I Can't Stand Parents That Let Their Kids

[Chattyaholic]

do things they shouldn't be doing...in restaurants!!

Last night we got ready to clean up after we closed and as I was sweeping one of the rooms I noticed quite a mess on the floor in the corner by one of the big tables where we'd had a group of 12 at earlier. I looked closer and I could see a child had played "finger paints" ON THE FLOOR with chocolate milk and red jello!!!

WHY are some parents completely oblivious to what their children are doing?!

If it were me and MY child was on the floor more than 2 seconds I would be investigating, to see what they were doing, and if I saw MY child "finger painting" on the floor I would put a stop to it AND clean the mess up!!!

Some of the children at the table were walking around BAREFOOT as well, and the owner did put a stop to that.

I just don't understand some parents.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Oh good grief. My mom would have "taken me outside" then brought me back in to clean it up. It would have been the first and the last time I ever pulled a stunt like that.

 

[Chris and Pooh]

do things they shouldn't be doing...in restaurants!!

Last night we got ready to clean up after we closed and as I was sweeping one of the rooms I noticed quite a mess on the floor in the corner by one of the big tables where we'd had a group of 12 at earlier. I looked closer and I could see a child had played "finger paints" ON THE FLOOR with chocolate milk and red jello!!!

WHY are some parents completely oblivious to what their children are doing?!

If it were me and MY child was on the floor more than 2 seconds I would be investigating, to see what they were doing, and if I saw MY child "finger painting" on the floor I would put a stop to it AND clean the mess up!!!

Some of the children at the table were walking around BAREFOOT as well, and the owner did put a stop to that.

I just don't understand some parents.

Probably the same type of parents who believe in letting the child express itself, despite the fact that what it does is anti social.
My daughters were taught to sit at a table and use knives and forks and as a result they and we were praised on their behaviour.
They did not eat with there hands and did not to go strolling round the restaurant munching on a piece of food.

 

[powellrj]

I usually try not to judge other parents judgment, but its really getting hard when so many parents seem to be lacking in judgment. Its too bad you can't add a "clean-up" surcharge to their bills.

 

[Christine]

Some parents do this because they are selfish. Raising kids is hard and it's a real hard thing to face that you CANNOT go out to a restaurant with kids and be solely absorbed in your meal and your conversation. But some parents have not learned this. They want to go out, enjoy their food, talk to their SO or dinner guests, and they ignore the kids. Let them do what the want under the table while I enjoy my meal. That is their motto.

Before I had kids, going out to eat was a big thing for me. I did it every week and it was my relaxation time. When I had my kids, I never wanted to stop going out to eat but I quickly found out that dining with my children was NOT the enjoyable experience I used to have. In fact, they were such pains in the butts most of the time that, for a few years, I curtailed my dining out because it was no longer enjoyable to be watching them like a hawk while I tried to eat.

But I think some people just don't want to give it up and they let their kids run rampant.

 

[aprilgail2]

That is disgusting! I have taken my daughter to restaurants since she was months old so she basically just grew up knowing what was expected of her in restuarants. My godkids were the same way, people used to stop and compliment us on how well behaved they were in restaurant. I have 2 friends that never took their kids out to restaurants until they were almost 5 years old and those kids are HORRORS in restuarants...they think they can do what they do at home there since they had not gone much as littler kids and no one stops them ...I can not stand going out to eat wit hthem and the kids because its downright embarrassing!!

 

[joshsmom]

I think its very inconsiderate to other patrons to allow your children to roam about the restaurant while they are trying to enjoy their meal. I'm not talking about McDonald's--it seems that place is always a zoo so we avoid it like the plague. SO happy DS is out of that stage!!!

However, besides being inconsiderate to the patrons, roaming children can be dangerous to the servers as well. We were at a Mexican restaurant last week and a little girl and her friend were playing hide and seek in one part of the restaurant while the oblivious adults just kept on talking and eating. One little girl was partially under the table with her legs sticking out and the server tripped while carrying a plate of food. Needless to say, the tray went flying and food went everywhere. The little girl started crying and one of the adults came over, picked her up and said "oh honey, she (the server) didn't mean to scare you!" WHAT THE HECK IS THAT ABOUT??? Did she apologize to the server? Not that I saw--she took the girl back to the table and held her and rocked her. Did she apologize to the other patrons whose food was all over the floor? No. I felt so sorry for the server. Idiot parents!

 

[cardaway]

They shold be able to charge them extra to clean it up or repair any damage they do.

