run around. I also hate parents that let their kids make huge messes at the table and don't make any attempt to clean up after them. Also the ones that hand the babies the salt and pepper shaker and sugar bowls to play with... EW! Do you know how many hands have been on those?

I constantly have people in restaurants tell me how well behaved my children are (they see a table with 4 kids and usually panic). We eat out a lot and there have been plenty of times that hubs and I have taken turns eating because one BRAT or another has decided they can't behave and we've taken them out to the car.

I don't buy that a parent can't keep their kid from screaming at the table.. Take them outside!

Ok, sorry. This is a HUGE peeve of mine.


----------



## loonlover (Jul 4, 2009)

We'll join you also.  II and I have often said we would like there to be adult only areas in some of the restaurants we frequent.   We have asked to be seated elsewhere after being led to a table that was too close to a table with multiple children under 4 or 5.  Our sons were taught how to be considerate of others when dining out.  They knew very early on that they would be removed from the restaurant if they misbehaved.  We've often commented that our oldest has done well in the food service business because he was exposed to eating out at a very early age and he learned what was expected and accepted by customers.


----------



## loonlover (Jul 4, 2009)

BTackitt said:


> Any "parent" who says they can't help it if their kid screams in a restaurant needs to go have parenting lessons.


And one of those parenting lessons should be that you don't wait so late to eat that the kids are starving.


----------



## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Oh how I wish we had one of those here. And stores  

I try to sit as far away from kids as I can. I do not go to family friendly restaurants and buffets anymore. Once I saw kids just sticking their hands into the food at Golden Coral, that was the end for me.  

And don't get me started on the kids parents let run around and bug the rest of us. They come over while I try to eat and start talking, trying to sit on the chairs on our table. Sorry, I don't have kids, I don't find your kids adorable as you do, I don't want to have a conversation with your kid  

All the while I have no clue who these kids belong to, nobody seems to care. 

Now to some scream free stores


----------



## P.A. Woodburn (May 22, 2010)

I find screaming kids very irritating in restaurants, bookstores and movie theatres.
Ann


----------



## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Cobbie said:


> All new parents need to be reminded that nobody thinks their little precious is as cute as they think he is. Grandparents (sometimes) excepted....


Whew! 

It sounds like a wonderful restaurant. I won't go to our local Applebees on Wednesday evenings because that is "kids eat free" night(mare).

We also expected (and got) exceptional behavior at restaurants from our kids and I don't think the rules will change for our "cutest thing ever born" GS. Young kids usually live up to the expectations of their parents/grandparents-if they know they won't get away with poor behavior, they behave.

ETA: Oooh, this was my George Orwell post, I hit 1984!


----------



## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

My son was born hyperactive.  He was a terror on wheels and despite counseling, ritalin, special diet, special schooling, special everything, but he was practically uncontrollable.  For the first three years of his life, the doctors and phsychiatrists tried everything with very little effect.  It was impossible to take him to restaurants, theaters, shopping malls, anywhere in public.  The only problem was that Grandma just couldn't believe it.  She insisted that she could control him.  It was a family tradition each Christmas Eve to dress up in formal attire and go out to one of the better restaurants in the south Florida town where she lived and have a big family meal.  She was finally convinced that it was not such a good idea to bring junior with us on his third Christmas when he plucked a roll from her plate and threw it half way across the restaurant into a very well dressed lady's soup.  Some people are hard to convince... Me? If you can't control the child, hire a sitter or stay home!  And that comes from one who knows what its like on the other side.  Now, whenever I see rowdy kids where they should not be, it makes me angry to think that I never inflicted mine upon anyone without good reason.  I applaud the lady.


----------



## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

I'd eat there too.



> Asked for her opinion, one mother said that she had never seen such a sign and that, "You can't help it if your kids scream."


What about duct tape? That'll stop the screaming.


----------



## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I would like to see a trend of restaurants with this policy.  Stores and locker rooms could use this too.  I appreciate all the comments here, because I sometimes think I'm the only person who can't tolerate this.  I walk out of stores when kids scream.


