To think parents should bring babies to restaurants?

As long as they are not crying, sure. If they start being a nuisance, they should leave (same applies to pets, adults, anything).

I do agree with this.

I experience more loud adults than I do kids in restaurants. I don’t see kids as often as some seem to.

Can’t actually boot the loud talkers who don’t seem to have volume control.

I usually took my children after the lunch rush where it was quiet and we were often the only ones there.

I'm fine with it, though I find it totally bizarre that parents find it acceptable or necessary to stick a 'phone in front of said baby to entertain it while they eat.

Christ you object to the potential disruption
Fucking hell.
The world is not catered to everyone's individual preferences and if you can't enjoy something unless no one around you acts in a way that yiu deem undesirable then maybe you shouldn't be going out.
We really need to start being responsible for our own reaction to things in the world.

I really hate this attitude in this country, go to Italy, or Spain or Greece and you will see families out late at night eating, singing enjoying themselves loudly, it’s lovely seeing families enjoying each others company and spending time together. Why must we be so terrified of “disturbing” others that parents feel guilty about taking their children out for a meal, children are members of society and have just as much right to be in public spaces as you.

Depends on the restaurant and time. 5/6pm in a bog standard restaurant? Yes. 9pm in a Michelin star restaurant? No.

I have an 11 month old. He's been to many restaurants. Family birthday meals, lunches with other friends with babies. Always been fine. And tbh, he was usually interested enough to be pretty chill. I bring toys and try time it for when not tired. Luckily he's never had a full on screaming meltdown. I assume that will come more in the age 1-3 range 🤣

Yes- all babies should not be allowed out of the house until they’re 16 so YOU can have peace and quiet wherever you go 🙄

I agree. Always took DS out with me to places. He is a very calm child - not sure if my nature or nurture or a bit of both! Even when he was 2 he could in a cafe and have lunch with us calmly. I used and still do prefer to go to supermarkets with him than without as he actually calms me down 😂
He has never run about screaming. I was maybe easier when he was a baby even more so as cafes were visited if we were out and I needed to BF him

A waiter once tried to serve DC 'skin-on mini potato wedges'. DC informed them that they were chips and asked for baked beans please. So yeah, we may be lacking in sophistication.

It has never occurred to me (even before being a parent) that children wouldn't be welcome in a restaurant. It's a restaurant, not a nightclub.

Obviously there's varying standards of behaviour you'd expect depending on the restaurant, Toby Carvery more relaxed than Michelin star place.

If you don't want children there I'd probably go for a later dinner, but if it's lunchtime or early evening I would expect children

Don’t be a dick

I don't mind a baby or small child being in a fancy restaurant provided the parents take it out when it starts screaming, throwing a tantrum, running around the place (in the case of small children), yelling, or banging cutlery on the tables.

I also don't want to listen to loud performance parenting.

I don't mind adults being in a fancy restaurant provided their friends take them out when they start screaming, throwing a tantrum, throwing food, staggering around the place, yelling, or banging cutlery on the tables.

We always took ours early when they were little, like 5/5.30. I think that’s reasonable.

Doesn't bother me in the slightest, but then I have a kid of my own. Is it because babies lack sophistication? 😂

I can kind of get you, however, myself and partner haven’t been out together since DS (21m) was born as it’s just us 2 so sometimes people don’t have a choice but to bring their baby

Any human, little or big, should be allowed. Everyone should be mindful of noise and that includes very loud fussy crying from baby that doesn’t stop (fine if it starts but parents maybe need to step away if baby or toddler not soothed, until they are calm).

In addition, adults that laugh loud and talk loud, thinking they are super witty and have the most awful foghorn of noises, should also be made to leave and calm down before they come back. Sometimes their noises is what sets off the child.

So I don’t agree that children shouldn’t be allowed, I think any noisy patron should leave the dining area until they are calm.

Babies are members of the public. If you don’t like them, don’t eat in a public place or go to somewhere that’s adults only.

It’s never been something I’ve come across tbh but I imagine that if a table of drunk adults are being very noisy and unpleasant, the restaurant should ask them to quieten down.

It’s usually much easier to ignore the loud adults than it is the high pitched scream of a young child. Particularly if you are wearing hearing aids.

There is no need to read the room, you just ask the restaurant. A lot of fine dining places are perfectly happy for you to take a baby in a pram.

Mumsnet: It’s unreasonable to go to a family-friendly restaurant and complain about crying babies and toddlers, you should go somewhere kids aren’t welcome.

Also Mumsnet; It’s unreasonable for any restaurant not to welcome kids, they must ALL be family-friendly!

I stopped going to restaurants once it became clear that the only people they’re now for is parents of small kids. I am ND and I can’t cope with the combo of noisy kids and sound-enhancing chrome/glass/metal design of pretty much all restaurants these days.

So parents aren't entitled to go out at a restaurant without the baby for a nice meal ??? Young age or not they simply can't be tied by being home every day. Babies need social life well as parents, choose shouldn't or should very wisely please.

It’s mainly the noise and potential disruption.

The "potential" disruption? So even a perfectly silent baby or beautifully behaved toddler/young child would unacceptable because of the potential for disruption?

Surely the issue is with parents allowing bad behaviour (children screaming, running around), or not taking a crying baby out for a little walk, rather than the actual children themselves.

No one reasonable can have an issue with a well behaved child who is making no more noise than the average adult having a conversation, or a baby who sleeps through the whole meal.

It’s mainly the noise and potential disruption.

YABU. I can guarantee you my experience in restaurants have more often been ruined by the noise and disruption caused by drunk adults, or a group of friends having a gossip than by a baby!!

We took our babies, we don't take our toddlers. Even a very fancy 2 Michelin stars restaurant told us they would accommodate if we had to take our 2 months old.
Most babies aren't that disruptive, they sleep most of the time, feed a bit, go back to sleep ... Of course there are bad nights but it's never happen to us when we were out, unless it was a very special occasion we would probably have left then.

Your newborns were clearly different to mine. My first was the variety that did nothing but scream at 2 weeks.

Anyway I agree that your typical Thai restaurant is absolutely a fine place to bring DC of any age as long as they're not disturbing anyone.

Fine dining is much like a hen do - sometimes it shouldn't need to be explicitly stated that children aren't welcome, parents should just read the room.