To think children should be allowed to run around and have fun in McDonalds

[JimmyNail]

It’s a children’s restaurant so children should be allowed to have fun while they eat their meal. Nothing outrageous but things like crawling under our own table, playing a little chase around our table. Not in any way bothering other customers. Being a little loud. Just a bit of fun.

No, teach your child that there are places where running around, chasing etc are inappropriate, MacDonald’s is one of them. Others include ( but not exclusively) A and E, waiting rooms, the hairdressers, trains, planes, other restaurants and cafes, supermarkets and other shops. Places where it is fine to run around and chase include ( bit not exclusively)parks, playgrounds, the beach, woods, your own house, your own garden, your nans garden.

Again. It’s not a children’s restaurant
it’s a fast food place for all ages

and we regularly eat out with our DCs at all sorts of restaurants, usually with plenty of other children there
its really quite simple to keep them sitting still unless you are being a very lazy parent

Ok that last comment means this is either a reverse or a joke/troll thread. Both pretty boring

It's a restaurant of course they shouldn't be running around, there will be people walking around with food and hot drinks in their hands

No it's not! And it's not a 'children's restaurant'.

You are being ridiculous.

Whilst I would expect Mcds to be noisy and wouldn't go there for a romantic meal with DH, I would expect parents to actually parent their kids.

At 5 and 6 they are absolutely old enough to not be running around and crawling on the floor like feral animals.

People will be walking around with rays of hot drinks, its utterly irresponsible of you to allow/expect this.

YABU and yes most 5 year olds would be able to sit at a table and eat a McDs. It's not difficult at all.

It's not a children's restaurant though, it's fast food. It's not a safe or appropriate place for children to be away from the table. It also is likely disruptive to other customers at neighbouring tables for your children to be messing around under and around tables. Surely at home they're expected to behave appropriately at the dinner table, why teach them eating out anywhere is different?

"But it’s very hard to expect a 5 year old and 6 year old to stay sitting down. Especially in a children’s restaurant" - so teach them. Practice at mealtimes at home. Model good behaviour and ask them to do as you are doing - sitting and eating your meal, having a chat etc - playing, running about, toys, screens........ afterwards.
If you think its a challenge now bear in mind how much harder it will be/other challenges you will face with them when they are older. When they are this age its much much easier to instill good behaviour in children honestly.

Eating a McDonald's takes like 15 mins. It's hardly a three-course meal at a fancy restaurant where young kids will rightly get restless, My 3yo can manage to sit and eat food for 15 mins in McDonald's (or anywhere) without running riot.

At 5 and 6 they really should sit down. Mine can get a bit fidgety but he knows not to run around or crawl on the floor.

This has to be a wind up. By 5/6 perfectly old enough to sit down. If they want to run around take them to a park and don’t ruin someone else’s meal out. ludicrous.

This has to be a reverse surely?!

It's not a playground. It might be fast food but it's still a 'restaurant' so YABU to think children should be allowed to tear around the place.

McDonalds is not a kids restaurant though
It is a restaurant for everyone and a restaurant is more child friendly than many. That does not mean that kids can run atound and disrupt other paying customers enjoyment of their meal. At five and six they should be able to sit for the time it takes to eat a fast food meal. If they want to run around they go into the play area if there is one.

I wonder how they behave at school?

McDonalds is child-friendly but that's not an excuse to allow children to behave badly. I don't understand why people think it's OK in any public place to be honest.

Assuming this is not about your own children.

Why the fuck are posts constantly being cut off half way through a sentence?!?
Anyway OP, honestly you are either making nonsense up to annoy people of you are an incredibly ineffective parent. Get it together and teach your kids to behave appropriately otherwise no one will want them around

At 5 and 6 they shouldn't be crawling under a table (which is grim) or running around. They sit down to eat and then you leave surely? It's fast food. If you need an extra ten mins you provide some sitting down entertainment. Crayons, a book.

Really isn't too much to expect at that age. I assumed 2.5 to 3 when you asked.

Tell then what you expect before you go in, remind them to stay in seat if they get up. If ignore you some sort of consequence. When they do well lots of praise. Chat, play eye spy or whatever as you eat. It's not long. They manage at school. I am sure you'll be pleasantly surprised.

McDonalds is not a children’s restaurant just because a lot of children go there. 5 or 6 100% I would expect them to be able to sit down for 30 mins to eat their food, toddlers no but 5/6 definitely. I accept they get bored much faster then older children but they shouldn’t be running around any eating establishment, it’s disrespectful & most people can’t stand families that allow their kids to behave like that.

It's not a restaurant for children. It's for adults too. Big NO.

See there is your problem. Wish washy thinking. You think the expectation is going to be too hard on you so you don’t try to do it, whereas other people know that once you have the expectation in place the behaviour follows.

A 5 &6 yo should absolutely be able to sit still whilst eating a meal.
If they can't, don't take them until they can.
And it's not a children's restaurant.

Amazingly others manage it.

so when your kids have hot drinks spilled on them whose fault will it be?
it’s not a kids restaurant, its a restaurant.

Fuck no. And I have a super active 3 year old. Running around in restaurants and crawling under tables is repulsive. Screams lazy parents who don't give a shit and just ignoring their kids so they can have a chat or spend time on their phones. A fast food restaurant doesn't make it any more acceptable...it's basic common sense.

Also, at the risk of being pedantic, there's still a pandemic going on and letting unmasked children run wild through a restaurant is extremely irresponsible. There's a difference in risk between everyone sitting and eating at a table vs screaming, active kids spraying aerosols across the entire restaurant.