----------



## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

T.L. Haddix said:


> Slightly off topic, but how do you deal with someone who brings their kids to your house and just lets them run wherever they want to? As we don't have kids, I haven't kid-proofed my house. I shouldn't have to worry about my mother's glassware being broken because the kids got too rambunctious. My cats shouldn't have to hide in terror because your kids are chasing them. One of my cats is elderly, and she doesn't need the stress. Anyone have advice on how to gently broach this topic?


I don't know anyway to stop this other than just coming right out and telling the parents that you have some rules for the kids to follow for their own safety as well as for your own sanity. Then just lay down the rules. If that doesn't work, then don't invite them back.


----------



## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

Haha, that is an awesome sign. I think more places could use a ban like that...


----------



## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Next step: build a Faraday cage around the place so nobody's cell phone will work inside of it.


----------



## hsuthard (Jan 6, 2010)

Honestly, I can't recall the last time I noticed a screaming child in a restaurant, and certainly have never had a meal ruined due to screaming kids. Where are you guys eating? 

I think the sign is rude and would refuse to eat there.

ETA: If you're rude enough to post such a crass sign, shouldn't you expect rude behavior from your customers in return? What an awful example they're setting with those manners!


----------



## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

It's sad that it TAKES a sign like this to make parents act responsibly.  If your child starts to scream, take him or her outside.  Yes, it's a bother, and you'll have some cold dinners, but it's the only polite thing to do.  And as BT said, if you engage your kids from the beginning, most of the time there won't be any screaming.

There's an Italian restaurant a few miles from here that has a separate room for kids to play, visible to the parents, so that adults can linger over their meal and the kids can go play when they're finished.  I've never been there but I understand that this feature makes it hugely popular.


----------



## Shawna (Feb 25, 2009)

I have a 4 year old son and 2 year old daughter and we eat out multiple times per week.  If one of our children start with any whining or  fussing one of us takes them outside to settle down and then back in.  If they can't keep it together after that then we ask for to-go boxes and one adult stays and pays and the other heads out the door with the monkeys.  

They are far from perfect children and we are far from perfect parents but, we do our best to be sensitive to others - I don't believe there has ever been screaming out of our kids.

So, if you see us in a restaurant don't be afraid to sit close to us.  

As far as the sign goes, I wouldn't eat there with my kids - I would feel like we were under a microscope and it would be very uncomfortable.  I too find the sign rude.


----------



## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I have a restaurant near me that banned children for a while... It's called A Taste of Heaven... they have since softened their stance to a similar one as the OP. I am a big fan.


----------



## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

pidgeon92 said:


> I have a restaurant near me that banned children for a while... It's called A Taste of Heaven... they have since softened their stance to a similar one as the OP. I am a big fan.


I was just wondering if there were any places that completely banned kids. Honestly sometimes I go out and don't want to be bumped into by kids running all over the place and have to listen to their screaming (happy or upset, I don't care. It's high-pitched and obnoxious). If a sign like that deters people from bringing their kids in, I can see how it would attract a lot of others who just want to relax and eat a quiet meal. I just wish grocery stores would do the same thing!


----------



## loonlover (Jul 4, 2009)

Jessica Billings said:


> Honestly sometimes I go out and don't want to be bumped into by kids running all over the place and have to listen to their screaming (happy or upset, I don't care. It's high-pitched and obnoxious).


You bring up a good point - the screaming is not always because the child is upset. It seems that many of today's parents believe their children should be allowed to express themselves in ways that are disruptive and jarring on other people's nerves. I don't remember either of my son's screaming just to be screaming, yet it seems like I witness this almost every time I am grocery shopping as well as eating out.

The sign may be rude, but is it any ruder than my evening out being ruined because children have not been taught any decorum or consideration of other people?


----------



## D. Nathan Hilliard (Jun 5, 2010)

As a parent, I agree that if you "can't help it if your kid misbehaves" then you are in the wrong line of work. 

