To think this woman shouldn’t have interfered in the restaurant?

My DH and i gave up on eating together in pubs and restaurants as soon as they could walk, we gave it a few months of taking it in turns to eat but didn't enjoy it, the kids didn't enjoy it either unless their was a big garden to run around, so what's the point?

I get you're on holiday but can you do anything about the meals? Your dcs only little and I'm pretty sure everyone has been there with kids not sitting down to dinner, he's not being naughty imo, it's typical behaviour. But sometimes it's dangerous, and if you're already stressed I get you don't need another voice in your head reacting.

In the old days (pre-mobiles), me and my husband used to reckon we were doing well if we got to the dessert course, and often ended up missing it as about an hour was the amount of time our children could sit nicely and draw at the table! So we'd eat starters, mains and flee and have an ice cream on the way home!

I took my kids out with nursery friends,they were all noisy and overexcited. We left early.cut my losses it was too much noise & showing off.

@birdglasspen2

I'm pretty sure the people saying you should just leave have never actually sat down and ordered dinner, then got up without finishing and left a restaurant on account of a child being a child.

Here I am. Another one telling you we bloody well did. Parties, dinners. Usually we would have eating done if it or got it parcelled up and taken with us but 100%. It's called parenting. They learn really quickly that the fun stops when they kick off

Sure they did. And if they did we left. They learnt really quickly that that would happen do they stopped. If they didn't we left again

This really.
I'd be utterly furious if I was trying to enjoy a meal out with all of this going on, with little being done about it. 😒

And you would go to a family pub with an indoor play centre for your special treat would you?

I'm pretty sure the people saying you should just leave have never actually sat down and ordered dinner, then got up without finishing and left a restaurant on account of a child being a child.

I haven't left a restaurant specifically because it was never necessary to. But I have left other places.

I was at a birthday party with my son once and one parent took her child home from that because he was over excited and hitting the other childen repeatedly and barging into them knocking them over. She also took him outside to calm down but it didn't work. So she removed him completely.

Have I left a meal early as my kids were unsettled, yes. when we took out kids in a group and they were all noisy . Left meal unfinished and early To avoid disturbing others. They dynamic kids of being in a group,all showing off, it was noisy. We left early, cut our losses

But to be fair you and your child caused the problem. He is only 3 so it was up to you to put some sort of control on his behaviour. I would be anxious too with a shrieking child charging round and swinging on their chair.
,

Kid fall off chair probably wont = serious injury. Will mean manager having to complete an accident form and check in with you . A child crying, you trying to console , staff rushing to help, other diners looking and being disturbed. It’s not just a whooopsie, fell. It’s an anticipated outcome of swinging on a chair the child lose balance. Actually it impacts the wider group and creates noise & disturbance

I'm pretty sure the people saying you should just leave have never actually sat down and ordered dinner, then got up without finishing and left a restaurant on account of a child being a child.

i have, if the behaviour can’t be calmed otherwise then it’s the only sensible option. I have also seen others do the same.

If you go out to eat with young children you need to be prepared that if all else fails that may be your only option.

Wow, read the first few comments. Nonsense. Why should your child falling off a chair matter to her. It's not something I'd actively want but it's a consequence that they will survive and maybe learn from!
Sounds like she was the one being really annoying and as long as he wasn't swinging on her chair she could have ignored him. I'm also so glad some kids were misbehaving and not on screens! Joking of course!
I'm pretty sure the people saying you should just leave have never actually sat down and ordered dinner, then got up without finishing and left a restaurant on account of a child being a child.
Adults can misbehave in restaurants too, once my extremely shy quiet (in public places) husband actually leant over to the table next to us and asked them to stop having an argument as it was ruining our meal. It was, they were behaving appallingly. Never have we had to ask parents of children to make their kids behave.
I've taken my kids outside if they are misbehaving although they only do it in an upsetting our experience not other peoples. To be honest it makes little difference. Seriously a kid falling from a chair isn't going to cause serious injury unless its a concrete floor or something?? Anyway despite rambling on I don't think you spoilt her meal I think she should have ignored you!

Her reaction has made you feel observed & judged. She was doing both with good cause
your son was hyper and swinging backwards in chair, that’s going to provoke a reaction. Folk are out for a meal, your son is creating noise & drama. You’re failing to deal with it
Consequently, you’re stressed & annoyed. Other diner is stressed & annoyed

Quite !!

Actually, @ASighMadeOfStone - I think the woman was screaming

I’m sorry but I don’t see you as having high standards. You said he was running / swinging on his chair - I would never see that as ok and myself and my kids have adhd so know it can be tricky to sit still. People don’t walk around restaurants with plates being able to see small children running about. It’s an accident waiting to happen I don’t get why you don’t see that. If you want to put your child and others in possible harms way we can’t really stop you - but you asked the question and 84% of people have said you are being unreasonable so I hope next time your child is running or swinging on a chair in a restaurant you think of this thread.

She sounds nosy and I’d tell her to mind her own business

Lol. All the perfect parents on this thread.

‘ruined her evening’. Bit extreme.

'Family/child friendly' does not equate to 'Your kids can run riot here'.

"He’d have been whipped outside to calm down"

There's a joke here, but 12 pages in I bet someone's beaten me to it 😂

Next time, give her the daggers to get her to shut up and get your little boy, sit him on your knee and do the under your breath warning voice and keep hold of him on your knee til he settles down and can be trusted to sit.

Our two and a half year old couldn’t be more badly behaved, when shes a bugger she’s removed from the situation, I had to leave two paid for lunches out this week as I had an actual demon in the highchair.

How did her comments stop you controlling your kid?

My daughter, for example, responded very well to a 3, 2, 1 countdown.

It got to the point that I could stand on the other side of a crowded room and just hold up 3 fingers and she would stop whatever she was doing that she shouldn't be. I didn't need to say a word. She always got a smile and a thumbs up when she did

She was 5 at that point.