Would I be unreasonable to ask a child to be a bit quieter on their iPad in a restaurant?

I know this is a touchy subject and it’s a public place but I’m just wondering if it’s reasonable to be this angry?

I have taken my friend out for lunch to a restaurant in the lakes for her birthday.
It’s a nice place usually very busy, the food is good and lovely views and usually full of adults dining as it’s quite pricey and no kids menus or high chairs.

Today there was a table in front of us with two women and 6 kids having drinks looking at menus.
The kids keep getting up and running round, talking loudly and one boy was roaming between tables constantly coughing without covering his mouth. In the end a lady on the next table told him to cover his mouth as he was hovering near here and then told the other kids it wasn’t safe to run round.
One of the women was doing a weak “sshhh” that was getting ignored, the other seemed more embarrassed and in the end she suggested they leave and they did.

There are two other tables with kids on iPads but one has headphones and is sat a lot further away so I can’t really hear it and I don’t think there is an issue at all when using headphones.

At the other table a couple are sat near to me with a girl of about 7/8, they are looking at their phones and the girl is on FaceTime on her iPad to another girl with no headphones. It sounds like the other girl is playing a game on a console and both are getting excited and shouting at each other with the girl in the restaurant getting louder and shouting instructions and shrieking occasionally whilst bouncing up and down in her chair.

Other people keep looking over but the parents are oblivious.
Since I started writing this post their food has come and the couple are eating and talking to each other, the girl has propped the iPad against the salt and pepper and is continuing her FaceTime call talking with her mouth full.
The tables are pretty close together and I’m really pissed off about it and want to say something. My friend is also annoyed but worried about confrontation and suggested speaking to staff and asking them to talk to the couple about disturbing everyone.

I was just wondering what others would do? I’ll be really pissed off shelling out almost £100 for a meal that’s supposed to be a celebration and we can hardly hear to have a conversation and I’m disappointed because I wanted it to be nice for my friend.

On the other hand I don’t want to cause an argument and it’s possible people will stick up for the family as we are a pretty child centred society.
I thought I’d ask other opinions so I can assess the risk of that happening.
Would I be unreasonable to go over and ask the couple if they can ask the girl to be quieter or do you think I have no right as it’s a public place and you can’t police people like that?

I just don’t understand the mindset like the people on the other people with kids who let them disturb everyone and just don’t give a shit. I expect it to a degree in places like pizza express or Toby carvery but it feels selfish to bring them to a more adult environment if they are happy to just let them disturb everyone.

I feel awkward approaching the staff as they haven’t already said anything, it might be the best approach though as they are really the only people with any authority to comment.

You’re entitled to be a child-free person.
But you are not entitled to a child-free life.
children need to exist or humanity will die out
they are allowed to eat out with their families
they make noise they play they don’t always have perfect table manners they are children

It's half term. They're literally only out for a week. Move tables if you hate it. Tell the waiter why.
Let a child be a child once in a while before they grow up to be a unhappy adult. Completely quiet and scared to speak out in any situation that makes them uncomfortable.

Tell the staff you'd like to move or can they ask the other table to be quiet

It's half term. They're literally only out for a week. Move tables if you hate it. Tell the waiter why.
Let a child be a child once in a while before they grow up to be a unhappy adult. Completely quiet and scared to speak out in any situation that makes them uncomfortable.

YANBU OP but you will get a few people telling you that your attitude is unacceptable, the children were just being children and if you don't like the noise you should avoid public spaces and eat at home. Oh, and some of the children may have additional needs which is why they were wandering around or they require the iPad to self regulate so how dare you be so abelist, why don't you walk a mile in their poor parents shoes etc.

The excuses people make for shit parenting and unruly kids is mindboggling. Mine are 10 and 12 and I never tolerated them running around, playing loud devices, screaming or making a nuisance of themselves in any way when we were in restaurants. Apart from anything else it's dangerous to allow children to run amok when serving staff are carrying hot drinks, food etc and I really feel for staff when they have to weave their way around feral children whilst their oblivious parents sit chatting or glued to their phones.

You’re entitled to be a child-free person.
But you are not entitled to a child-free life.
children need to exist or humanity will die out
they are allowed to eat out with their families
they make noise they play they don’t always have perfect table manners they are children

You’re entitled to be a child-free person.
But you are not entitled to a child-free life.
children need to exist or humanity will die out
they are allowed to eat out with their families
they make noise they play they don’t always have perfect table manners they are children

You're out to lunch with a friend, but typing an essay on MN?!

This is exactly why I am glad I am raising my children outside the UK.

The idea that thr voice of a child would incite so much rage would (in my opinion, rightfully) be seen as insane in the majority of other countries.

You are not being unreasonable to want to say something. If you did, the likely outcome is that the parents will NOT say “oh, really sorry. Hey Emily can you shush you're disturbing people nearby, be a love and pop your head phones on and don’t shout”. Instead, they will be outraged that their DC is being told to do something by a total stranger and their parenting is being called into question. That is society (certainly British society) today. You can also be absolutely certain that if you complain to the restaurant that they will not do anything in terms of approaching the parents either. They don’t like confrontation and will adopt the all customers welcome approach. If it was me, op? I’d ask to move, for the scenarios stated above.