But there is another side to that story. Teaching kids to behave requires disciplining them, and a lot of the people who complain about misbehaving kids are the same people who are shocked and outraged if they witness a parent disciplining a child. And yes, while it should be kept to a minimum, corporal punishment has to be included in any realistic set of discipline options. A kid who pushes boundaries and discovers that a sternly issued "no" is the worst he has to fear in the immediate future can be a real handfull. 

So parents often get caught in the crossfire of this issue. Personally, I've found that it's best if parents stick to certain resturants where that kind of thing is more accepted, and not try for the nicer places until their kids are older and better able to behave.


----------



## Lyndl (Apr 2, 2010)

I'd eat in that restaurant myself but I probably wouldn't take kids there.


----------



## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

More so than restaurants, I see this kind of behavior in stores and at the movies.  Parents do their shopping while their precious bundles of joy play tag in the aisles.  Or they let the baby cry through the movie.

I had one boy (I'd guess 8ish), after running past me 4 or 5 times and being chased, run face first into my shopping cart when he took a corner too tight.  I knew his mother was just behind because they kept running up and asking her for stuff.  I just looked at him and said, "See? That's what you get for not looking where you're going."  His mother ran over to see if he's OK and just glared at me for calling her little monster out.  By then I was hoping she'd say something to me cuz I was ready to read her for her poor parenting skills ....


----------



## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

I once sat in a restaurant and saw a child of about 4 or 5 years old walk systematically around the empty tables near where her mother was sitting (too busy chatting on her phone) and pick up and _lick_ all the knives and forks. Her mother could quite clearly see what she was doing and made no attempt to stop her. It was left to me to call a member of staff over and point out the tables she had been to. There were about six tables that had to be relaid and I was amazed that the mother wasn't asked to leave or at the very least told to control her child. While the child might not have been old enough (or well taught enough) to know better, there's simply no excuse for the mother's behaviour.


----------



## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

Cobbie said:


> When my daughter was around 10 yrs. old we took a two-week Canadian bus tour. When we arrived the morning of our departure I could see the look of disbelief and trepidation on the faces of the others in our group. They soon were pleasantly surprised when they found their youngest traveling companion to be a quiet, polite little girl. I can't take full credit....her sweet, calm nature played a huge part in this. She made me proud and has continued to do so by following the same path with her daughter.


We haven't tried anything like that, but since birth my son (now 4yo) has been taken to funerals and recently a friend's wedding anniversay party (where other children were promised but never showed). In all cases, when we were ready to depart and were saying our goodbyes, folks comment that they forgot that our son was even there. He seems to know that there is a time and place for certain behavior.

That said, we have threatened to take him to car when out eating or shopping. Only once did we have to follow through. Let's hope this continues. We like being able to take him with us and he likes the "adventures".


----------



## arshield (Nov 17, 2008)

I am a nanny, so I have some experience with kids.  I was walking out of a baseball game last summer and a group of about 8 or 9 boys (around 9 to 10 years old) were running in a very crowded area and bumping into lots of people.  After two bumped into me I said, "guys slow down please, someone is going to get hurt."  Then a woman that I assume was a parent of one of them chewed me out for talking to them.  (The boys continued to run around and create mayhem.)  A couple others that were around and I didn't know interjected and said the boys were creating a problem but she ignored them (the boys were a good block in front of her by this time.)

At the same time I appreciate places that are family friendly and support them (but expect the kids I am with to behave.)


----------



## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

arshield said:


> I am a nanny, so I have some experience with kids. I was walking out of a baseball game last summer and a group of about 8 or 9 boys (around 9 to 10 years old) were running in a very crowded area and bumping into lots of people. After two bumped into me I said, "guys slow down please, someone is going to get hurt." Then a woman that I assume was a parent of one of them chewed me out for talking to them. (The boys continued to run around and create mayhem.) A couple others that were around and I didn't know interjected and said the boys were creating a problem but she ignored them (the boys were a good block in front of her by this time.)
> 
> At the same time I appreciate places that are family friendly and support them (but expect the kids I am with to behave.)