 

[Marseeya]

Some parents do this because they are selfish. Raising kids is hard and it's a real hard thing to face that you CANNOT go out to a restaurant with kids and be solely absorbed in your meal and your conversation. But some parents have not learned this. They want to go out, enjoy their food, talk to their SO or dinner guests, and they ignore the kids. Let them do what the want under the table while I enjoy my meal. That is their motto.

Before I had kids, going out to eat was a big thing for me. I did it every week and it was my relaxation time. When I had my kids, I never wanted to stop going out to eat but I quickly found out that dining with my children was NOT the enjoyable experience I used to have. In fact, they were such pains in the butts most of the time that, for a few years, I curtailed my dining out because it was no longer enjoyable to be watching them like a hawk while I tried to eat.

But I think some people just don't want to give it up and they let their kids run rampant.

I think you hit the nail right on the head.

Kids don't just automatically come knowing how to behave in restaurants; we have to teach them! Looking back on when my kids were little, I may have expected too much of them when we went out to eat. I wanted them to sit perfectly quietly and not raise their voices above a level you could hear outside our table or booth. Well, grown adults can't even be that quiet. In a way I wish I'd been easier on them, because it wouldn't have killed people to hear them talking or laughing at the next table. I know I don't mind hearing kids at a reasonable level. On the other hand, at least they know how to behave! They did go through a phase where we couldn't take them to restaurants, but that didn't last long, thankfully. Although I have to admit, my teen's going through that phase all over again, but that's a different story.

Sorry for rambling.

 

[DVC Sadie]

Sadly, some parents just don't care! As long as they can eat out and have their kids somewhat quiet whether or not the kids are disruptive truly does not phase them at all.

 

[Rhonda922]

DH and I were in Orlando last week. We were having breakfast and there was a family sitting behind us. THe little girl was reprimanded a few times to sit down because it sounded to me like she was standing up on the seat. I had my back to them and I could only hear her. She kept screaming -- I was trying to keep my patience. We really should've just gotten up and moved to another table. At one point, my DH says that the child almost smacked me in the head with one of her toys. Now I had never turned around or said anything prior to this. I would like to have hoped that if she did hit me that I would've kept my cool.

 

[jonestavern]

Some parents do this because they are selfish. Raising kids is hard and it's a real hard thing to face that you CANNOT go out to a restaurant with kids and be solely absorbed in your meal and your conversation. But some parents have not learned this. They want to go out, enjoy their food, talk to their SO or dinner guests, and they ignore the kids. Let them do what the want under the table while I enjoy my meal. That is their motto.
Before I had kids, going out to eat was a big thing for me. I did it every week and it was my relaxation time. When I had my kids, I never wanted to stop going out to eat but I quickly found out that dining with my children was NOT the enjoyable experience I used to have. In fact, they were such pains in the butts most of the time that, for a few years, I curtailed my dining out because it was no longer enjoyable to be watching them like a hawk while I tried to eat.
But I think some people just don't want to give it up and they let their kids run rampant.

Well said!
Management makes things nastier in not stepping up to the plate-- --& correcting the situation. Many times they seem afraid of using the offender's business rather than being concerned over the annoyance level of the majority of their customers. I say this also in reference to rowdy adults who won't exercise self control.

Personally, I would prominently post a notice & also place it on the menu, that patrons, in general, are expected to allow fellow diners to enjoy their meals in peace & the operation of the restaurant to procede in a safe manner. Didn't a restaurant owner do that recently come in for a load of flack for doing just that, though? I would walk a mile to patronize that owner's establishment

My parents told us restaurant dining was a priviledge.
It is a pain in the hiney-ho to discipline kids, to monitor their manners, but like Christine said, it is just part of the parenting job & hey, you can't do as you did when you were BC (before children)~

Jean

 

[janice1234]

I am a waitress in a pretty nice restaraunt, it amazes me how many parents let their children run around and make a mess of their tables and floors. Not to mention how dirty floors are, kids should always have their shoes on. Like everyone else has mentioned most of the time the parents are so engaged in their own conversations, they do not realize the kids are not behaving.

 

[Steffi]

It always amazes me what people let their kids get away with! Mine is no angel, I'll admit that, but by God, we at least try!

We went out to eat at a steakhouse last night. From where I was sitting inside waiting for a table, I could see the outside sitting/table area. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a child fly, yes fly, by the window. I kept watching and the child kept flying by the window. He was actually jumping off of the top of one of the outside tables (a tallish pub table), repeatedly. I pointed out the spectacle to my DH & DD and we all wondered where the kid's parents were. We watched the circus act for a while longer and were amazed to realize where the kid's parents were...right beside him! It was their table outside that he was leaping off of! They had drinks and were just casually talking around the Leaping Wonder, like there wasn't a kid propelling himself off their table every 2 minutes!

