About these parents letting their toddler run riot in a restaurant?

[Cheeseoncrumpets]

I want to start by saying that I have no issue with children being in restaurants, but this really did take the piss IMO.

Went out with a friend to a well known chain restaurant for lunch. Very family friendly and lots of families there as a result. As above I have no problem with that, however one couple who unforunately were sat in the booth right behind us, continually let their toddler run riot.

The restauarnt have high chairs available but they had for whatever reason chosen not to use one and he was sat on the seat next to his parents. He kept getting down and running off, firstly he ran right over to the otherside of the restaurant then towards the serving hatch area where staff are collecting hot food, and finally towards the kitchen doors which suddenly prompted the father to go and retrieve him. They sat him down and kept trying to pacify him with lots of 'no don't do that Charlie' (not his real name), 'would you like to play on Mummy's phone Charlie?'. He then kept trying to climb over the booth, and was at one point standing on the seats. At no point did either parent do much to get him under control other than utter a half arsed 'dont do that Charlie'. A walk outside usually works IME.

Eventually he climbed down and went to sleep on the floor next to their table cuddling a soft toy, meaning staff and customers had to either step over him or walk around him. Both parents sat there and just gazed at him adoringly before paying the bill, scooping him up in their arms and leaving.

I'd like to stress I know this wasnt the little boy's fault. He wasnt any older than about two, was clearly bored and just wanted to go off and explore like toddlers do. Im just a bit shocked that either parent thought this was acceptable parenting?

AIBU to think that some parents are incrediably entitled and expect everyone else to tolerate their kids?

This won’t go well.

Not this again. This has been done to death on here. Of course you’ll be told the parents were shit and that everyone should be able to control their child at all times. Not really sure why you’ve posted except to dig the knife in to parents who probably won’t read this anyway.

It’s tiring keeping a jumping bean from running around and climbing on everything. However two parents working together should be more than capable of keeping one small child engaged and busy.

I worry when I see small children hating around cafes and restaurants - a cup of tea dropped over a child can cause lifelong scars (I have a burn scar on my hand from when I was about 3), as happened to a friends child (she needed skin grafts).

I really don’t get mumsnet sometimes.
Of course a toddler shouldn’t be running around a restaurant.
It’s both dangerous and irritating.
You aren’t unreasonable at all o.p

YADNBU.

If I see kids in a restaurant I walk back out.

I have octuplets and they sit quietly wherever we are in their matching pinafores and little bonnets. They would never run around a restaurant.

Well octopuses do like a quiet life...

People can control a toddler?

Look some kids you can’t control equally I prob would have left and I certainly wouldn’t have let them lye on the floor

The parents sound cute and loving. The boy sounds lucky.

However yeh I do think they should’ve handled the situation better in the restaurant. Won’t judge though..

DH and I are often comment to each other on the behaviour of children. As children we simply would not be allowed to run around restaurants or cafes or fall asleep on the floor. Nor did we have screens to keep us occupied. So what’s changed? Why can’t parents say NO?

The octuplets are very small kittens but make polite conversation in cat language. No screentime.

However, yes I do think they should’ve handled the situation better in the restaurant. Won’t judge though...

You are judging there.

Yanbu to think they didn't entertain nor look after their child well in a restaurant- laying on the floor and running around could have caused an accident.

But what can you do?. Meh. The restaurant didn't step in to ask them to keep him safer. You can look on with disapproval but nothing can be done by onlookers.
I didn't take my lot to restaurants for years as I'd have to put superglue onto seats. And I left to meals half way through with doggie bags as mine got bored despite huge efforts if service was ridiculously slow, but once off their seats despite colouring books.etc they were out the door with a talking to "we only go back in for yummy lunch if you can sit nicely." (They didn't sometimes, so we went home)

If you go to a restaurant with a children's menu and/or crayons on the table then you have to expect it to be populated by families and some of those families will supervise their children more than others.

Charlie didn't come to any harm, if he was really creating a big danger to himself or others than I'm sure a member of staff would have asked the parents to rein him in a bit, you never have to encounter them ever again. Let it go.

Actually, the OP will be flamed for daring to imagine that other people's badly behaved and poorly monitored children were allowed to run riot when it was a "family friendly" "chain" restaurant.
Because in MNland, it's only at a Michelin starred place that you can expect not to have your meal disturbed by other people's kids.

YANBU, OP, but be prepared for the apologists.

Your mistake was to go out for lunch on a Saturday to a well known restaurant chain. Asking for trouble.

It can just be really hard sometimes wrestling with a mini anaconda/tiger. Harder than it looks.

The difference between this thread and the thread yesterday where the mum really needed support is baffling. This place is so shit sometimes.

Because in MNland, it's only at a Michelin starred place that you can expect not to have your meal disturbed by other people's kids.

Not quite but if you do go to a place marketed at families then you will find it is used by families.

He wasn't disturbing the OP's meal, he was roaming the restaurant and standing on a seat not sticking his fingers in her chips or climbing on her table.

Oh it’s purple from yesterday’s similar thread who thinks a mother of twins with special needs should be told to stay at home for having her kids touch a mug in a shop..

I absolutely did not post that on the thread yesterday. You’re totally misrepresenting what I’ve said.

Pathetic behaviour from you again.

They sound like lazy entitled arseholes.

Has it occurred to you that maybe they didn’t put him in a high chair a she would have climbed out and / or screamed the place down?

I would far rather sit next to a noisy family than someone sitting in judgement of others. A family friendly restaurant has families in it. This is not unexpected surely.

as he. Space in the wrong place there.

Lovely. Another judgmental thread...

It being a family friendly place doesn't mean its acceptable to let a child run riot. There were lots of other children managing to sit and behave, in fact all of this would have been prevented if they'd have just sat him in a highchair.