You triggered a memory! When I worked in the library a similar incident happned. The kids were old enough to know better and I asked them to behave. I don't remember what I said but Mom stood up and chewed me out for speaking to her children like that. So I politely informed her that if she and her children could not behave they would be leaving.


----------



## Alle Meine Entchen (Dec 6, 2009)

arshield said:


> I am a nanny, so I have some experience with kids. I was walking out of a baseball game last summer and a group of about 8 or 9 boys (around 9 to 10 years old) were running in a very crowded area and bumping into lots of people. After two bumped into me I said, "guys slow down please, someone is going to get hurt." Then a woman that I assume was a parent of one of them chewed me out for talking to them. (The boys continued to run around and create mayhem.) A couple others that were around and I didn't know interjected and said the boys were creating a problem but she ignored them (the boys were a good block in front of her by this time.)


back when DH was single, he would go to a church that focused on singles. One woman was a single mother of 2 kids who had no disipline @ all. They would run around screaming, hitting people, etc. What was their mother doing? Covering her face w/ her hands and crying saying things like, "I'm so embarassed!". I have a 16 month old and we go places w/ her. When she starts to behave, I try to distract her and if that doesn't work, I leave w/ her. In church I take her to the nursing mother's room, sit her in the rocker, hold her and wait for her to calm down. I see kids who are 8 yrs old roaming the halls and not behaving as I was raised to behave in a church. I've also seen other parents allow their kids to play after they threw a major tantrum b/c they weren't allowed to play when they were supposed to be quiet. Yeah, the Boss (DD) is screwed. Of the 2 of us, DH is much looser w/ behavior than I am and I'm the SAHM, so she's screwed.



D. Nathan Hilliard said:


> As a parent, I agree that if you "can't help it if your kid misbehaves" then you are in the wrong line of work.
> 
> But there is another side to that story. Teaching kids to behave requires disciplining them, and a lot of the people who complain about misbehaving kids are the same people who are shocked and outraged if they witness a parent disciplining a child. And yes, while it should be kept to a minimum, corporal punishment has to be included in any realistic set of discipline options. A kid who pushes boundaries and discovers that a sternly issued "no" is the worst he has to fear in the immediate future can be a real handfull.


This is something I'm currently dealing w/. We heat w/ natural gas space heaters that get hot (duh) in the winter time. We've been teaching the Boss not to touch them since she was 6 months old and crawling over to them. @ 16 months, she's pushing the boundries and touching them. They are not on, but we slap her hand and tell her it's hot and not to touch it. We've never slapped so hard we've left a mark, but she leaves the heaters alone for 10 mins.


----------



## CNDudley (May 14, 2010)

Linjeakel said:


> I once sat in a restaurant and saw a child of about 4 or 5 years old walk systematically around the empty tables near where her mother was sitting (too busy chatting on her phone) and pick up and _lick_ all the knives and forks. Her mother could quite clearly see what she was doing and made no attempt to stop her. It was left to me to call a member of staff over and point out the tables she had been to. There were about six tables that had to be relaid and I was amazed that the mother wasn't asked to leave or at the very least told to control her child. While the child might not have been old enough (or well taught enough) to know better, there's simply no excuse for the mother's behaviour.


Yes, I do wonder if the sign should be amended to outlaw the parents, rather than the kids. Kids are supposed to push the envelope and see what they can get away with, and it's up to us parents to squash 'em back down.

On the other hand, as a mom of three, I sometimes _enjoy_ being in a restaurant with misbehaving children, especially if my own kids aren't with me. Schadenfreude!

Remember that Cosby Show episode? Cliff and Claire out to a nice dinner, and Claire says, "Oh, Cliff, think about it! If we hadn't had children, we wouldn't know the joy of leaving them at home."


----------



## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

Cobbie said:


> I and my children grew up in the era of spanking as a tool for discipline....nothing major....it was just the way of life with disciplining at that time. I think we all turned out fine. The professionals now tell us that type of discipline is wrong, is considered abusive and increases the tendency for abuse in these future generations. While _intellectually_ I feel they might be right, _emotionally_ I think that is why some kids are running amok today.
> 
> Before anyone lambasts me for this statement please read my wording very carefully.


