Baby in restaurant etiquette.

[YicketyYackMamasBack]

Me and DP would like to go out for a meal for Valentine’s Day, and we would like to take DD.
We haven’t been out for food with her yet as I had a c section and she is only 5 weeks old at the moment. But we have been for short walks, trips round shops and into costa for a coffee.

She’s very content, not very fussy at all.. although that could well change in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully she’s still like this for Valentine’s Day as it would be really nice to take her out but I wouldn’t want to burden anyone else’s meal with a screaming baby.

My main concern is how we actually take her? I’ll double check with wherever we book they allow children and explain we have a newborn.
But do we take the whole pram in, and just leave her in the pram to sleep, or do we just take the car seat in and put her on a chair in the car seat?

I’m a first time mum and I’m terrified of looking like an idiot, so any advice would be much appreciated 🙈

Oh and I hate Valentine’s Day, waste of time - but I recognise that the world doesn’t revolve around me and that others celebrate it

'That's a you problem, not a me problem' is a deeply empathy-free statement.

Just go, take the baby, have a lovely time. This thread was a waste of your time!

But I won’t stay in just because Jack and Jill from down the road left their children at home

If you create a post asking about etiquette, OP, you’ll get a post with answers regarding etiquette.

It seems you won’t stay in, but I can guarantee you’ll be utterly miserable and be put off going out with said sprog in tow after the experience you’ll have.

It’s not exactly a pleasant experience forcing yourself into a situation where you’re unwanted.

Unless it's Pizza Hut then I agree with everyone else that valentine's night isn't a family affair.

I'd be pissed off if I booked somewhere and they allowed bookings with babies too.

Go out for lunch. Or go out a different evening.

A newborn baby is not a child and I would think it's lovely to see a couple with their newborn on Valentines night. We just took ours in his car seat, he'd fall asleep in the car and stay asleep for ages. If he woke I'd take him out and feed him. He's never screamed the place down. Go and have a lovely evening. I have a four year old and a baby so it's a candle lit Chinese takeaway at home for us!

Whilst a newborn in a restaurant on Valentines night wouldn't bother me personally, I think it has potential to be a more stressful night for you than most others might be because it's probably one of the nights of lowest tolerance for babies!

You lost me at your comment about the alcoholic over 60s.

And the rest of your comments haven’t failed to disappoint.

I’d rather eat my own feet than go out in Valentine’s Day so crack on love.

It’d be great contraception for everyone else!

Seriously though, it wouldn’t bother me so long you were prepared to leave if screaming lasted more than 10 seconds.

Only you know the type of pub you're planning on booking, but a lot do separate the tables at valentines and makes space tight. They often have a crappier menu as well.

But if you're cool with all of that then go out and enjoy. I'd take a car seat and sling. Pram will not be welcome unless it's very spacious.

It's the easiest time to take babies out as they sleep and feed most of the time. And if you think people will tut and huff now it'll get a whole lot worse when they're toddlers, so grow your thick skin!

I’m just picturing the Valentine’s Day children’s merchandise!

Make your own romantic candle set
Make a secret card with free heart stickers bumper edition set.
Love heart jumpers.

Mini bouquets for your classmates.
They could run a few poetry completions at school.

The world is being taken over by kids .... let the adults have one night!

We never go out valentines too full of couples who go out just for the pictures.

OP go out if you want to, it's up to you.

But if you think it's OK to leave a tiny baby in a car seat perched on a chair in a pub that you describe as 'full of alcoholic over 60s' on one of their busiest nights of the year, then please ask your health visitor to refer you for parenting classes before any harm comes to your poor child.

We don’t do valentines now, having been married with dc for what seems like forever. But before we became so ‘settled down’ we would have gone out for valentines. It would have been very unromantic and off putting to have a baby on the next table. Although I guess, depending how your baby is, it could encourage safe sex for those around you?
Unfortunately, despite what some will try to tell you, having a baby does change your life a bit and you have to adapt how you do things. Maybe get a takeaway or have a nice m and s meal or something. Save the meal out for either Saturday, early evening or Sunday lunch. We used to take dc1 out for those meals when she was tiny. By the time we had dc2 and 3 we also had a toddler, so again, had to adapt and it was definitely take aways all the way when we didn’t want to cook, but it’s just the way it is when you have babies.

On Valentine’s Day? No definitely not.

If I’m out for a romantic meal with my partner on Valentine’s Day, the last thing I want is to be sat next to a baby!

The etiquette is NOT to take a newborn or indeed any young children to a restaurant on Valentine’s Day. It will be full of couples who have spent money on babysitters to enjoy a rare child free night and for whom the last thing they want is to be seated next to someone else’s crying baby.

It’s selfish of you. The world does not revolve around you and your baby.

Oh silly me for not realising this was the chat section, yep I'm definitely new here

It's not really chat you're after though is it? More like a monologue.

It's often the case that in restaurants/bars/pubs/cafes it's not so much the babies or kids that are the problem, it's their bloody parents.

Hands up who doesn't celebrate Valentine's Day "for religious reasons?"

Oh and I was born on Valentines Day. I celebrate on a different night. Because the world does not revolve around me.

I think you’re fine to take your baby OP. If they’re likely to just sleep what’s the harm? I’m actually take my DS out for a meal on Valentine’s Day just the two of us , he’ll be 11 months by then and I’m a single Mum so he’s acting as my date I agree Valentine’s is a celebration of love and don’t think that necessarily has to be romantic love. I am another who was included in my parents Valentine’s plans as a child. Yes some people don’t see it that way, but we and others do, so why should we be unable to celebrate our way in order to accommodate people who don’t share our views? They wouldn’t bugger off for us so why should we for them?

Do it. Have a massive glass of wine.

I used to take elder DD in the babybjorn at that age to restaurants. She was always quiet as a mouse and I could feed her discretely if needed.

I do remember slight angst over not dropping any food on her precious little head though!

Those who celebrate Valentine's with their children truly are the oppressed minority...

Oh dear, common sense is nothing something the OP appears to possess. Perhaps a referral to a parenting class would be in order.

*not

Op there’s no need for such a shirty attitude. If you choose to do things which you know are not in keeping with social norms, and to post about that on a public forum, you kind of have to expect people will point out that it’s not the done thing and the reason why.

Nobody will arrest you for taking a baby to a pub on Valentine’s Day evening, but you will get raised eyebrows and you may well annoy other customers and the least you can do when this is politely pointed out to you is take it on the chin.