Yes parents in restaurant, you were VU!

[Bogeyface]

It was not the waitress's fault that she tripped over your daughter who was running around with your son causing havoc, it was not the waitress's fault that your DD got caught on the arm with a fork that fell off the tray of pots she was carrying, it was yours. If you bothered to look after them instead of texting, talking and watching TV on your phones then it wouldnt have happened.

That was why the manager refused to give you a refund on the 5 meals you had, and I agreed with him when he said that a restaurant is not an appropriate place for a child to be running around. I also agreed with him when he said that if you couldnt keep your children under control then you would not be welcome back. So did everyone else, which is why no one jumped to your defence when you said "No one minds do they?" looking at the other diners.

Oh and btw, occasionally jiggling the buggy while you stuff your face is not a recognised way of calming a howling baby. Try feeding the baby before you feed yourselves you selfish bastards.

You ruined our meal out, which is a very rare treat for us these days thanks a fucking bunch for that.

However, you can't win. Ds1 has ADHD and finds it really difficult to sit quietly for any length of time. We have always allowed him to take his DS or iPod to use whilst waiting for his meal and whilst we have coffee. He does not use it during the meal. That too is judged.

Not just kids in trollies - UK kids generally.

Do you know what? Whilst I'm not excusing poorly behaved children at all, we once incurred the wrath of the coffee shop owner and our fellow diners in France when DC2(just turned 5) stood up at the table (that was all he did) and knocked a glass onto the floor. The eyes rolled, there were loud tuts, there was lots of whispered conversations and then pointed looks over to our table. I went to apologise to the manager and asked for a broom to sweep up the glass - and she refused. We had to finish up surrounded by broken glass.

If that's an indication of how children are taught to behave in 'Europe' then I'm glad I don't live there.

We eat out quite a bit and generally it is ok but these people sound silly asking for a refund.

However we have had to take scooters - we don't have a car and it would take hours if they walked.

Our DC have screamed in restaurants but sometimes if the service is really slow and they are waiting for hours for their food it just happens. I usually take food but sometimes we are caught on out on the hop and I usually try to get breadsticks, cherry tomatoes, babybels in the nearest supermarket to keep the wolf from the door. I do this before we go to the restaurant.

We take them outside if they are too boisterous or try to run around or slam their cups on the table but it can be hard if raining.

And well good luck to anyone trying to restrain my DD in a highchair, we've tried four highchairs at home and the child has an iron will and will escape from anything.

Our son once howled in restaurant in Florence and the staff were lovely about it (complicated eating out on holiday) and said not to worry but we did so we arranged to pop out with him and come back and eat once he had settled.

On the flipside our kids are now used to eating out and generally enjoy the experience and behave - they also eat everything from sushi to kale.

Good on the manager!
If that had hapened in the restaurant in big shop i worked in i would have had a bollocking, and they would have been refunded and given extras :-/

OP YANBU at all.

I read this out to DP who was (and is) very vocal on teaching children to behave when out in places like this.

Our DCs have always been taught how to behave in restaurants. DS is 10 now, and DP will still remind him not to run and to watch for people carrying trays when DS needs to go off to the loo.

Oh, and I bet this are the type of people who are happy to let their DCs make a mess all over the place as well.

Well done that Manager. I cannot stand parents who just sit calmly stuffing their faces while their kids create noise and mayhem. No doubt part of the 'oh children will be children' brigade, who find every precious excuse in the book to excuse their lazy selfish parenting.

YANBU, some people just have no idea what is acceptable and think their children are angels and cute when they do things like this.

I can't remember one school or church event that has not had a baby crying or toddler running around because parents are too selfish to remove them until they are settled. How people can be so selfish is beyond me. I can see why people opt for child free weddings.

The proudest moment I experienced was in a restaurant when a couple came over & commented on how well behaved our 18 month old was. What they didn't see was the small back pack with toy cars & trains, snacks, little books etc. children are children the world over, a 2 hour lunch is boring for them without interaction & stimulation. As long as it's fairly quietly done, what's the harm of toys, iSpy games or (whispers it quietly) an iPad at the table?

We went through a stage of never eating out as DS just would not sit still After a few months he seemed to get out of it and we started taking him again, we bring books, maybe a few small toys and chat to him, if he plays up once, warning and we stay, again, we just go. YANBU it really pees me off!

I felt sorry for the little girl of about 18 months on the bus yesterday who was hot and so tired . If her mummy had her on her lap she wanted to be with daddy in another seat and was passed back and forwards by an increasingly irate father who at one stage turned round to the rest of the passengers and invited us to "lay into her" if she was getting on our nerves.

He lost his rag and smacked her. Cue much yelling and mummy shouting,"You shouldn't do that you fucking spastic."

Not so much a snapshot of their lives but an epic film in progress.

That manager sounds awesome.

DH and I went on holiday to Cape Verde in March. It was a very nice hotel that had an area away from the main pool, over the other side, with a children's pool and baby pool, playground and sandpit to keep the kids entertained. There was a European (not British) family with 2 preschoolers who had brought their scooter with them! The little girl would scoot round the main pool, in and out of the sun beds and through the restaurant at the side of the pool! the toddler was too young to do it himself so loud parenting dad pushed him round, complete with sound effects!

Phew! I was out yesterday and had to read to check this wasn't about me :o Although one of mine was too busy eating a meal the size of an average family BBQ to make mischief and the other was being kept firmly in check by MIL.

YANBU BTW.

Has no one rocked up and said oi
Walk a mile in their moccasins
Maybe mum was depressed
Maybe the kids had health issues and this was yearly respite

Sounds dreadful,poor waitress

Why did they want a refund?

scottish I think Worra's post was a pre-emptive strike on the PO.

Anyway most of them are still licking their wounds after the drubbing they got on the Bacon Sarnie thread.

I remember watching this gorgeous little girl.s She was sitting beautifully in her high chair eating her dinner.

Until

Her dad sat down next to her with a massive great big price of chocolate cake.

Cue tears, tantrums and child being told off because now all she wanted was cake.

Easily avioded by the dad waiting 10 minutes.

Real keyboard?weve got a garish one that yelps out instructions and praise
It never leaves the hoose

my sis worked in a very busy pub where she was up and down stairs with trays and orders. this one child was let run riot and my sis had asked very politely to please make him sit as it was dangerous he kept playing on the stairs. he hit her across the legs with his toy as she was going up the stairs, hands full and that was the final straw. on the way down, hands free, she spotted him again looked at the parents who were paying no attention caught his arm squeezed it a little and he started bawling. she brought him over to the parents and said he hurt himself on the stairs and that he was to sit or they were to leave. at first I was shocked she did this then thinking about it I agree with her.

Op YANBU.

Of course YANBU.

Alpaca..YAB ..well. better not say.

Why so folk get so excited on here about berating bad behaviour though..its weird.

Dont me

LoL oops.

Don't mean OP. Just everyone frothing about society gorn to the dogs.

I'm at the bus stop and a man is standing waiting with his little boy who has his ipad on Postman Pat at a thousand decibels. Please don't have that on for the whole journey.

Dont get me wrong, I have let the kids use phones/tabs before now to keep them amused, it was the fact that the parents were doing it all the way through the meal, shovel fork in one hand and phone in the other.

They wanted the refund because their meal was ruined by the waitress being careless and causing their DD to be hurt. The manager was about.....40ish, so probably got kids of his own, I was so impressed that he told them to sod off, H and I both said afterwards that we thought he would cave in as most would these days.

Been keeping an eye on trip advisor and no frothing on there yet! :o