Children running around restaurants

[Edel2019]

Do you let your children do the above?

If so, STOP. Or have your meal at home.

And yes, I have children. 4 and 2. They try to run? I stop them.

Totally agree, it’s dangerous. What if they ran into a waitress carrying hot food? I bet the parents would blame the staff immediately! Really annoys me.

I'm not sure there's a Mumsnetter alive who would admit to letting their kids do that?

Completely agree. Bums on seats, or you take them home.

I agree but you’re preaching to the choir here.

I saw this once where the child caused a waitress to drop a glass and then the mum blamed the waitress and she went off in tears; was quite horrible.
My 2 year old doesn’t exactly sit in her seat nicely (mostly climbs over me) for a whole meal but she doesn’t run around or she’s taken out.

I used to be a wedding manager and I remember one wedding where there were children running around just before food service. I asked the parents if they could get their children to the table so we could serve. In the middle of serving very hot soup (the plates were very hot we had to wear heatproof service gloves) one of the kids ran straight into me and the soup spilled but I had to try and spill it on me to avoid getting the child. Badly scalded my chest, stomach and arm. Had to run into the kitchen, rip my top off and try and hose myself with cold water from the pot wash. Kitchen staff all very confused. My team told me that the parents just called their kids over and told them to sit still while rolling their eyes and laughing. I still have some scaring where my bra was as it rubbed against the burns as they were healing.

When I was a kid before, we ever went out anywhere we were always made aware of the expectations for our behaviour.

The worst I saw recently was the hipster twat parents who gazed adoringly at their toddler as he ran riot around a Costa Coffee. Yes, a Costa coffee were people were consuming hot drinks.

Ouch Biancadelrioisback. I don’t understand parents who can’t work out the implications of letting their children run around restaurants, especially where hot food is being carried around.

*Biancadelrioisback"

I'm so sorry you went through that. I'd have been trying to sue the parents.

Fucking hell @Biancadelrioisback that’s appalling.

I totally agree OP. I worked hospitality for 10+ years and some people have no idea how to parent.

I remember one particularly useless family. At the exit to our kitchen where all the food came out there were 3 steps. Their little cherub was playing and lying across these steps.

I asked them to please keep her seated as this was really dangerous. All I got was a weak oh she really doesn’t like sitting down 😏 useless arseholes.

Oh it's okay. Was a few years ago plus just one of the many scars from working in hospitality!
I adore kids but more times than not, they would be running around where they shouldn't be, especially during a wedding as it was more 'enclosed' if that makes sense.

I always used to keep mine ib seats apart from the one time DS3 escaped his pushchair (I thought he was asleep) and a waitress asked me to keep him under control or leave. I was mortified and honestly hadn't noticed him hop out, toddle round the corner and into the kitchen blush.

Gosh @Biancadelrioisback you POOR thing. That is awful!!!

It's really a balance isn't it? I mean if your kid hops off the seat and you don't notice and you're snapped at.....it's not fair! But it's the parents who just think it's only great gas / not annoying at all that their children are running around.

And as many of you have highlighted, it's not just annoying. It's risky.

I agree. Dangerous and spoils other people’s enjoyment.

Lots still take their children out and let the run round though. Their wants seem to come before social etiquette it would seem.

This gets my goat. It's not just restaurants,I frequently see it in coffee shops too. It just amazes me that the parents cannot see the possible consequences of letting small children run around or crawl around on the floor where people are carrying scaldingly hot drinks. I've even witnessed kids on roller skates and scooters in these places! Absolute madness. As a couple of PPs said you can bet your life that the parents would instantly blame the person who's hot drink got spilt on their little darling,and even start trying to claim for damages,when it was entirely their own fault! In one coffee shop that I frequent,I even see very small children being allowed to wander behind the counter. For some reason the parents find this highly amusing. Some parents have no idea how to parent.

I’m middle aged and don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a child running around a restaurant! A child trying to and then being grabbed/corralled back to their seat maybe. But kids just running amok in a restaurant whilst the parents sit back and watch? No.

I loathe it. When I go somewhere like Frankie & Bennys I fully expect children, it's where my DD’s like to eat. When we are there they sit down. We had to put up with a group of 6 children all running past our table in and out of the toilets for over an hour. Weak attempts from the adult with them asking them to stop but only after a few looks from others. It was awful, sadly a growing expectation because it's a right these days.

Biancadelrioisback They were rolling their eyes and laughing? OMFG! That is awful. So sorry to hear that you had to go through this. Some parents are just ignorant twats.

At a nice restaurant last night about 8:30pm and there was a 2 1/2 year old screaming his head off and running around, quite clearly very tired but parents just left 8 year old daughter to deal with it.

If you've got ££££ for a nice restaurant then pay a babysitter so your baby can go to bed at an appropriate time and you can enjoy a nice meal in peace !!!

I was one sip of wine away from getting up and repeating that sentiment

I've even seen families put their kids on a separate table to the adults and then ignore them while they ran around. The restaurant staff ignored them too. We left.

Yeah they were laughing but I don't think they realised what happened as they weren't looking! They just heard my shout and a crash

Sat in John Lewis cafe last week and I counted three toddlers just wandering around with no parents close by.

Cue lots of people asking around "is he with you?" because one child was on their own for about 5 minutes. No parents came to find them, they walked back to their table with the help of someone.

All I could think is these parents would be the first people to complain if someone had spilt something or dropped something on their child.

I have a nearly four year old and he's not allowed to run around restaurants. They're dangerous places! Not to mention how disruptive it is to staff.

BIL and SIL let their toddler do it and seem completely impervious to irritated waitresses. Plus DS sees him and wants to join in

20 years ago we went to a restaurant with our neighbours with small children , we sat in horror as they ran around the place while we ate . I remember being so embarrassed but I was young and figured that's what children did as I had no experience . Fast forward to now I have a son with special needs who can sit still through a film and at a cafe and restaurant for a whole meal and more . It's not that difficult to train kids and make them aware there are consequences if you don't behave . He knows if he misbehaves we leave and he doesn't see his film or get his cake 🤷‍♀️

Do we need to have this discussion again?

We hardly ever go out to nice restaurants now and when we do go out, they are family friendly places with slides etc in a garden for children (just in case service is slow and they are restless). Even back when we did go out, I’ve never seen the constant stream of children running around that other MN seem to come across on a frequent basis.