Complaints about kids at restaurants

[foreUT]

JMHO, but I sometimes wonder if the kids are unruly because their limit has been reached: too long a day with too many special events included in that day.

 

[Planogirl]

I find it funny when people complain about poor parenting skills. I would say to them, what about poor adult skills?

I've seen adult meltdowns, touching buffet food, not washing hands, yelling, not properly dressed, etc, etc, etc. I could continue this list...

Tiger

Adults acting like idiots doesn't excuse kids running amok. They're both annoying IMO.

I think that people see the poorly behaved kids and don't even notice the good kids so they tend to lump all kids together. It's a shame that so many parents refuse to parent.

 

[LaurenLC]

I find it funny when people complain about poor parenting skills. I would say to them, what about poor adult skills?

I've seen adult meltdowns, touching buffet food, not washing hands, yelling, not properly dressed, etc, etc, etc. I could continue this list...

Tiger

I agree, but the difference is cast members can correct adults and there can be consequences to their actions (like being asked to leave). Have you ever seen how some parents react when someone attempts to correct their child?

 

[LilyWDW]

I expect children to be all over when I am at Disney. I expect them in the restaurants, the resorts, the parks, and the transportation...

But being at Disney does not mean these kids can do anything they want. I don't care if you are at Disney, allowing these kids to run around the restaurant, throwing toys, and screaming is NOT acceptable. Other people's dining experiences should not be ruined because some kid is tired and having a fit. To allow this to happen and not correct the child's actions is rude beyond belief to everyone else that has to deal with it.

It's not the kids people don't like seeing... it's the actions of the badly behaved ones people get annoyed with.

 

[klmprr]

Any child normally well behaved or not may have an episode that can be disruptive and unpredicted. I speak for one of the parents who does their best to prevent the situation by planning, short trips to the parks and then naps before dinner and removing my children when distracting. However, I just don't see how people can judge parenting skills based on one situation.....ie....if you are sitting at lunch at Peco Bill's and your spouse takes one child to the bathroom...you have another finishing lunch and your 3rd is "done" and starts getting fidgety and whining....you can't just leave the other child at the table. When you are at Disney World you should expect to be around kids and expect to run into typical kid "meltdowns", etc and also understand that parents can't just snap their fingers and make the situation go away. That is the reason that the world has family destinations and adult resorts as well as adult only restaurants at Disney. Please cut the parents who are trying a break as the situation is probably stressing them out a lot more then you.

Happy Traveling!

 

[Sleeping Becca]

Meltdowns happen to the best of us, true story.

When meltdowns happens, the child needs to be removed as quickly as possible.

If that means waiting for your husband to return from the bathroom fine, however allowing the child to wail while you sit there in perpetuity, not fine.

Sometimes a fit needs to run it's course, I understand, let it run it's course outside, not in an enclosed space with your child flopping around like a fish hitting the chairs/tables invading the personal space/hurting the ears of other guests. There are plenty of places that can be utilized for a time out, or freak out, or peace out.

 

[Pumbaa_]

I don't have kids. I love going to Disney and think it is more for adults than kids, how's that?

I expect to see kids. I do not expect kids tobe running around my table at FF because they are bored and want to be done.

I don't expect kids having meltdowns to be ignored as they melt on the floor at upscale restaurants (or heck anywhere)

If your kids can handle the upscale dining and length of time it takes, awesome! If they can't, please go to your closest food court

Please feel free to ask me anything, I give excellent back seat parenting advice

 

[NOLA_Tink]

Do you think the kids get irritated when people without kids eat at the character meals? !

If those "people" start screaming/crying/yelling at the top of their lungs for long periods of time, then I'm sure the kids would be irritated & distracted by having to sit next to them.

I LOVE children & have no problems sitting next to families (even loud ones) in the restaurants at WDW. However, all parents must remember that a trip to a WDW restaurant does not mean complete lack of civility & dining etiquette. If you wouldn't allow it at the dining table in your own home, please don't allow at the dining table next to me.

 

[letthewookiewin]

to keep it real.............you can talk about good kids, bad kids or is it the parents? the facts are that there are children that are just one step above wild animals. i observe them amost daily. in every situation i can tell you, in my opinion, it is due to the fact that society has put a scarlett letter on any parent who trys to correct their children. i raised three daughters and will tell you that there was never....never..........a situation that would cause a disturbance in a public place. they simply knew that it was unacceptable, anytime that it even looked like it might happen they were removed from the situation even if it meant we all would suffer and told "i dont know what you were thinking about doing but you need to rethink it or we all go home right now. some of these kids throw food, throw each other, scream, run amuck, etc, and the parents just look at them with glassed over eyes. they are afraid to "correct" them for fear of someone calling the Gendarme's. when i was 10 my dad picked me up at school one afternoon and the teacher came outside and told my dad that i had picked on some other kid and would not stop when i was told to. my dad looked the teacher right in the eye and said "did ya crack 'im one?" thats how i grew up and i think sometimes you just have to get someones attention before you can teach them anything.