I have no issue with the way you worded that and at times, I almost agree with you! However, I do take issue when people insist (intellectually and emotionally!) that it's the reason kids misbehave so badly. I worked as a nanny over the summer for some very spoiled little kids who had no concept of being polite and how to act in public (or at home), probably because their parents both worked and the kids were getting passed around from babysitter to babysitter. My bf's mom (who I was living with at the time) kept insisting their behavior was so terrible because their parents didn't spank them and her kids turned out so well because she spanked them, and all parents should spank their kids, it was the reason kids were so terrible today, etc.

My parents never spanked me! I feel offended when people blast parents who don't spank their kids because they think it's spoiling them and teaching them they can behave however they want. I was one of those really quiet kids who knew not to throw tantrums because I would get things taken away from me, or had to sit in time-out. I have no problem with parents who DO spank their kids and I don't think it's traumatizing to the kids, if done right. I would never spank a kid because it wasn't how I was raised, but I would never tell a parent to stop spanking their kid. On the same hand, I don't want people saying that I was raised wrong and that all children need to be spanked in order to learn.

Again, I have no issue with what you said, Cobbie. It just reminded me of that rant.


----------



## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

That's wonderful. Wish more restaurants would do the same.

Terry


----------



## Dawn McCullough White (Feb 24, 2010)

CNDudley said:


> Yes, I do wonder if the sign should be amended to outlaw the parents, rather than the kids. Kids are supposed to push the envelope and see what they can get away with, and it's up to us parents to squash 'em back down.
> 
> On the other hand, as a mom of three, I sometimes _enjoy_ being in a restaurant with misbehaving children, especially if my own kids aren't with me. Schadenfreude!
> 
> Remember that Cosby Show episode? Cliff and Claire out to a nice dinner, and Claire says, "Oh, Cliff, think about it! If we hadn't had children, we wouldn't know the joy of leaving them at home."


Oh yes. And then I'd have the opportunity to pat myself on the back for being a wonderful parent too.
Dawn


----------



## caseyf6 (Mar 28, 2010)

I don't think the sign is rude at all.  Our local library has said, point-blank (and it is posted EVERYWHERE) that if kids under 10 are seen without their parents, CPS will be called.  End of story.  This keeps the kids from running around because parents MUST watch them.  

A business has a right to keep the atmosphere a certain way for its customers, IMO.


----------



## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

Geoffrey said:


> I had one boy (I'd guess 8ish), after running past me 4 or 5 times and being chased, run face first into my shopping cart when he took a corner too tight. I knew his mother was just behind because they kept running up and asking her for stuff. I just looked at him and said, "See? That's what you get for not looking where you're going." His mother ran over to see if he's OK and just glared at me for calling her little monster out. By then I was hoping she'd say something to me cuz I was ready to read her for her poor parenting skills ....


This has happened to my friend when I was out with friends....This was at the Strip too. We were standing in line for snackage. My friends and i were shopping and the kid chipped her, but hit and tore the bag. The little knick knacks we picked up for prom falling, but the kids keep running. Parents saw was happened, but left the mess us. Luckily, a clerk at a nearby store bought a bag out after having seen what had happened from the store window.


----------



## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

I think that, for those who think the sign (and the restaurant) is rude, there is a point of law/consideration here.
The restaurant has to be crass enough to warn you what kind of behavior will not be tolerated.
It would be bad of them to ask you to leave if they had not told you beforehand that that is what they would do.

I stopped going to lunch at the Ruby Tuesday/Applebee/Friday's restaurants around a couple of NoVA malls because some parents "of an age" were bringing in their children for a "parental unit day out" and then ignoring them.  They seemed to expect the restaurant staff to babysit.  These children were running all over the place putting their hands on other peoples tables and plates as well as just helping themselves to the salad bar without benefit of a plate.

This is just wrong.

I applaud any restaurant that takes steps to discourage such behaviour.

