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?

MsBella is not capable of watching her own child
What is that all about??

Even 2 tables is too far. You can't step in to stop an accident

You have also clearly described the places you go as child friendly freudian some with small play areas etc. Very different from most restaraunts.

I went to a Pizza Express last week with my dp and our two, aged 6 and 2, and then another branch again later in the week with the family (exciting stuff). It doesn't strike me as a place that would welcome children roaming about. Yes it's child friendly (kids' menus, colouring etc), but they still expect all the diners to respect everyone else in the restaurant.

Or did I miss the point? (probably).

sorry typo

and is MsBella not capable of watching her child?

obviously not according to those of here

Question with regard to wandering toddlers - if it is fairly in a restaurant or cafe (or service station type place) I will sometimes let DS have a wander around with me, looking out windows etc as long as he is not close to other people or in the way of staff etc. Am I breaking some kind of rule here? His tolerance for a chair/highchair is about twenty minutes and without a bit of a walk around there would be screaming and possibly throwing of stuff (am working on that, but the kid has good aim). I wouldn't let him go up to a table and start bothering people but he has been known to lean over to the next table in a cafe and bat his eye lids a bit at any ladies who have biscuits but if I'm with him, is this a problem?

Having been a waitress for years I have no tolerance for unattended children running around in restaurants and would escort them back to their table with a overly jolly comment about how they must know how to behave better and that they would surely be in trouble if their parents had noticed them behaving like that.

on here

ffs i need a cup of tea

peppermint we have two pizza express restaraunt near us, i concur with your experience, childs menu and colouring stuff but not ok for children to wander around!

*fairly quiet.

I've already said she is perfectly capable, but chooses not to.

I accept we all parent in different ways. I don't accept someone putting their child/waiters/other diners at risk of injury due to them not wanting to be a 'sheep'.

It's not rude to chat during a meal. It's fucking disgusting to speak with your mouth full.

Someone didn't explain him/herself very well to Bella as a child, I think!

That's my comment on the last few pages

What should the response of the people that your "social" child is talking to be?
and not just for the first approach
what about the second?
third?
Forth?

Easily, the fact you stay with your child when they wander makes all the difference.

Kid can't walk 10 feet in a padded room without causing himself some kind of injury, would be nuts to let him roam free in a room full of hot beverages and knives!

easily i think what you desctibe ie walking with toddler and kerping out of peoples way, going to look out of a window is fine. I oftrn request a window seat so toddlers will be able to look out. Our pizza express is great for that its on the second floor and a big glass.mezzazine type building.

Bella, your child is the equivalent of the drunk man in the pub who doesn't get that he is annoying everyone by cornering and chatting to them as they are too polite to tell him to get lost,

Hmmmm we had 3 under 18 months and have eaten out in all sorts of places in UK and France(some formal and posh).

Never once did we have to let our dc wander or make a noise,not once.

I took tiny,quiet amusements,talked,frogmarched out,gave look of death,hissed,or took a loo break.

We always finished our meal.

Other diners who have paid a lot should never have their meal disturbed for the sake of other people's children.You take it in turns to take your kid out -end of!

there are not running riot in the pizza express up the road so if you are in se london it is a place where children can if not too busy sit at a separate table (next to you) bit it is noisy so may not suit you

i have yet to see children in spain and italy sit around quietly for dinner that lasts hours and hours they are not running about annoying others often seen them wonder off and play as ds did or rather staff took him and other children there off to explore for those worried we could see them at all times nothing strange going on and not in a tourist area. same in turkey, tunisia and australia restaurants are very child friendly

I'm going out for dinner tonight with DH and the DCs, I had considered Pizza Express but thanks to Freud's comments I think I'll give it a miss.

I've never seen wondering children in Pizza Express though. I wouldn't actually think of PE as being a particularly child friendly place. Yes children go as part of a family, but it's not exactly a pub with softplay is it? I think of it as relatively upmarket, not posh, but not Pizza Hut either.

as a single parent there's no 'taking it in turns to take dc out'

easily you can tell our children are related re eyelash flattering and biscuits! I went to m&s cafe recently and merryn noticed the lady at the next table had a biscuit, she leant over gave her best smile and said "oooh biscuits, lady share, me have biccits peease" she got some biscuit and i apologised and said i would buy her some myself but the lady said not to worry and how lovely merryn was :)

But you've said these trips are for your older dc's birthdays, so are they not able to sit whilst you deal with your younger one?

Being a single parent doesn't stop you from ensuing your children behave when out though so please don't use that as an argument. I am a single parent as I am sure others on this thread are but I still manage to ensure my child behaves when out because it is my job to make sure he does.

Oh and now my dc are 9,9 and 8 and capable of eating a 3 or 4 course meal quietly and sensibly whilst holding an interesting conversation I would resent any noisy,roaming 2 year old hanging round my table disturbing our karma.

Other people's kids don't interest me and are not sweet or cute(only my dc as toddlers ticked that box).

We don't get out much and when I pay £££££££ even at Pizza Express I want I enjoy my meal in peace whilst being able to concentrate on the conversation at my table.

Parents choose to bring their kids out so either look after them properly or leave them at home.Unless you train kids properly from day 1 you'll have years of disturbed meals which is your choice not mine.