To think hotels are very child unfriendly

It's not a teaching moment. It's just living normal life with your kid. "We need some bananas." "Can I get them?" "Ok."

It would turn into far more of a big deal if I said, "no, I'll get them, because I'm half a second faster and the very angry looking lady behind us might be on her way to a job interview and desperately lacking in potassium."

I think it's a shame that people are so annoyed by having to wait an extra couple of seconds. But regardless, we can't ban everything that annoys us, sadly, or else I would ban every MN user who immediately resorts to insulting the intelligence of anyone who disagrees with them.

It's not difficult
Friday evening or Saturday morning when it's really busy , lots of trolleys etc vs a weekday mid afternoon when it's likely to be quieter.

Online shop? Click & collect? Child stay home with other parent?

I get doing it when it's quiet but it's somewhat dim witted to allow your child to do it when it's a busy time
Same here.

It isn't rocket science to have some self-awareness, or shouldn't be.

It's almost like some parents lose any common sense the second they have a kid and then all of a sudden the world stops and everything revolves around whatever ever so important teaching moment non-self-aware parent has decided is centre of the universe.

Because the magic food fairy doesn't exist and we need to eat?

I don't buy this at all. I'm completely in agreement re. the rushing around at the tube station bit. No way would I let a kid toddle on the steps there. But the supermarket bit is baffling to me.

@PaperSheet Some supermarkets have managed to make the shopping experience more child friendly without significantly affecting other shoppers.

Our Morrison's has free fruit for the kids to eat on the way round, which feels special (plus the resulting slight sugar high tends to last mine long enough to get out of the shop), mini shopping trolleys for kids to join in, and a big empty area by the toilets with rides to bribe your kids.

I'd appreciate it if shops with noisy fluorescent lighting could change it though. The high pitched whine they give off is just on the edge of a child's hearing, and sets a lot of kids off.

Those tunnels!😱.
Going OT for a moment, aged 14 and on a school cruise we were bussed en masse from Alexandria to visit the pyramids. Crawling in a line through the tunnels some pupils starting larking around so-much-so that we had to stop, meanwhile the pupils behind kept moving towards us, so that my group were trapped, unable to move and gasping for air. Many of us fainted and had to be carried out. Claustrophobia has been my constant and increasingly intrusive "companion" ever since.

I get doing it when it's quiet but it's somewhat dim witted to allow your child to do it when it's a busy time .
No doubt the child would get accidently knocked or tripped over and then it would be screams of " so unfriendly to children"
Serious lack of common sense

Exactly. Poor parenting at it worst yet OP wants to blame the hotel industry instead of her lack of parenting. It certainly will not be the last time she gets complaints about her children's behavior. Unfortunately children pay the price for being allowed to mis behave or "let off steam"

😂😂😂

I mean I'd never heard of this brigade before but sure, count me in. Yes, I will let my child shop in a shop. I will permit her to pick up some fruit and put it in the trolley.

I will also not be bothered if I have to wait an extra few seconds for another shopper, a young child, a person stacking the shelves or filling online orders, a wheelchair user, an elderly person, someone who's blocking the aisles because they've lost their shopping list or can't find their store card or dropped a bottle of milk. I will not huff and puff or roll my eyes because I've been inconvenienced by two whole seconds, nor will I come onto public forums and suggest that the young/old/disabled/scatterbrained should be banned from doing something perfectly normal a public place just because it would make things a tiny bit more convenient for me.

Of course it isn't.

This is just another one of the "my kid will grab bananas all she wants, fuck you" brigade. There's a depressing number of them about these days.

Of course it's not. This is how people think these days. They want consideration but will give none to others are they are more important don't you know.

Not even a little bit.

Aargh I mean five not fine!

I’ll leave this here. I’ve helped to look after my nephew who’s now fine from when he was a baby.

Anywhere adult where I take him by myself and he starts acting up then it’s immediately or give him a polite warning that if he doesn’t behave then we leave.

