To think if a mum is happy to leave 2 kids alone at a table the restaurant staff should leave them alone

[Kitsandkids]

Currently in a family friendly restaurant. A mum has taken a toddler to the toilet leaving 2 children aged anywhere between 5 and 8, at a guess, sitting at the table. They are not being rowdy, they are not crying, they are just sitting quietly. But when a waitress came over with their food she got annoyed that they are alone and has left another staff member standing next to the table. So now they are sitting in awkward silence waiting for mum to return. Is it just me who thinks if mum is fine to leave the together, and they're not causing a disturbance, the staff should leave them alone?

i could easily leave my 8 and 5 year old (he is now 6!) while i nip to the toilet. They wouldn't move and it's up to the parents to make that call.

We're talking about a restaurant not the hard shoulder of a motorway. I can understand the vigilance of the waiting staff though.

Yeah Serial this could be a McDonald's anywhere. The mean violent streets of Detroit for example

I didn't know they had waitresses serving tables in McDonald's now. Maybe this Not leaving children unoccupied is a new policy too?

Didn't a parent recently try to sue Pizza Hut because their child choked on a grape?

That is odd. If they are just sat there being well behaved I dont see the issue? What if your 8 year old looks very young? Are you supposed to never leave them unattended? I mean how do these staff know how old these kids are? IMO they should only keep watch if there seems to be an actual problem not just because they have randomly guessed the age of the kids as being too young to be left.

In Macdonalds I’d be even more likely to leave them. They’ve got those bastard iPads in there. The entire building could be on fire and most dc’s wouldn’t glance up from the screens. Also is any food in Macdonalds hot enough to burn anyone?

I’m imagining op was in a normal Macdonalds Pengggwn rather than tge druggie filled, sudden drop variety.

Fair point about double doors open onto a busy road Peng

It was 2 children though, not just a 5 year-old. A sensible 8 year-old could be trusted to keep them both sitting down.

I just really struggle to see how a (nt, averagely behaved) five year old and an eight year old can’t be left at a table and then eat their food for a couple of minutes.

I know accidents can happen, but if I told my 5 yo to stay somewhere for a minute, said where I was going and why and when I’d be back I would know he’d be there when I got back. Obviously I can’t avoid opportunistic peados/ child snatchers or people throwing boiling drinks around but it’s a risk I wouldn’t even worry about.

I’m not having a go btw penggwn, I know we all have different levels of acceptability. It would just never occur to me that anyone would see an issue with this.

I think I'd be more inclined to leave both of them, rather than one on their own.

I love how we're all discussing this nicely without a bun fight and insults! Very unusual for a MN thread

YANBU. The whole stand in a line to collect your child is nonsense too. We never had that where I taught. But we did meander out with them and vaguely check.

Why don’t we just end this thread on a very unmumsnetty ‘I respect your opinion

but let’s agree to disagree’.

How... odd.

It's at the mother's discretion whether the child is old enough.

They can be left home alone from 5, isn't it?

I think she knows if her kids are responsible enough to be left alone for five minutes. Not a random member of wait staff.

Besides, she left them at a table in a restaurant. Not a carpark in Camden.

That might be taking it too far Ffsdh

There are some batshit crazy responses on here. By the time you've considered all the possibilities you could have been to the loo and back.

I leave my kids out petrol forecourt (in car!) and at tables in cafes and restaurants. I'm not hoofing them to the toilet or whatever each time.

There is no way my 5 year old would get down and leave if I'd told her to stay there. Actually don't think I'd need to tell her, she's 5 not an idiot.

I do it all the time on ikea and other similar eateries, they tell me what they want and go and save a table. I often can't see the the whole time- shock!

We were tougher back in the day. When I started infants school, back in the dreaded 50’s that many of you hate so much, I used to walk to school alone.

After school I’d often take the long way home through the woods and stroke some horses at a farm. I was just a little nipper, but we we tougher back then.

Now you’re raising frightened little girlie women and girlie men.

Nah they shouldn't be left unsupervised

Annoying for other diners if they start to misbehave

Can see why staff were annoyed

Op didn't stick around long did she!?