dirty high chairs

[claudedebussy]

it never fails to amaze me (why - i don't know, considering it's been years...) how restaurants don't bother to clean their high chairs. if they left the tables and chairs in the same condition they'd probably be shut down by elf and safety.

latest case-in-point: john lewis. absolutely filthy high chair and it was the best of the bunch. such that i didn't do my usual pa tight-lipped clean but asked a cleaner if she had a cloth. she had the decency to look embarrassed at the disgusting state of it but certainly didn't go off to clean the rest of them.

so. aibu?

I agree with piglet and hoop. It's the restaurant's duty to clean after guests. You pay for service when eating out, no? Having said that if there's a huge mess on the floor or on the highchair, I try to clear up a bit but would not as far as asking for a brush! No way

sirzy same here, clean up a bit, stack plates, scrape left over food onto one plate and pick up stuff off the table/floor and put it all in a pile on the one plate with dirty stuff, takes all of two mins and makes someonelses life a lot easier, its just polite!

I always take anti bac wipes for this purpose - and also for cleaning up for DS after. He's nearly three now, so not nearly so messy. But in the changing bag there are always both wet wipes and anti bac wipes.

People should wipe the chair when they leave. Yes strictly you shouldn't have to but use your common sense. Toddlers take up the space of an adult plus a buggy sometimes, make 100 times the mess and normally pay much less than as adult, some people even bring their own food then expect the restaurant to clean it up, flipping cheeky. Even more cheeky when it's somewhere like John Lewis on a weekend when the place is overrun and you know that by leaving it a state you are leaving it for another parent to clean before they can put their toddler down as there is no way the staff can keep on top of them before they are wanted again.

When you leave it a mess I think you ar egiving your kids a message that it's ok to have no respect for other people.

Can I ask how many of you who don't clean up are actually buying food for your DCs or do you bring it with you?

I would be embarrassed to leave the kind of mess my DTs make, I scrabble around on my hands and knees picking all the bits up and always wipe down afterwards. If I threw food everywhere and smeared it all over the chair I was sat on, I'dvlean that up too.

Xpost re bringing own food!

I will always clean up after myself and my children when eating out, regardless of it is a fast food chain or a resutruant

I am not saying don't clear up after your children, but it's the job of the restaurant to keep eating facilities in a hygienic condition. I would not exect to go to. Restaurant nd sit on a dirty seat with dirt on the table, the same ith high chaires

pink what an exaggeration!! To say that you give your child the message that it's ok to be disrespectful because you don't sweep the floor when you eat out is a hell of a statement!

I buy food for DS, I literally treat him the way I treat any other member of the group. I don't disrespect the staff, I do scoop big food items off the floor and most importantly, choose stuff that won't create too much mess. Why would you give a small child yoghurt out and about, for eg?

Life's tough enough with a tiny person - why would you do someone else's job for them by cleaning up?

IMO this is about 'children should be seen and not heard'

Personally I do try to clear up but all
I'm saying is that I don't go to great lengths like I would at home because in my opinion that's someone's else's job and defeats the point of eating out

"why would you do someone else's job for them by cleaning up? "

Ermm its YOUR child so its YOUR job to clean up after them.

Its has nothing about children should be seen and not heard and everything to do with respect for others. Your "they are paid to do it" attitude stinks.

My attitude 'stinks' sirzy ?

Wow.

I can't relate to your attitude at all, Hoop - I always wipe down the table when I'm out with the kids, since they make more mess than adults.

I'd assume people would think I'm slightly feral / was raised by wolves, if i didn't... >o

If your DC pees on the changing table do you leave that for the cleaners too?

Yes it does Hoop. It shows a great lack of respect for the people who work in restaurants and cafes

No it doesn't show disrespect sirzy. Of course children are going to be more messy than adults and whole as parents we have to try to minimise the mess when we eat out with them, it's not fair Ti shift all the burden of cleaning and clearing up on the parent

I'm mainly with PinkAppleby on this.

I wipe/scoop etc before and after but the chairs need regular deep cleaning! Like Downton said the straps are often grim, and there is also usually accumulated crud in all the crevices... Bleurgh. The John Lewis ones are particularly bad.

I wouldn't want to eat in a chair like that.

i give her yog occasionaly as her elder brothers eat it, they tend not to spill it but if she sees them eating it she wants one and its easier to give her one and clean up than have her scream blue murder.

its not about doing their job for them, its about being polite and making their life easier. god even when we have the odd mcdonalds i still clean up and put stuff in the bin etc. it doesnt matter where you eat but you dont have to leave a massive mess after yourself! at home i expect my children to help clean up and when out its no different so they pick up anything dropped or spilt at the end of the meal.

i really do think its just polite. nothing about children being seen and not heard, when i eat out without my children i still clean up and leave the table tidy with the plates neat etc. its just good manners and helpful for the waiting staff!

ceevee of course I would clean the chaining table if my DS peed on it. That's different!

"I don't think I should clean up after DS - that's the restaurant's job, surely? I don't clean up after myself or DH"

people like you are the ones who should stay at home then... how bloody arrogant..

Eh? I've worked in plenty restaurants and cafes, it was at the time my job to clean up after customers young and old. Didn't bother me, 'twas part of my job.

I'm more bemused by the people on the thread who seem ashamed of how thieir children eat. Who is sending a more positive message to their children?Is it the parent who is relaxed and chatting to their child throughout the meal, saying 'that was lovely, what a treat' then leaving (after a brief cleanup) or the parent who is constantly picking up food and telling them to 'eat nicely' and spends 5 minutes (while toddler tantrums) cleaning frantically?

And I have the bad attitude on here?

annaliza in what way is it different? A young child is unable to control themselves during a nappy change so I (as their parent) of course would clean this up. A young DC is unable to eat food without spilling it on the floor and smearing on the high chair so I (as their parent) would of course clean this up.

'bloody arrogant' ?

Who said anything about being ashamed about how children eat? All I would be ashamed of is leaving a mess behind for someone else to clean up, its nobodys job to clean up after me and my DS.

You don't have to be constantly picking up food to LEAVE the area clean and just in need of a quick clear of plates and wipe down before it can be used again.