Recently we were in the supermarket as I’d promised him a magazine. Of course this is slightly overwhelming as lots of magazines, you pass an aisle with toys in it and then I took him to the bakery section as well as got him a child chocolate lolly (yeah he’s spoiled!). I do tend to hold his hand and make it quick with him as I don’t really went to didn’t ages there but I also give him instructions before I take hm anywhere. Eg a cafe with maybe children but not lots, I say we are going here I’ll take your iPad or pad and crayons/pens, or we’re going to the pop up charity toy shop, through the park but we are “not” stopping at the play park ok etc.

He’s really good with the above and if he does go to an adult place where he may get bored and mess around then me or his parents take him outside. Because putting it mildly we are not dicks!

Still can’t believe OP says “oh my DC were playing quietly by the side of the wall”. What part of the hotel lobby isn’t a playground don’t you understand? Or one of you can’t take them outside for a second.

Is this satire?

Sorry to add to a derail but I'm laughing my arse off at "why should a child ever be in a supermarket" 😂😂

Why the hell shouldn't they?!

It's a public space and impatient people don't own it, no matter how much of a rush they're in!

My child will grab the bananas off the shelf all she wants, and if you're in a dire rush to get food to your dying relative or whatever nonsense whataboutery was given upthread, then feel free to grab the apples instead. Otherwise you can wait an extra two seconds, and may it teach you some patience! Likewise, lifting my child up so she can tap the card takes about two seconds. If waiting that long bothers you so much then maybe YOU should shop online.

It is a very telling quote. It makes clear the kids are not kept in check so their parents can try to have an easier life

If we'd tried to stop them my 3 year old would have kicked off, creating more noise
This says it all, op 🤦🏼‍♀️ The hotel were not unfriendly to children; your particular children are allowed to run amok unchecked because they'll object to being told No.

I must rant.

The last many times I have stayed in a certain (quiet) hotel, I have had the misfortune to have people like your family living in the room next door. Parents who think everyone loves their children as highly as they do. It's a pets allowed hotel, so I bring my quiet dog who never bothers anyone. It's also a hotel frequented by people on business trips who are up early for meetings and flights, so it's expected guest do not make noise in the evening. We like the area because we get a change of scenery and some nice long walks and I can do some work. Unfortunately children 'letting off some steam' slam doors on both sides, do what sounds like parkour against walls after 10, run up and down the corridor outside for hours, throw sticky sweets on the floor, yell and scream and forget what room they are in so knock on my door (!) and slam their own room door every 5 minutes when they run in and out.

My dog ends up shaking all over and drooling, and though I tell myself every single time = just ignore it, the parents must somehow realize it's just not on and stop the noise, they NEVER do. So I'm that annoying Fawlty Towers guest who call down in reception and complain about my dog's nerves. I hate to do that, but I hate even more to have my dog traumatised, and my getaway ruined, because parents believe hotel corridors are part of their room and/or a place to exercise their children.

And just to be clear: I would NEVER choose a hotel marked child-friendly, because I know what to expect there.

So yes. YABU.

So one parent take the three year old outside

not wanting to upset your child isn’t a reason to have no boundaries

If you want recommendations the Four Season in Hampshire is hands down the best family break we’ve ever had!

Just looked, at £800 a night for cheapest room for 2, I would hope so!

Hotel lobby is not a playground.

It's all about context. If I'm eating at McDonald's, or the type of restaurant that incorporates a children's play area, I expect there to be kids making noise and possible running around the place and don't have a problem with it. If I'm eating at an upmarket restaurant in the evening, I expect any children there to be quiet and stay in their seats, i.e. have been taught by their parents how to behave in a restaurant. I would tut, roll my eyes and eventually complain to staff if the children were shrieking and running round the place.

Similarly with hotels, in a theme park or beach resort hotel I would be much more tolerant of unruly children than in a country manor type hotel with no facilities specifically for children.