Yes parents in restaurant, you were VU!

[Bogeyface]

It was not the waitress's fault that she tripped over your daughter who was running around with your son causing havoc, it was not the waitress's fault that your DD got caught on the arm with a fork that fell off the tray of pots she was carrying, it was yours. If you bothered to look after them instead of texting, talking and watching TV on your phones then it wouldnt have happened.

That was why the manager refused to give you a refund on the 5 meals you had, and I agreed with him when he said that a restaurant is not an appropriate place for a child to be running around. I also agreed with him when he said that if you couldnt keep your children under control then you would not be welcome back. So did everyone else, which is why no one jumped to your defence when you said "No one minds do they?" looking at the other diners.

Oh and btw, occasionally jiggling the buggy while you stuff your face is not a recognised way of calming a howling baby. Try feeding the baby before you feed yourselves you selfish bastards.

You ruined our meal out, which is a very rare treat for us these days thanks a fucking bunch for that.

[SoHHKB]

Phew - don't think that was me...

[McPhee]

We went out yesterday.

Not guilty

[HoneyDragon]

Nope UWNBU.

not at all.

[KaFayOLay]

As a waitress in a previous life, I concur that kids are a nightmare.
When you are carrying plates/trays, you just can't see them and they become hidden hazards.

Good for the manager!

[KaFayOLay]

Ooh, meant to say kids running about, not all kids!

[Writerwannabe83]

YADNBU.

Watching lazy parenting in public places really grates on me when children are causing problems for other people.

[EverythingCounts]

YANBU. Selfish, anti social behaviour. Glad the manager didn't stand for it.

[softlysoftly]

YANBU my own DC are banned from a restaurant.

We own that restaurant.

They were just too messy the staff threatened to strike

[TheSarcasticFringehead]

YADNBU. My DC are not the best restaurant wise (or rather, my youngest isn't) but I can keep them under control and actually parent them, otherwise I wouldn't take them out. I always wonder what the kids will end up like, in school and so on, or if their parents will starting acting as parents!

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I always wonder what the kids will end up like

probably like the two girls (I reckon 12-14 yo) in Tesco who were being loud, lairy, play fighty in the queue.
Why the parents didn't say to them "Go and sit by the windows - there are seats" but no.
They were shrieking and getting each other in stupid play headlocks.

Maybe if someone had given them a rollicking years ago......

[PassTheCakeitsbeenatough1]

I don't know why people do this - if your kids misbehave then take them home! People pay to eat out in peace, of course there should be a degree of allowances made but if a child's behaviour or noise is causing irritation to others then the parents should do something about it!

It doesn't surprise me that so many parents insist on letting their children do whatever they please, I'm a teacher and parents evening is always an interesting time listening to the excuses some give for the poor behaviour their children display. It's not that children aren't expected to be children it's that whilst out in public they should be taught how to behave in an acceptable way. Otherwise you get the situation that 70isaLimitNotaTarget suffered in Tesco and it just goes on and on.

I leave places if my 18 month old is causing a scene and especially if he's causing a danger. I always feel sorry for waiting staff when they have to avoid small children, it looks terrifying. Those parents sound so entitled, I can't stand seeing things like that happen I'd have probably said something.

[50KnockingonabiT]

Well done that manager.

I used to hate that kids ran riot in restaurants, made more difficult trying to make my two understand why they could not.

[Aeroflotgirl]

That is why we gave someone look after ds 2.5 when we go to a restaurant, he is going through a very active phase and just will not sit still

[PowderMum]

Kids misbehaving in restaurants is one of my pet hates. I have absolutely no problem with kids being in restaurants but not running around, crying/shrieking/shouting or watching loud TV on their iPads.

For some reason my 2 have always behaved when out and when they were younger if we were having a long meal with family/friends and they were getting bored then we knew it was our role as parent to amuse them or to take them off for a walk.

I have young nieces and nephews with more energy and as a family we only frequent restaurants where other young families eat when they are with us. They don't get to run around the restaurant still they are just a little louder and fidgety than mine ever were and if they were crying or misbehaving they would be removed or distracted.

[Montegomongoose]

This rarely happens in Europe. Are the British incapable of teaching their children how to behave or is it also an effect of the 'texting and watching TV on their phones' culture?

If you're out to eat, then show some manners.

Or stay at home til you've learned some.

My DC and I were showered with hot drinks recently by a tearaway toddler whose mum thought it hilarious and shrugged 'she's such a diva.'

[cutefluffybunnes]

Mine have been all been very active DC. They still sat in their chairs in restaurants. That's the law. You just can't stay for long while they are very wee, but they build up tolerance for longer meals gradually.

[Aeroflotgirl]

That's why we don't take ds cute, as I want to wait until he is older before taking him to a restaurant, I don't want indigestion chasing after him, if I pay for a meal, I want to enjoy it, nit rush through. We did tge same with dd7, she sits very well and behaves well in restaurants despite also having ASD.

[Gartenzwerg]

This is exactly why we only go to non-family friendly pubs these days (we don't have kids). There is nothing worse than other peoples' badly behaved children when you are trying to enjoy a meal.

[Bogeyface]

I was so fucking mad. What made it worse for me was that DD was with us and she is a month shy of her 3rd birthday if she could behave appropriately then why couldnt they? Because we talked to her, played with her, read with her so she wouldnt get bored! At one point she did want to get down and play too and didnt understand why she couldnt (which is understandable, the other children were playing).

I think what got to me was the total lack of self awareness that the parents had. They fucked up and instead of apologising and feeling embarrassed they tried to blame the poor waitress and get their money back on the basis of their shite parenting.

I was genuinely shocked at that, which as an ex waitress myself takes some doing, I thought I had seen it all!

[WorraLiberty]

YABVU

You are basing your judgement on a snapshot of this family's life

Perhaps the children have no garden to run around in?

Perhaps their 2nd cousin, twice removed had a hamster with a light case of the sniffles and this was their only way of taking their mind off the worry?

Perhaps the parents were desperately checking facebook because they put up a status saying "Gone for dinner" and nobody cared enough about them to click 'like' on it?

You're clearly one of these British folks who hate children in restaurants. You just don't see this sort of intolerance anywhere else in Europe.

Especially in Spain and Italy because just like Peter Andre, they love their kids.

[EverythingCounts]

Very good Worra!

[YouTheCat]

Excellent. I think Worra has covered everything there.

[WorraLiberty]

I think 3 years of Mumsnet has finally fucked my brains

[YouTheCat]

Mine too.

I saw a woman taking a 2 year old on a balance bike into Sainsbury's this week. Luckily I was on my way out. She'd already smacked his leg because he didn't stop when she shrieked at him in the car park.

I was quite tempted to go back in just to see how that panned out for her.

[WorraLiberty]

If you could have swiped her shopping list at the same time, you would have become an MN hero