I'm sure some of it is that people are afraid of what other people will think of them publically correcting their children. A parent like that will more than likely take their child off, like to a bathroom, and discipline the child there. I think the bigger problem is people are too worried about being their child's friend and not embarassing or hurting the feelings of the child in public. I worked in day cares for 12 years, and I can't tell you the number of parents that were more concerned with being their child's friend than making sure their child had proper behavior in public. I actually had one mother tell me that she refused to correct her son's behavior b/c, "she already had one full time job. Telling him no and making him behave was like having a 2nd job. It was just much easier for her to let him act however he wanted." Then there are the parents that think no matter what their child does they are in the right. If, for instance, they were eating at Shula's and they threw their toy and it hit you, well your the adult you should have ducked. While your rubbing the knot or your head their little "angel's" toy left, they are bragging about what a good arm their child has and how far they can throw.

Personally, I love to see children behaving well at any level restaurant. I've been known to tell the parents that have well behaved children that I was very impressed with the behavior of their children. I don't even mind children at nicer restaurants that are being loud and disrupting, as long as the parents are trying to get them under control. It's just when a child is running around, throwing toys, sitting on other tables to get a better view of the fish in the tank while the parents ignore the child, that I have a problem.

 

[TinkerKell-ey]

Add me to the "blame the parents club". Kids will be kids, know yours and their limits. We take our kids out to dinner at home and call it "practice for DW" and if they start to misbehave, we pull out this threat "If you can't behave at this restaurant, we aren't taking you to any at DW! We will eat P,B & J in our room every day." We've only had to use it a couple times and it worked instantly (Thank goodness, because I'm a firm believer in following through with my threatened discipline and I'm not a fan of P,B & J : )

We had dinner at Garden Grove at the Swan in Feb. Our ADR was right at the start of dinner service and the restaurant was quite empty for the first half hour. A family with 2 small boys (guessing 2/3 and 4/5ish) was near us. The boys were running free through the restaurant, around tables and "climbing" the tree in the center of the room. Our table side salad stand was almost knocked over twice. All the tables were set with glassware and linens and they were playing chase! I couldn't believe it! Mom and Dad were oblivious. My 9yo daughter asked why the mom wasn't making them stop. Just as I was about to say something, a waiter noticed and something was said to the parents. What were they thinking??

Other than that, Garden Grove was excellent (we were there for Mediterranean Night with Goofy and Pluto)!!

 

[badblackpug]

I agree that it is not so much kids in restaurants, but poorly behaved kids that their parents don't/won't correct. Of course, you're d*mned if you do, and d*mned if you don't, because you either end up in the "She let her kid act like a chimp and ruined my meal" thread or the "She's a terrible parent who yelled at her tender snowflake and embarrassed him" thread.

 

[jlmct52]

I, for one, don't see a problem with parents taking their children into the Disney restaurants as long as they aren't completely out of hand, most all Walt Disney World has to offer is for them too and I enjoy seeing how the kids enjoy the magic like I do.

A lot of times I think it is the parents who are the problem. It seems as if many never taught their children how to behave in restaurants. I can remember ohhhhh sooooo long ago when I was about 8 years old and my brother 4 we went with our parents to every type of restaurant imaginable in the Dallas area. Of course, sometimes we acted up a little (after all we were kids!), but not much because our parents had taught us how to behave in public. And, unfortunately, I really don't believe a lot of parents take the time to teach their children these simple common courtesies.

 

[disneysarge156]

Sorry to stir something up. I agree with the bad parenting and poor planning theory. I'm 36 and I don't want a 2 hour signature experiece after 8 hours at the Magic Kingdom.

No one wants to hear screaming children. I usually jump the gun and take my kids out of the restaurant too soon. I was just referring to the individual who are "put off" by the mere sight of children in a restaurant. You al are the best and I love being part of this Disney family. So much that I'm claiming all of you on my taxes.

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

I'm hoping that I have some karmic luck, because long before I had children I always thought children in restaurants made the place more fun and provided a floor show of sorts to watch. Perhaps because growing up my family ate out, on average, 6 nights a week (my mother had many incredible talents, but cooking was not one of them!), kids in restaurants have never bothered me.

I agree with all the posters who said that most of the issues seem to stem from parents who are either: A) too tired to enforce the rules, B) too indulgent to require basic manners and courtesy from their children, C) too focused on the trip to know when it's time to call it quits (for the day or even for 15 minutes while the child winds down), or D) simply too clueless to realize that their child's behavior is not "cute" to anybody else.

Our children, now 5 & 2, have eaten in some of the best restaurants in the world, and generally they are very well behaved. My DD5 knows, however, that she gets one warning and that consequences (generally just flat out leaving) will follow. Our son, who is 2, has some special cognitive needs and is also a two year old in spirit and mood, so reasoning with him is much more of a challenge. We have to read his mood, anticipate how the evening will flow, plan ahead, and even, on occasion, cancel our plans rather than risk a fiasco. But that's life as a parent, and a night in with a pizza or takeout can be as much fun, albeit in a different way, as a night out at a restaurant.

