AIBU to expect parents to control children even in the likes of Pizza Express

[Jewels234]

I know it's more of a family restaurant, but there are children all around me going mental. Screaming, having tantrums, standing on chairs. It's horrendous.

I am probably being unreasonable being here in the first place, but I love a leg gera salad.

i think people with no children are extremely negative and lack basic understanding and compassion with children, and that's NOT the children's fault.

I have children, and I taught them to behave. They have always been chatty but not screaming or shouting, and I didn't let them run around because I taught them to have respect for others. This way we all get to enjoy our meal and other people are not inconvenienced by my DCs.

There are some places children can run around in public but a busy restaurant isn't one of them.

The big issue with places like pizza express is that if others are misbehaving it's harder to keep yours under control, particularly if they know the others. I therefore go to places with fewer children and avoid pizzas express as its less stressful, mine on their own are OK (Not perfect ).

I think places are all family friendly now due to the smoking ban.

Restaurants need to start insiating on better behaviour from parents and their children , or asking people to leave if they are not prepared to adequately parent them

Insisting

YANBU - they are probably my BIL and SIL kids! I dread being asked to go to Pizza Express with them as their kids (and others) just run wild while parents ignore. I then get evil glares and comments from SIL if I tell kids to stop running round waiter carrying a tray of hot food/coffees

I'd move to another table away from them if I were you dancing and tell your Sil to make comments and give glares to her kids to tell them off, not you!

We went to PE on Saturday, must have been lucky as it was all very serene and peaceful

Other DCs were there, must have been colouring or whatever as I barely noticed them. Mine were reading (we all carry a book or two around as we take buses a lot so are used to waiting for things!).

Was expensive though and the food was pretty poor, am sure it was better the last time we went, about a year ago.

We take DD there, we usually go around 5pm and stay about an hour and she is fine if we keep her occupied with the free crayons, stickers etc until the food arrives. She has the kids three course menu and doesn't get to leave her seat until we are getting up to go home, unless we need to take her to the loo. She is 2.5 yrs and I think that's a pretty challenging age, so if I can keep her under control then I would be expecting kids older than her to sit and behave?! We don't stay for ages though, if we stayed for hours she would be bored and loud and annoying. I think parents should be more realistic when they take young kids out to eat. We like doing it but we know DD's limits / attention span and we don't push our luck otherwise it's bloody stressful. I get embarrassed by kids and people being really loud and annoying in restaurants generally though. I guess others don't give a shit!

also, if children are annoying you, you have every right to tell them off/try to get them to stop. sitting there giving them evils does absolutely nothing.

Really? Even gently asking them to stop has resulted in frothing from the parents, in my experience.

Oh and I agree with PP that Pizza Express has become appalling value for money. Really poor.

Thank goodness I don't encounter any of you lot in pizza express. DD doesn't run around but she is prone to shouting a but if she is hungry. .she looks 10.

I went to PE last night, very calm all children well-behaved (very disappointing).
£75 for 4 with 3 soft drinks, 2 glasses of wine, 2 starters, 4 pizzas, 2 deserts and 2 coffees. Seems good to me.

Dixie, there's normal levels of noise and then there's the intrusive (shrieking, screaming, top of lungs stuff).

I don't allow the latter in my DS in restaurants and cafes. It's rude to others.

Mine does some loud noises and a bit of banging on tables with his hands or kicking it with his feet. Nothing I can do about it.

Yes would take her out if screaming. But low level grumping we dont or she wouldn't go back in. Also we try to stop the bangs but not always easy as lambsie says.

People will say sN are excepted but I can assure you people don't always spot SN and do the judging thing.

However my DD behaves fantastically for someone with severe autism so I am proud of her.

I'm awful. I whip pit the iPads, 3ds ect and sit in blissful silence or quiet chat with DP while they are glued as they only get 20mims a day. Made going out with my adhd child possible - probably have some judgy parents staring at me for use of electronic devices but much preferable to ds1 incredibly loud voice asking random questions and going to toilet every 5 mins.

I was just appalled at two mums sitting and chatting while the daughter took the bill tray and banged it repeatedly against the table. Such bad behaviour.

But then, I don't have children.

The absolute worst is Giraffe. I will never ever go to one again.

I try to put things in the way to stop or muffle the bangs but he moves them and sometimes banging or kicking is more important to him than any toy I could offer.

If you have a small child you can become immune to bangs and not hear them sometimes.

yanbu

Last time I went to pizza express my 16 month old decorated herself as she ate Bolognese. She did this quietly. My dinner was spoilt by the man next door tipping a whole pint of orange san pellegreno everywhere.

I agree parents should keep their kids under control - but I can't control what comes out of a 16 month olds month (unless it's screeching - an then i'd have to leave from the shame of it). Climbing on tables is not acceptable and we've learnt the art of strapping her into a chair if the high chairs allow it.

We've only mastered going for food in Pizza Express and Bill's with out child - it's the only way we feel like normal people who can go out for lunch.