To get pissed off at children running around in restaurants?

[CelticPixie]

We went out for lunch today and there was a large group sat behind us. It was obviously a family celebration with parents, grandparents, kids etc. A little boy from the group who must have been around two was running around our part of the restaurant screaming and shouting and getting under the feet of waiting staff carrying hot food etc. He also kept approaching people at other tables and kept asking them if they were having their dinner and what they were having. At no point did his parents do anything to stop him and they just kept on smiling at him, but it was obvious that he was getting on everyone else's nerves.

Its a family friendly place and there were lots of other small children in there but he was the only one running about and being a nuisance. I will NOT allow my DDs to run about and disrupt others people's meals and it pisses me off that other people have so little consideration for anyone but themselves. If mine wants to go to the loo one of us takes them, if they are bored we take them out to the play area. It's really not hard is it?

Owl..this thread is quite a good insight into how intolerant a lot of people are isn't it :)

I agree with everything laqueen has said.

We were in a restaurant once and a toddler came up and started taking chips off DS's plate; the parents smiled indulgently and said 'aaaah are you sharing the little boy's chips?'

Some parents genuinely think everyone wants to chat to and admire their little darlings whilst eating out!

Bloody hell, MrsMangel, that's awful!

MrsMangel.

Did you say anything to the child or parents? I think my ds's would have given him a knuckle duster if he'd tried to pinch their chips.

MsBella

What do people suggest I do then?
Stop all my dcs enjoying themselves at go home?
Drag young dcs back to the table and restrain them tightly?

now you're getting the idea, see not so hard is it?

MrsMangel there would have been the distinct possibility of a "Joey doesn't share food!" moment if that'd happened to one of mine.

I'd not want to be anywhere near if someone's child tried to take ds's chips. This is what lead to years of him not being able to tolerate the dining hall at his special school, because someone took his crisps. He will not share food.

I remember a girl helping herself to my chips at secondary school. I jabbed her hand with my fork and told her to piss off. She got most offended so I told her she had no manners which is probably a bit ironic given my reaction to her but I was 11.

5eggstremelychocaletymadeggs thanks for that, its nice to know that people can be more understanding as a result of MN.

FanjoForTheMammaries I totally get where u r coming from as we get glares and tuts all the time no matter where we are as soon as DD makes a noise.

DD also has habit of dropping cutlery and banging as due to her disability her muscles cannot always work well. This is why we spoon feed her and encourage self feeding when we know she can cope.

I said several times to the child 'no, they are mini mangle's chips' and eventually the child took notice and went to harass talk to another family. If he hadn't have gone I'd have asked the parents to take him back though.

Ds was surprisingly tolerant of the chip taking.

You would LOVE my DD..she made a break for it and went and grabbed a BABY's food.

To say I was mortified would be an understatement.

Luckily the people were understanding. Also when she turned round and grabbed their older child's cutlery.

mrsmangel my elder children would hum our a toddler doing that but my own toddler would have had a fit keep screaming tantrum and I would have then had to take her out!

drop dead mnet is very good at gaining an in sifjht and understanding into son's I am frequently horrified at the shit parent so children with son's have to out up with and how hard they have to fight to get a help :( makes me ashamed of our country sometimes that we are so crappy to this who need the mos support and who are the most vulnerable :(

this thread is quite a good insight into how intolerant a lot of people are isn't it

You know what? That's a load of crap. No one here is picking on special needs or any other kids, or the parents of those kids. And it is not intolerant to say that we expect parents to respect not only their own kids' needs, but the needs and feelings of other people.

I get that you feel aggrieved about some people's attitudes towards your SN kid....but you are projecting quite a bit and frankly, not doing your own cause any help, by distorting the content of the thread.

Whatever one's child's abilities or age, if one's attitude is that you therefore don't need to take other diners into consideration, then one is as wrong as the poster above (who doesn't say her kids have any special needs, by the way) who argues that her kids' feelings and what they want is most important.

Fanjo, peope are aghast at the child's parents thinking it was cute, not the fact that the child did it in the first place.
Huge difference.

Brdgrl..I am not projecting.

This thread clearly shows me that people in general on MN are very intolerant of children making any noise in cafes.

My DD's SN isn't that relevant.

People are intolerant of children who cant behave perfectly ..not necessarily those with SN.

Also my DD is not my "SN kid"

I meant I can tell from this thread that many people are intolerant as in..

I used to think it was OK to go to cafes because surely people arent really uptight about a bit of kid noise.

From this thread it appears many people are and are sitting judging away.

Laqueen...I know this.

My point is..you cant always tell which children have SN..

By the time you have spoken critically to the parents the damage is done.

That is my point..not about people being judgey when aware of children having SN.

^^ What FloggingMolly said

I'm sure many of the people glaring at my DD and making remarks have not realised she has SN. But she does and constant glares are very depressing.