Were we BU asking to move tables?

YANBU. I work with kids and I genuinely enjoy them and their company. Off duty though, while I might chat or give them a bit of attention it tends to be very brief and on my terms. I’m out and about doing my own thing, not to parent/entertain other people’s children.

So had the parents eaten but not fed the kids?

Or were they just having a drink?

But in no way, shape or form were you unreasonable.

No wonder the country is in the state it is. Lazy parenting. Aggressive attitude. Kids who’ve been taught they come first and can therefore do what they like. Truly appalling

Kids running around are health and safety risk. Staff are carrying plates of food/drinks!

A similar thing happened to me last year. I’d gone camping for the weekend and walked over to the local pub for lunch and a beer. Sat outside with my kindle waiting for my food to arrive and a couple of kids kept coming over and draping themselves over my table while their parents gazed indulgently at them.

I said hello to them then went back to reading. Bugger me if one of the parents then shouted to the kids ‘why don’t you show the nice lady your toys’! Cheeky buggers. Fortunately my lunch came out at that point and I sent the kids back to their parents with a cheery ‘no thanks, I’m eating’.

Why do some parents assume that other people are interested in entertaining their bloody kids.

I wouldn’t have moved. Why should you!! I would have asked him to take his children back as they were disturbing your lunch.

Lazy, Lazy parents. His feral kids are going to be the next gen of ASBO teenagers

On another occasion I was sitting in there, vaguely aware of a couple of smallish children looking out of the window & then saw one child running out of the door.

Nobody else seemed to have noticed. I asked the other child who they were with, got the parents’ attention & then one of them retrieved her.

It's lovely his kids are confident and sociable, but they need parenting as to when is enough!!

It's great he wants his kids to make friends, he needs to take them to the playground!!

The parents would have sued the arse off the coffee shop had the toddler got scalded.

some years ago we were in a tea shop with DB’s black lab and a baby came crawling towards us making a bee line for the dog. The mother did not appear until the baby was almost up to the dog, who was just gently thumping his tail and would not have done anything, he loved kids. But the mum was not to know that.

If I’m out on my own & a dog comes over I’ll be straight down on the floor making friends.

Kids, no.

I saw a toddler run behind the counter at my favourite coffee shop - she was returned very quickly & firmly to her parents.

oh I have experienced similar

The kids were being a nuisance. You were tolerant but the parents should've pulled them back much sooner.

For me there's nothing wrong with kids running around but they shouldn't be tripping people up or interrupting conversations -- and certainly not inviting themselves to share others' food.

I'd have replied "Yes, your kids were a nuisance, as are you. Go away".

There is no way this really happened, no Dad would be so antagonistic over something so minor as moving tables!

Ugh, I'd move too. Far away!

I read your post and thought you should have been firmer with the kids sooner! Father was completely unreasonable, I really don't think the children were upset.

I hate this too.

my own kids aren’t little anymore, but when they were I absolutely wouldn’t have let them do this, and they just knew not to.

I have a dog also, and I wouldn’t let him bug others either.

keep your family/pets close. It’s one thing being friendly and going over to say hello, or the dog trying to get to say hello and being directed back. But repeatedly is cringe.

now my kids are older, I honestly try to avoid other peoples younger children when out, I’ll be polite, say hello and chat a bit. But my younger children entertaining days are over (until grandkids if I’m lucky enough to get any obvs).

This is one of my pet peeves when adults bring kids to the pub and the kids run around like loons and start making conversation with you with no intention to stop. All the while the parents look on in adoration at how sociable there little asbo kid is - no, your kid is disruptive and has no manners! Now be a responsible adult and actually parent your kid!

We had something similar a few years ago. We had spent the day organising mil estate a couple of days after she passed away and decided to eat out.

A very rowdy table nearby was allowing their dc to run riot, playing hide and seek around our table, interrupting us while we were discussing important issues.

I wasn't as polite as you. I walked over to the parents and told them that we were there because we were tired, hungry and very recently bereaved, and that if their dc continued to harass us at this point, unkind words would likely be said to them.

They kept the dc at the table afterwards and left fairly quickly afterwards, telling dsil while I was away from the table that I had been rude and spoiled their meal. I thought I had been rather restrained.

Yanbu

OMG I’m cringing just reading this. I’d be absolutely mortified if my kids sat down at someone else’s table in a restaurant!! YANBU and the entitlement of the dad is off the scale

I'm going out to eat with DH this weekend and won't be dealing with anyone's kids. We're out to spend time together. People can parent their own kids and keep them away from me. I won't care if the kids are traumatised if I tell them to go back to their parents.

You were not at all unreasonable OP and were kind to the children.

That’s quite disturbing. I mean it explains the kids behaviour, if their parents were ignoring them and they were hungry! But my god, the parents!

You were more than tolerant and patient with the kids. The father knew he was a lazy arse not entertaining his own dc and trying to alleviate his own guilt onto you. Nope yanbu

Omg!!! The nerve of that man, I just can't believe it!

YANBU
Kid's parents should have kept better control over them.

I too would like to see who voted YABU. I bet one of those types that thinks kids make the world go round, and not letting their kids ruin a private meal is the same as being told you should keep them in a basement at home.