 

[pedro2112]

I never realized how big a problem this was until I kept getting compliments from strangers in restaurants on how "well behaved" my daughters are. I thought that was weird because I didn't think they behaved that great. Sure, they are expected to be sitting during the entire time, not to play with their silverware, and to use "inside voices," but my kids are not saints, that's for sure.

That got me to thinking so I started to pay attention to how other children behaved, and more importantly, how their parents let them behave, and let me tell you, I have a whole new perspective on parenting. Wow.

 

[MAKmom]

When my DDs were small going back 19 years now I refused to go out to eat with them. This did not sit well with my mother. I waitressed when I was a teenager & I knew what eating with small children was like. It's a nightmare if you care about other people

The few times we could not avoid it...because of my mom. DH & I were under the table cleaning before we left & adding an extra tip for any mess.

I cooked almost all the Holiday meals & celebrations because of this.

Even now the 2 youngest are 9 & 11, in Disney we do not do the upperscale table service with them. We did Artist Point last year & used the Kids club. They are well behaved but get itchey & do kid like things.We'll take them anywhere in the parks to eat.

 

[Stacey2grls]

I went out to dinne last night with my DDH and DD's 5 and 7. Well, after dieting for the past 2 months, I finally caved in and decided "lets go out to dinner". Well let me tell you, what a mistake. From the momment we arrived I noticed a table with 2 women, and 3 kids, ranging from ages 5-8. The whole time, the kids were not sitting, but playing and dancing in the aisle! I couldn't believe my eyes. They were talking, singing, dancing, fighting, while the moms just chatted it up. This charade lasted for over an hour. The kids were even walking away, talking to people, bumping into tables, at one point they came up to our table and asked our girls why they were just "sitting there" and my 7 year old says "that's what your supposed to do in a restaraunt, not act like a monkey". I almost spit out my food laughing. All the while the moms were enjoying themselves, thinking their kids were soooo cute. Well let me tell you, people pay good money to go out and eat, and this may sound mean but, I deal with my own kids everyday and I have no desire to "play" or talk to your kids, this is a restaraunt, you should be sitting and eating. When it was time for them to go, they screamed and cried, "no, we are having too much fun," while the moms just smiled. I gave her a nasty look on the way out, I don't blame the kids, it is was these 2 moms that were clueless.

 

[auntpolly]

Last weekend that table was me! and I was mortified. We went to dinner with friends and their 4 year old. I hadn't seen them for about 6 months and hadn't spent time with the son for longer than that. But this kid was sooooooooooo terrible, and I got stuck with him!!! ("Go sit by auntie polly, sweetie" said the mom! -- she's no dummy!)

He spit at me, grabbed my ****s all night, called me a poopyhead about 1000 times over and over and over and over, pulled my hair, spilled stuff, and generally made a spectacle of me and the whole table. I must have said, 100 times, "Caroline, can you help me out here?" or "Jack, do you see what your son is doing?" and they laughed and just probably thought, "Better her than me!"

I'm breaking up with these friends. I have no choice.

 

[Stacey2grls]

Last weekend that table was me! and I was mortified. We went to dinner with friends and their 4 year old. I hadn't seen them for about 6 months and hadn't spent time with the son for longer than that. But this kid was sooooooooooo terrible, and I got stuck with him!!! ("Go sit by auntie polly, sweetie" said the mom! -- she's no dummy!)

He spit at me, grabbed my ****s all night, called me a poopyhead about 1000 times over and over and over and over, pulled my hair, spilled stuff, and generally made a spectacle of me and the whole table. I must have said, 100 times, "Caroline, can you help me out here?" or "Jack, do you see what your son is doing?" and they laughed and just probably thought, "Better her than me!"

I'm breaking up with these friends. I have no choice.

OH MY GOD! What is wrong with these people! I feel sorry for you, it is sad that you have to lose your friends, but that was very inconsiderate of them.

 

[Marseeya]

Last weekend that table was me! and I was mortified. We went to dinner with friends and their 4 year old. I hadn't seen them for about 6 months and hadn't spent time with the son for longer than that. But this kid was sooooooooooo terrible, and I got stuck with him!!! ("Go sit by auntie polly, sweetie" said the mom! -- she's no dummy!)

He spit at me, grabbed my ****s all night, called me a poopyhead about 1000 times over and over and over and over, pulled my hair, spilled stuff, and generally made a spectacle of me and the whole table. I must have said, 100 times, "Caroline, can you help me out here?" or "Jack, do you see what your son is doing?" and they laughed and just probably thought, "Better her than me!"

I'm breaking up with these friends. I have no choice.

I'm sorry, I know it wasn't funny for you, but the way you tell the story is hilarious.

Poopyhead.