Should a very noisy baby be taken outside?

[BlueBar]

I don't know where I stand on this one actually.

I've been out for lunch. It was busy and there was quite a hubbub of background noise/chat, certainly not silent.

There was one table of two couples with young children and (presumably) grandparents. One child, I'd say around a year old was very noisy. High pitched screeching. She wasn't being naughty, she wasn't crying, she was happy/excited. I realise it's practically impossible to stop a child that age making a noise, but would you expect one of the adults to have taken her out of the room for a while?

Or, she's only a baby, it's hard, let them all enjoy their meal.

FWIW, none of them seemed troubled by the noise, if anything they were enjoying/encouraging it and maybe that's the right thing to do with a happy baby? It was ear piercing though and continued for quite a while.

Oh god the screeching phase I love my children dearly but did not enjoy that sound. It’s not the same as usual happy baby noises. Our 11 month old went through it a couple months ago. I was at a checkout and he started it and honestly it was a stressful experience as it’s a really high pitched noise and does get to people the person serving me couldn’t get us out of there fast enough. Him being a baby meant ‘no’ didn’t work, but we didn’t encourage it at all.

My eldest is autistic and can cope with normal volume, but once you go beyond that he just can’t cope anymore. There are some places he doesn’t go because it’s too much for him, but hr should be able to enjoy a meal out with his family without having to leave due to noise.

1,000,000 times yes!!!

@beachcitygirl if it’s just he and I then I will happily take him to nandos but if wanting to include him in family parties, weddings, anniversaries, significant birthdays make me an arsehole then I’m fine with that. I will be an arsehole til the cows come home. And the judgy bitches can suck it up.

It's not the baby that's the problem; it's the adults winding the baby up.

It's often like this when lots of adults are out with one baby or small child - the adults become absolute self absorbed idiots all competing to show the others that the baby likes them best.

The same baby is usually far less noisy with just one adult.

Just hear looking for tips on how to stop the shrieking when happy and excited!! I would take my child away, or try and distract them when out. This is more tips for home, I’ve tried shushing, ignoring, saying ‘no’. Is it a phase?! Please tell me it’s a phase!!!

The adults in the OP were encouraging a small child to be noisy in a tea room - that's nothing like a child with special needs who isn't being encouraged to be noisy but just sometimes is.

The difference is abundantly clear to people at other tables/ sitting near by.

I'm sure you support your son to cope as best he can rather than wind him up!

Babies are human and exist in public shock! What makes you lot so much more important than the younger members of society? You're not special because you've had x amount of birthdays you know. I cannot bear precious miseries who think the world revolves around them. Thank God my kids are older.

So they're a bit noisy? Big whoop. You'll live.

That’s nuts 😂 … Wouldn’t that just train your baby to break plates deliberately? 🤨

Completely agree!

If it was my baby, I'd take them out for a bit to calm down.

I was away on a weekend trip recently and a family had their kids..2 and 5, who were running around and making noise in the restaurant at breakfast time.

They just looked at smiled at the kids. Not an attempt to stop them.

Baby out. That shrieking hurts.

Needing calm in a public space isn’t entitlement. It’s a pretty low bar to set when others are eating and talking.

You DIDN'T say family events tho.

That is different & you know it. Stop being dramatic for the sake of it. Makes you as bad as the judgey idiots.

And so you should !! People are ridiculous!! My child has special needs too and struggles to be quiet . If people like to be openly ableist then it’s their problem and their bigotry

Lots of autistic people also shriek so would they be allowed or is your issue more important ?

I was in IKEA a few months ago and had this. The child shrieked, as in not crying, but a sort of "I've not been told I can't do this" shriek. It was so piercing it made me hold my ears and feel angry, like something had gone right through my ear drum. I said out load "oh for goodness sake" as I held my ears but the parent was completely oblivious. I had a headache for the whole afternoon. Afterwards I wished I'd made a fuss but if the parent is obvious then they aren't going to care about a stranger making a fuss.

My son has asd , he wouldn't cope with constant high pitched screeching. I'd have to take him out for a break.

When he was younger and was the one being noisy himself then I'd often take him outside to give other people a break from it and to calm him down

There's nothing wrong with thinking about other people and their needs too. No ones saying keep your child with disabilities at home

There's nothing wrong with thinking about other people and their needs too. No ones saying keep your child with disabilities at home
Exactly your child might have disabilities but sometimes there are others in the restaurant who also have disabilities. Taking a child outside for a minute or two is a reasonable thing to do.

@beachcitygirl you know there are lots of reasons to go to restaurants, right? It’s not my problem you need them all listing for you in order to be able to understand.

Completely agree.

The grumpy people should go outside.

How rude of you. They were probably aware of your reaction but chose to ignore the rudeness. The parent would not have been able to stop a first shriek or two. Children make noise.

Of course the baby should be removed, as should anyone making excessive noise in an eating establishment or other social venue.

Yes this. She might have given it the odd squawk but if it was continual it’s because they were encouraging it.

I’d have gone over and said she’s lovely but could you stop encouraging the shrieking.

I don't blame you. There is no reason people should expect that sort of shrieking to be tolerated.

Parents of young kids have to accept that for a few years, they can't go / do everything they want, because many places aren't suitable for kids who can't modulate their voices.

No they shouldn't just ignore it/encourage it, anything that affects other diners is anti social. Yes it's a baby but I've had babies and would have taken mine outside. As it stands I avoided eating out much in the first few years to save the stress.

And nothing wrong with a happy baby, it's one of the most beautiful sights in the world. That is different to a screeching happy baby.