My three sons were more than a handful (two of them were twins) and so we did not go out for several years because we did not want to leave them at home and COULD not take them with us.  That is what responsible parents do.  They do NOT inflict their problems on other people.

Just sayin......


----------



## originalgrissel (Mar 5, 2010)

hsuthard said:


> Honestly, I can't recall the last time I noticed a screaming child in a restaurant, and certainly have never had a meal ruined due to screaming kids. Where are you guys eating?
> 
> I think the sign is rude and would refuse to eat there.
> 
> ETA: If you're rude enough to post such a crass sign, shouldn't you expect rude behavior from your customers in return? What an awful example they're setting with those manners!


There is nothing rude about a business stating that disruptive behavior will not be tolerated in their establishment. It's a matter of respect. If people are going to bring their children with them when they go out to eat then they need to be respectful of the other patrons and the people that work there by controlling their children while they are there. People that allow their children to scream, run around, and interfere with wait staff, pose a danger to wait staff, other patrons and themselves and they disrupt the enjoyment of other people's meals with their behavior. This business owner simply wants to let parents know that that kind of behavior will not be tolerated, so they can make an informed choice about eating there. If you know that your children are hellions that can't behave you know not to take them to a restaurant where their behavior won't be acceptable.

You may think that's rude, but I think that children acting like wild animals in public (and trust me I have seen it MANY times) is rude. There is an epidemic of permissive parenting going on in the world and it makes me want to scream. Children are allowed to get away with any kind of bahavior toward their own parents and stranges and it's just sad. I have two children and they were taught how to behave in public and if they did not follow the rules they knew that there would be consiquences for their misbehavior. They have grown up to be two of the most mature, respectful, well-mannered kids I've ever seen. They learned that you treat others the way you want to be treated and that includes strangers in restaurants. I distincly remember being in a Golden Corral one night with my sister, my husband and both my children when they were quite a bit younger and while many of the other children in the place were running around and being loud and disruptive my kids were sitting in their seats, eating their meal and talking with us. An older couple that had been sitting near us got up to leave and as they passed our table the woman turned to me and said, "I just wanted to say how well-behaved your children are.". It was one of the nicest things anyone could have said to me as a parent because I knew that I was doing my job well. To this day, my kids (who are now 16 & 13) shake their heads in annoyance when they see kids acting wild out in public. They don't appreciate having to deal with other people's bad parenting anymore than most adults do.


----------



## sherylb (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't think the sign is rude and unfortunately I have seen the need for something like it too many times in too many situations.  

I have a booth at my local arts fair every year where I sell jewelry that I make. My tables are not raised on purpose so people (including kids) can see and touch my jewelry and I also demonstrate making chainmaille jewelry. Anyway, I have no problem with the respectful children, and there are a lot of them out there, who are interested in what I am doing and I encourage them pick pieces up and hold them and talk about the process. I even have special items just for kids. 

What I have learned over many years of being a vendor, is that I have to be proactive and very direct when I perceive that a situation is developing and I have no problem asking a child to step back from my tables with that snowcone, or if they are just messing everything up because they are bored. If the parent has a problem with me talking to their child, I ask politely if they are willing to pay for any damages and they usually move on. I just wish I could talk to the dog owners that way without being crucified!


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

To any who think they find this sign rude... do you find it rude at before a movie for the little warning that comes on the screen that says please no talking during the movie & turn off your cellphones? Same type of situation.. 1 person's/child's rights are not inviolate if they impinge on anothers. Rude screaming kids are disruptive to restaurants (which can mean the business loses customers & $$) just like people talking to each other/ or on a cellphone during a movie.


----------



## Alle Meine Entchen (Dec 6, 2009)

> But not all agree: In fact, one local woman told the station she believes the sign is downright illegal. Kelly Chambliss, the mother of an autistic child, accused Armes of discriminating against special-needs children.
> "I think she needs to meet some of these kids, and I think she needs to see that they are awesome," Chambliss told WECT. "Please don't shut them out because they don't fit in the perfect box everyone wants them in."


