To think "control your bloody children"

[trufflehunterthebadger]

We have a wedding at work. Three of the children have been running round like it is a playground. Despite asking their parents to keep them sitting down while the waiting staff serve hot main courses and, you know, hot pots of coffee from trays, this was apparently too much to ask and i got an "eye roll" and then pointed out by the woman to her friend. Probabky for not understanding how their pfb should be allowed to express themselves by running around the waiting staffs' feet at a funtion of 100 people

Aibu to think that if your child gets scalded by a waitress tripping over them when you've been asked to keep them seated while we serve hot products you have noone to blame but yourself ?

And before you all ask, i am on a break during speeches

YANBU. Have a word with the best man and ask him to point out to those guests that their kid getting hurt will ruin the happy couple's day.

Sounds like a nightmare. And yes, they should keep their kids occupied and sitting whilst waiting staff are serving any food.

Already done that - fell on deaf ears

Yanbu. But it they are being so loud etc, they should be easy to spot I suppose.

YANBU

This is why I like childfree weddings. Mine like doing laps too and DH develops selective blindness and deafness so it's all down to me to police.

Yanbu. It's sounds v stressful and difficult I hate children running about in restaurants etc.

Sometimes lecturing the kids directly helps. Tell them they're not allowed to run around while you serve food and to go sit with their parents.

I guess there's not much you can do about it though, it's not like you can kick them out of a wedding.

Me too fatal (this'll morph into a children at weddings thread)

Yanbu....tread on a couple ....might do the trick

I had this loads when I worked weddings, no advice, just sympathy. One waitress I managed actually spilled a jug of cream on a child who ran in front of her 'by accident' (or so she said) and the parent told me to discipline her. All I could say was that she was lucky it was cold cream, not hot coffee.
Didn't work, kid still ran round for the entire meal.

Yanbu. In fact I'd say you'd be within your rights to stop serving in that situation as if a child did get scalded you can be sure the venue would get sued whether you'd warned the parents or not.

Sienna, being loud is helpful?

The parents are being tits.

oh dear - in that case I suggest a buffet table and tell guests to help themselves to coffee I guess that might not go down too well....

Can you tell your manager?

Tbh I managed to keep severely autistic ds happy, settled and seated at his aunt and uncle's wedding when he was 9 - no mean feat but I did it.

Totally agree with you. No advice really though.

Don't think I said being loud was helpful? Pretty sure I said it will make them easy to spot, I suppose. It's lighthearted.

Lighthearted

That word is a poisoned chalice.

Imo of course.

Good god. This place sometimes.

It.
Was.
A.
Joke.

So

Was

Mine.

Tell the bride and groom. At my wedding I was told of a boy causing havoc and the head of service told me that they would not continue serving coffee unless he was restrained. I got up and asked the Mum to help and she was mortified that the bride had to come over. Do it everytime

YANBU. My friend got burned on Friday when a child running up and down the stairs in her restaurant crashed into her. The teapot she was carrying came off the tray and the contents scalded her hand and leg.

Had it been the child who'd been burned the parents would have been up in arms about it no doubt, even though it was his own fault.

My friend told the child and his parents to get out and not come back!

Can you tell your manager?

That would be a short chat with myself :D

Oh right.

Did you just grin and bear it in the end then?

Yeah pretty much. I'm basically the head waitress while i'm here (part time) and the ops manager was here but running another bar so not available.

I glared at them and said we could not be responsible in the event of an accident if they did not sit after being asked. 5 minutes later one of the kids cannoned into a chair, fell over and started crying as i heartlessly thought told you so

Agree with the 'stop service' advice, and inform bride and groom why service is being stopped (health, safety regulations) and what it will take for service to be resumed.