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?

Would you let your child run across a road? And then say 'well they've never been run over'

Just because it hasn't happened, doesn't mean it couldn't.

YouTheCat I haven't said that it can't possibly happen just because it hasn't happened... perhaps you read wrong

Then why take the risk?

but sdtg, why are other peoples views more important than mine..?

No one's saying their views are more important. Personally, I'm just saying they're wrong.

BinkyBix I'm not even going to consider that happening, you can't just say to people 'what if this happened to your dc' it is wrong! You can never put yourself in those situations until they happen, noone knows how they would feel until those terrible things happen

What a daft comment. Do you not consider risk and then do what you can to minimise that risk?

Do you only consider something as dangerous after your child has hurt themselves doing it?

I personally think you need to all get over this 'annoying' thing, it is not a real thing you know...
And I don't let my DC get too far from me... I watch him but he rarely enjoys sitting and colouring

but it is a group of judgy mums on mn who are saying it is wrong for children to have a wonder about not society

its the norm where i take ds out for lunch, it is the norm in many countries children are often taken off by staff to have a look around it is only some on here that expect children to sit quietly at a table when having dinner out no wonder the uk is seen as unfriendly towards children

there are places i would not take ds, he went to zuma once not a great place for young children even though they made a huge fuss of him friends work leaving lunch she wanted us both there it was full of business men so of course ds was not wondering about but in other places where it is more relaxed he does but he does not get in the way of others as i watch him, he does not go and chat to others as he is quite shy but often other adults will start talking to him or us maybe we give of more social vibes and i have often had children come and talk to me but never take food from my plate if they were very young i would be amused if older than 5 i would be surprised but as it has never happened i can not say what i would do

Is he out of arms reach? if so he is in danger no matter how you try to paint it as giving him freedom, keeping him happy or anything else.

Sirzy you obviously read it wrong, she was asking me how id feel and who I would blame... its not right, nobody really knows what they would think if a disaster happened you know?

I don't need to have expereniced something to know I would feel upset and angry with myself it if happened.

Excuse me how could you possibly know that? You're making assumptions and not understanding my points at all.
Just because I don't keep my dc restrained tightly when in a restaurant it means that if he got seriously fucking injured id just smile sweetly??
Absolute load of shit

So why don't you take simple steps to stop him getting hurt?

Surely you can see that letting him wander out of arms reach is dangerous when their is hot food and drink around?

Just wrote a really long, really clever post and lost it, but can't be bothered to rewrite it because the discussion is just going round in circles now.

MsBella all you've achieved with your comments is to make me less tolerant of situations like this. Like others have said, before I would have got annoyed, gritted my teeth and said nothing. Now I would certainly say something to the parents or restaurant staff, despite my lovely husband cringing and trying to hide under the table. Previously I put it down to ignorance, now I know that some parents just don't care.

Yes, I know that sounds childish, but this thread has seriously tested my patience.

I wondered why this had become so long, and now I see!

I actually can't remember the last time I saw a nomadic toddler in a restaurant - I think most parents are pretty good like that, and try not to let them. BUt Bella you are bonkers, I'm afraid, and if your child was behaving like that where I was out for a meal, I'd be worried for him and at you.

I live on another fucking world I suppose

Bella, I guess I was seeing if you might think of it from the 'risk to your child angle' rather than the 'annoying someone else' angle, by posing the question of who you would blame.

So in theory who would you blame? Thinking it through intellectually? And would you accept blame if waitress hurt themselves by tripping over your DC.

For what it's worth I don't find a bit of wandering annoying really (but do think it can be dangerous unless accompanied) but in most circs would politely return a child to parent after a couple of bits of chat. So somewhere in the middle!

My youngest DC is so excited being in new places that he wants to have a little wander around and he's very sociable so yes he talks to people shortly, just like a very sociable adult

Aaagh!!

Just because I don't keep my dc restrained tightly when in a restaurant it means that if he got seriously injured it would be all your fault and other people my be injured too, most likely the staff but fuck them as long as your DC have a good time.

Absolute load of shit

Id rather not be a sheep to things I do not believe in just because a group of people think I should?

I think I'm so annoyed at this thread because it's made some of us look and sound like rabid childhaters. Well I'm not and I'm sure others aren't either. There is nothing more irresistible than a chatty, sociable child in the right circumstances and I have no problem at all in smiling and chatting back.

However it's also vital that children learn suitable behavoir in different situations because it eases their way through life. I am a conformist though.

Oh come on, Bella, it's not some ideological decision you're making, you're just not being arsed, and you don't care about other people's comfort - which is basically what being bad mannered means!