To think if you're taking a baby of under 18 months out for a meal

[Souredstones]

It's ok to take some small toys for them but under no circumstances is it ok to take the annoying noisy battery operated ones especially if you're going to set them off and the child proceeds to ignore them.

Yanbu quiet toys only.

Oh god yes. Friends had I pad with downloaded cartoons to entertain child at the table - and no headphones.

YANBU, as has already been said, quiet toys only!!

Yanbu.

I think no matter what some parents do with their children in restaurants, someone will moan about it on MN.

They were obviously trying to keep their baby entertained so YABU.

I agree with OP.

YABU.

Guess what, there are children in this world. Children make noise. Children like toys that make noise. Children have just as much right to be there as you.

I agree

I mean I agree with the op. books, chunky crayons and paper - no problems. Anyone who thinks it is ok to take a noisy toy out to eat should eat at home

YANBU. It's not acceptable to spoil someone else's meal out by being selfish. Consideration.

At least they were trying to keep them quiet. Which Michelin starred restaurant were you dining in? .

och go somehwere they dont serve kids or maybe later on in the evening when the noisy little buggers are in bed kids like noisy bashy throw on the floor toys meh dont be such a misery

They weren't trying though. They were ignoring the child and thought pressing the toy would be sufficient to occupy it rather than interacting with it.

If it makes a difference we were at a local gastro pub

do peopl e think children shouldnt go out in public until they are 12 or something

I should point out we were there with our kids (school age) I know what it's like trying to occupy and amuse them when they're small. First step would be to interact with them

Not if they're going to be so noisy that they spoil it for everyone else they don't.

so you were in a fancy brewyers fayre honestly go out later

I have no problem with babies in resteraunts. Just noisy toys with bad music on them.

buy if he didnt have the toy he mightve been running around singing or shouting and annoying folk

Why should we go later? We have school age children who have school in the morning

What sort of toy was it?

She was sat in her highchair bored and making noise. The child's noise I didn't mind, I can tolerate children, they make noise, goes with the territory. I hate those vtech style toys at the best of times nevermind when I'm out for dinner

Have some people even read the OP?

She hasn't said she doesn't want children in restaurants, she has said she takes umbrage at parents who use noisy toys to distract and don't even care that the distraction isn't working.

I think in general, it's totally and completely reasonable to expect any party in a restaurant to minimise the annoyance to other patrons. That's really what the OP is about.

And she is not being unreasonable.

I read the OP, I stand by what I said.

YANBU op, what you have described is irritating.