This is what gets me. From my (very) limited understanding of autism, most autistic children wouldn't like being in a resturant where people would stare or touch them. Plus, I wouldn't want to go to a place that would be difficult for my limitations (ie, if allergic to seafood, I wouldn't go to Red Lobster).


----------



## originalgrissel (Mar 5, 2010)

> But not all agree: In fact, one local woman told the station she believes the sign is downright illegal. Kelly Chambliss, the mother of an autistic child, accused Armes of discriminating against special-needs children.
> "I think she needs to meet some of these kids, and I think she needs to see that they are awesome," Chambliss told WECT. "Please don't shut them out because they don't fit in the perfect box everyone wants them in."


Ok, this quote really irked me. I have a number of special needs kids in my family & love them to death, but I find it ridiculous that this woman is playing the victim card by acting as if special needs children are being targeted with this businesses policy. This business is not setting out to descriminate against kids with special needs. They are trying to give their patrons a pleasant environment in which to dine and they have every right to. And while, yes, some special needs kids can get a bit loud in public and sometimes be disruptive, generally it is something not done out of ill manners but because they simply are unable to control the behavior or their condition makes it difficult for them to express themselves in another way. It's an involuntary reaction to the environment, not just bad behavior and I think generally people understand that. It seems as though this business owner is more concerned with children who act that way willfully, who are not supervised while in the restaurant, who are disruptive not because of some condition that is out of their control, but becuase they have just never been taught to behave. They make a nuisance of themselves.

That being said, if parents, even those with special needs children, are not prepared or equipt to make sure their children are behaving appropriately and are unwilling to remove them from the situation if their behavior becomes inappropriate, than why should everyone else have to suffer for it? Having a disablity does not mean you are exempt from following the rules and it does not mean you should automatically get a pass when you are acting inappropriately. And if parents of special needs children want their children to be treated like everyone else's than they should expect that they must follow the same rules as everyone elses children.


----------



## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

When my second grandson was 2 1/2 to 3 years old he was horrible to take out to eat. His other grandparents would allow him to get out of the high chair and run around. When you tried to put him back in the tantrum would start. I told my daughter that until he could behave I would not take him. We hired a babysitter and left him behind. He was really smart and when he would start crying to go we would tell him when he was big enough to sit at the table and not cry he could go with us. After being left behind a couple of times he decided that he would sit in his chair. He never gave us another minute of trouble in a restaurant. When boy #3 came along my daughter did not want to go through that again and never started letting him get up. All 3 boys were so easy after that to take out to eat.


----------



## 4Katie (Jun 27, 2009)

> It's sad that it TAKES a sign like this to make parents act responsibly.


Honestly. Maybe they should ban parents who don't know how to raise their children, and don't have the good sense to take them away if they can't control themselves. And let's face it, children can't always control their behavior, no matter how good their parenting has been.

I know some adults that I'd like to never see in public because they can't control their behavior...


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

DH & I did a date night tonight.... we were seated next to a table with 2 little kids, abiout 2 & 4 who sat there happily eating away quietly.. I made sure to tell the parents how nice their boys were.


----------



## ReeseReed (Dec 5, 2009)

I have three boys, the oldest who is a dream in public (always has been, it's just his nature) and the younger two who are, well, less dreamy.    Dh and I stopped dining out after the second one was born (colicky baby, screamed nonstop!), and when number three came along we knew we were done for in that area!  We focused on table manners at home, things like that.  Now they are almost all three at the point that we can safely dine out together again (almost, the youngest still isn't quite there yet).  But what irks me are the times when Dh and I have planned a meal out and hired a babysitter to keep our kids...then to be seated at a table across from a child misbehaving.  Infuriates me.  And I'm totally with the person who posted about the happy squealing...every bit as grating as the crying.  I remember once after finishing a meal where we were seated near both a family with two children misbehaving and another family with well behaved kids, my dh and I paid for the well behaved family's meal before leaving.  We asked the waitress to make sure that she announced LOUDLY to the parents that another patron had been so pleased with their WELL BEHAVED children that they had paid for their meal as thanks.


----------

