to think it's unsociable to let kids scream their heads off in restaurants

[sarahseashell]

... without even making some effort to suggest that they keep the noise down
I'm not talking about the odd noise but when mums happily chatting/ talking on mobile while their kids are screaming rraaaahhhhh stampeding over the chairs and generally ruining the whole thing for everyone else in there, why can't the mums just explain that there are some places it's fine to do that (eg park) and some where you could keep a bit quieter.

teaching their children to be inconsiderate IMO

Or maybe it's just that nobody thinks their child is that child sarah

Yanbu. A tantruming or screaming child should be removed from the venue if it won't shut up! Many times dh or I have taken ours outside for a walk in this situation (even if you do have to leave your meal for a bit!). It is basic courtesy to do so.

"I know it must be annoying when you get dirty looks from other diners the minute you walk in to a restaurant with your children.

But those diners have probably had their fill of rude, ignorant or just downright gormless parents who allow their children to shout, scream, run around, bang into people's chairs etc and just smile fondly before turning back to their meal."

In our case we didn't walk in - we were already in, deliberately sat in a corner away from others just in case, and despite there only being two other tables occupied, and nine available these two ladies CHOSE to sit at the table right next to us, then gave us filthy looks because our babies were babbling, followed by moving to a table they could have sat at to start with as it was empty when they arrived.

Surely if a person has "had their fill of rude, ignorant or just downright gormless parents" (none of which I happen to be) then THEY ought to have chosen to sit at one of the other eight tables away from us - rather than sitting at the one directly next to us?? Call me weird - but I would think it's logical that if you don't want to possibly be disturbed by children you don't sit as close as you can get.

Or maybe they just enjoy having something to turn their noses up at?

I don't care whether other people have had "their fill" - that doesn't give them the right to haul their judgey pants up about my child when she has NEVER misbehaved in a restaurant, and wouldn't be allowed to remain in one if she did.

yes sounds like they just wanted something to moan about coola

YANBU at all - I recently had a very hot drink tipped all over me by children running round and round a restaurant. i actually think they were playing tag.
When it happened the staff etc all bustled around and one of the mothers rather vaguely offered to buy me another. No apology. No 'ooo, you've been covered in half a pint of hot liquid'. No offer to pay a cleaning bill.
I'd have more sympathy with a screaming baby, for a bit anyway

Why should you have to don your hard hat, OP?

Why would anyone disagree with you? .

It always amazes me when people let their babies bawl and children shout/scream in restaurants, shops, everywhere - disturbing everyone - while blithely carrying on with their own business. Bad manners and lack of care for children simultaneously.

(p.s. btw not talking about a little spirited behaviour )

I had a pre-emptive catsbum the other day too! I took DS (13 months) out on my own for a sandwich and coffee in a very casual cafe in a local council-run building. I sat him in his highchair with a little toy on a table as far from everyone else as I could, and then an older woman came in, took the table next to me and looked at us with great disdain and pursed lips. He was making no noise at all! I noticed it because usually he gets smiles and hellos from people.

I see your crap parents in restaurants and raise you crap parents on planes. At least in restaurants or even any other form of public transport you have the option of leaving or moving to another area but on plane you are stuck with the crap parenting for the duration. I once snapped at the parents of a child who were making no effort to keep the child quiet on a London to Dublin flight. I could have coped with it if that wasn't the last flight of a 36 hour journey. The mother was indignant but the father agreed that I had a point. They made an effort then and the child was quiet for the rest of the flight.

You'd love my DD on a plane - she sits and plays quietly with her toys, then goes to sleep lol! Mind you we've been flying regularly since she was 3 weeks.

Worse than the noisy child on a plane in the family who decided not to change the shitty nappy of their baby on the plane. 4 hours of that stink was horrendous!

Not surprisingly the baby was also screaming for a lot of the flight!

When I worked as a waitress's at a rather 'family orientated' restaurant we had a woman an her friend come in with 3 children. They were shits from the start but after having complaints from other tables I had to politely ask her to keep the children sat down for their safety. Hot pans, people carrying trays with drinks on etc. 5 minutes later and her shit head son - about 7 years old was running round again pretending to shoot stuff with his fingers & knocked over a tray with a glass on it and it landed on him! He wasn't hurt, the glass hit the floor & smashed and I had to clean it all up.

His mum was outraged that a tray with a drinking glass had been left on - an empty table, on the other side of the restaurant to him! She complained and the manager had to give them their meal for free!

sill makes me angry - it was about 8 years ago!