To complain about no highchair rule

[Lofu]

At a garden centre today we went to the cafe for lunch. I have been before pre covid and know the little corner where they keep the highchairs, so went and got one.
Half way through our meals a server came over and told me off for using a high chair. Apparently they are not allowed to use them because of covid.
This is the first place I've heard of such a thing. Would I be unreasonable to email a complaint? I can't decide whether the cafe are well within their right to make whatever rule they like, or whether it is discrimination of children.

@Devlesko

Complain about what, ffs. You weren't to know, they should have removed them. Here's a grip.

Aaah cheers Hun xx

@Rosehip10

"discrimination of children"

Ha I know that's not right but it's the best my pregnancy brain could come up with.

To be fair, age is a protected characteristic and in order to participate in the meal DS needs extra consideration. Not sure that reasoning deserves your snarky emoji.

I wouldn't bother with any sort of formal complaint, but would just vote with my feet.

It is a ridiculous rule, as are most of the rules and laws around Covid now.

Complain about what? That they are trying to keep to the Covid distancing rules to keep you safe?

Why not just complain about Covid too? I'm sure it's their fault.

If the high chairs were in their normal place and there was no signage saying they weren't to be used then I think you should complain

You shouldn't be told off due to they're own inability to put a sign on the high chairs. You aren't physic

I clean DD's high chair the second she's out of it. It must take less than thirty seconds

It will have nothing to do with cleaning and everything to do with social distancing. Most places will have removed seats and widened spaces between tables to give the required social distancing. If parents come in and start dragging out the high chairs then they will cause the cafe to be breaching the minimum distancing.....most parents then turn up on mass - if everyone pulls out a high chair then there is not adequate spacing 🤷‍♀️

Stop giving people who are trying their best under difficult circumstances a hard time.

I guess the Op is another entitled person who thinks other people should cater to their every whim, regardless of the current pandemic.

I'm sure some people comment for an argument! Who puts a child on there lap to eat! They are totally ridiculous. Cant use a fucking highchair because of covid. Stupid!

Most cafes/restaurants I’ve been to since March have removed all their highchairs out of action, I’m resigned to it now. The only place near me that still has highchairs is Pizza Hut. I’ve mostly given up eating anywhere with my baby as it’s so much hassle.

I've found this 'because Covid' thing in some places with high chairs too. There's plenty of places that still do have them, so there's obviously no guidance against having them. Just annoying frankly.

I have sympathy with you OP and definitely wouldn’t go there again. People who are criticising you clearly haven’t tried to balance a wriggling one year old who does BLW on their lap whilst trying to supervise a three year old. Perhaps you have all forgotten! Absolutely they should provide high chairs and clean snd strerilise them with Milton after each use- you would think they would be crying out for the business. Weird....

You sound ridiculous

Who puts a child on there lap to eat!

When there are no high chairs - or all the high chairs are in use! - it’s preferable to popping them on the floor tbh.

That said in a garden centre I probably would have had the pushchair and fed them in that.

Does Covid live on high chairs more than regular chairs?

Exactly. YANBU OP!

What a time to be childfree! 😂

You must not have kids or magical kids that sit on your head whilst eating. She doesnt sound ridiculous at all. God this site really is full of petty bitches

@Justwingingmotherhood Why are you even on this site? You havent got kids and all you do is try and wind people up. You must lead a very sad life, to sit on mumsnet and make bitchy little pathetic comments. Grow the fuck up

This site isn’t just for parents. Lots of topics are covered here and there are all sorts of people who are members.

My life is fabulous by the way! 😎

This is another one of those Covid rules that makes no sense whatsoever and is basically just using coronavirus as an excuse to do less work (in this case, clean the highchairs after use).

How ridiculous

I would much rather sanitise our high chairs between each use than have toddlers creating mayhem in the restaurant. There is no guideline that they cannot be used (I am a pub/restaurant manager for a large chain), just that they must be sanitised.

I have had 6 kids myself and I just wouldnt bother going somewhere that didnt allow the use of highchairs than try to keep a squirmy toddler happy on my knee, help them eat, eat myself etc. Recipe for disaster and a safety issue. I can only assume that they have never seen what happens when a toddler bolts in front of a server because their parents allow them to run riot and the server drops hot plates of food on to the child.......

I would just leave a review that you visited as you have always liked going there but will be staying away until they reintroduce the use of highchairs.

@BewilderedDoughnut as you keep saying! But on every single thing you comment on all you did is try and wind people up. Its pathetic. Go and live your fabulous kidless life. And yes my daughter has respiratory issues so this must be a fabulous time to not have kids because quite frankly it's a living nightmare for mothers. Grow up your a grown woman.

They are actually being quite thoughtful. Parents don't want their baby to pick up Covid and the way children pick up and eat food directly from the plastic table is very different from how adults sit and eat at a table. Plus, we can't keep sanitising a baby's hands. Some parents might just stick their baby in a highchair and not think about the Covid risk. Then straight off to see grandma.

Half way through our meals a server came over and told me off for using a high chair.

Except they didn't 😂😂