In summary, some poorly behaved kids and loutish adults will be everywhere at WDW. Since all of us have to deal with the behavior of those around us, to all guests I simply ask: don't be a jerk!

 

[OKWAnneMarie]

I've noticed some people on these boards rip, flame, whatever you call it, parents who want to bring their kids to the nicer WDW restaurants. I know Victoria and Alberts is adults only and I like that, but a restaurant like the California Grill is very family friendly. The staff cater to kids that dine there. One waiter actually cut a little girls steak at the table next to us. I have 1 question for the people who thumb there noses at the families like eat at the nicer restaurants. Do you think the kids get irritated when people without kids eat at the character meals? WDW is a fantastic family place thats is meant for EVERYONE!. Sorry for the rant, I overheard a couple saying how rude these parents were that brought their kids to the Yachtsman Steakhouse. The kids were great!

I agree...IT'S DISNEY WORLD, for goodness sakes! If you don't want to have dinner with children around, then this is not the vacation spot for you. I don't appreciate children when I'm in Vegas, but as long as they are well behaved, I don't care. But in Disney World, you have to remember that sometimes children are overtired (just like adults) and you have to accept that. ALL the restaurants are family friendly, with the exception of Vitoria & Albert.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

We've alway's taken the kid's out to finer dining so they know how to behave.

I will disagree that Bistro de Paris is inappropriate for children. Having heard that before here I looked around last visit and well over half of the tables had smaller children. But all of them were quiet and well behaved.

WDW can be an overwhelming and exhausting vacation especially if you don't travel there often. While it should be obvious not to stand as a group of 16 blocking a sidewalk while looking at a map sometimes people just aren't thinking.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I agree that children who behave properly are not an issue. Children who do NOT behave properly are the ones I have a problem with.

Kids who run through restaurants, banging into other people's chairs are a problem.

Kids who roll around on the floor are a problem.

Kids who scream for a prolonged period are a problem.

By the same token, selfish parents are also a problem. There are some parents who seem to believe that they are ENTITLED to sit for 2 hours and linger over their meals while their children run, roll, and scream. I have read more than one thread where folks were being disturbed by REALLY unruly children but the waitstaff/managers were reluctant to approach the parents.

We love to dine at signature restaurants. That experience should not include children behaving like they are at a McDonald's play land.

 

[Vickis3js]

I'm a mom of 3 and I don't like misbehaving children in restaurants. It makes the meal unpleasant and makes my job of parenting 10xs harder. My kids know how to act and behave in restaurants, but when they see Johnny and Mary running around, screaming and throwing things it makes them want to do the same. Of course they know better but I still get the BUT MOMMMMMMM. I see so many people use so many excuses for their kids behavior and I always just sit and shake my head. One of the big ones is well they could be ASD or ADHD or who knows what. Well my DD is ASD with ADHD and she KNOWS how to act. It took a lot of removing her from the situation before she GOT how she was supposed to act. I ate a lot of cold meals but I'll be darned if I will use her disability as a crutch for her poor behavior and an excuse for me to just sit there and let her act poorly. DO I have to be stern with her sometimes and do I have to remove her from things until she can calm and regulate herself? You betcha. Does it make life harder for me? Yep! But thats what I feel I have to do to be a responsible parent. I HAVE to think about others then myself and what makes me happy and my life easier.

I know last year we went to WDW and we had a ressie for Flying Fish. DH and I were so excited to try it. That day DD had a bad morning. I knew she would not last for any sit down meal. So I called up and canceled. I was a little upset but you know what we sat someplace quiet for a bit and we did some of her calming techniques and we were able to really enjoy a meal at Beaches and Cream. It wasn't FF but we all had a blast and all the kids got such a kick out of eating the Kitchen Sink.

 

[principessa0ox]

This is one of the reasons we can't go out with a lot of our friends with kids. They let their kids run amok, throw stuff at the waitress, scream, etc. My 2-year-old is NOT perfect, but she is not allowed down from her high chair. Sometimes she talks a little too loud, but with a "shh" she quiets down. The only time she had a meltdown was at the Cheesecake Factory last week. I brought her outside, it lasted 10 minutes, and then she told me she wanted to finish eating.

 

[LilyWDW]

I agree...IT'S DISNEY WORLD, for goodness sakes! If you don't want to have dinner with children around, then this is not the vacation spot for you. I don't appreciate children when I'm in Vegas, but as long as they are well behaved, I don't care. But in Disney World, you have to remember that sometimes children are overtired (just like adults) and you have to accept that. ALL the restaurants are family friendly, with the exception of Vitoria & Albert.

Yes, it IS Disney World... but that does not excuse poor behavior. If your child can not sit at a table without screaming their heads off then don't put them in the situation. If your child is so overtired that they will be a bother to other people because of their poor behavior then you should rethink your dining. There is NO excuse besides poor manners and behavior (either kids or parents) if the child is running around, knocking into other people, throwing things, and screaming.