Re children in restaurant

[Arbesque]

Four of us booked a table in an expensive restaurant last night for 7.30.
About 10 minutes after we'd sat down a couple came in pushing a buggy and with 2 other children in tow. They were seated at the table beside us.
One child kept bashing his spoon off the table, another kept crawling along the wide windowsill so that he was right behind my head, and the baby was kept amused by the father playing peek a boo while she screamed excitedly. This went on and on.

We asked to be moved to another table. There were none available.Then the baby started crying loudly and the toddler got tired and cranky and joined the wailing.

We left without dessert and complained on the way out. They knocked the price of a bottle of wine off our bill.

AIBU to think expensive restaurants, charging a fortune, should have a policy for dealing with situations like this?

We paid a lot of money for a meal we couldn't enjoy.

@RampantIvy i think that poster meant i was being spiteful, dont think they know what spiteful means.

@BerryTiredMama
Isn't it good that your positive happy attitude isn't allowing this thread to get to you?

@Arbesque 😂😂nothing here is effecting my life for me to have a positive or negative attitude about it. Im simply stating my opinion, the OP is entitled to their opinion and to be annoyed. If these little things bother them then so be it I'm simply saying - why are you SO annoyed? Surely you can’t be going about life leaving places early and asking for money off every time you face some minor inconvenience.

What did you want to happen ?????

No I don't leave places early and ask for money off over 'minor' inconveniences.

RhubarbMoon

Personally, I prefer to assume that my fellow MNers are intelligent people, capable of understanding more complex language.

I'm capable of understanding and using language such as that, but I wouldn't generally, because it sounds like someone trying to be posh.

Just seen this, I don't think I have ever been accused of 'trying to be posh' before!

😂

You did leave early and you complained to the point the staff thought we better give this one something for free before we end up with a terrible google review over a screaming child that wasn’t in our control.

oh and @Theblacksheepandme about this post is “getting to me” haa some of us aren’t so easily annoyed/upset/riled up, certainly not over someone else's ‘problems’

@BerryTiredMama
That's nice.

Well perhaps what happened in a restaurant we were in earlier this Summer. Family nearby were letting their toddler run all over the place, while their baby screamed the place down in her buggy. You could see other diners getting annoyed.

The manager carried the child back to the parents saying with a nice smile "I'm just afraid something might spill on her" then said sympathetically "poor baby sounds upset. You can't be enjoying your meal. Let me keep it warm for you while one of you pushes her up and down outside. It's no trouble".
The parents took the hint, kept the toddler at the table and one of them brought the baby outside to calm down.

We go out so rarely that I would book that time as generally speaking kids at that age are normally in bed or trying to get to sleep at that time I would be happier with all adults especially if its a really posh restaurant where you pay for a certain experience. Ie quiet relaxing atmosphere so you can unwind after having your own kids all day....

@Arbesque why did you deserve money off? It wasn't the restaurants fault? They chose not to have a child free policy, you chose to go there!

Totally unfair on the restaurant.

Yes, because it wasn't a minor issue.

Look I get it. You're feeling a bit defensive because you're seeing your style of parenting being criticised a lot on here.

It's OK. No one's perfect. We can all learn things on Mumsnet.I know I have at times 🙂

@Arbesque im a mum to one child, he's too young for me to have a style of parenting and I certainly wouldn’t be taking him to any expensive restaurants tbh but if i was sat in an expensive restaurant and this happened reaction would be

“Ugh that’s annoying” for about a second before i carried on with my life, ate my chocolate dessert and tipped the waiter

You know that There are restaurants about that don't allow kids after a certain time, right?

*your

OK.

I chose not to have children so why on earth would I want to engage with some random strangers kids?

The manager carried the child back to the parents saying with a nice smile "I'm just afraid something might spill on her" then said sympathetically "poor baby sounds upset. You can't be enjoying your meal. Let me keep it warm for you while one of you pushes her up and down outside. It's no trouble".
The parents took the hint, kept the toddler at the table and one of them brought the baby outside to calm down.

This manager was a genius!

I know. It's a pity there aren't more like her.

It was all done so nicely, nothing confrontational, no opportunity for the parents to get insulted or defensive.

All very positive, and no one's meal or night out ruined.

Punishing the restaurant, jesus. OP complained about the situation as she’d been wanting to spend more money there but felt unable to due to their lack of management of the situation. Presumably the comping of the wine wasn’t done under duress but will be recouped from not throwing out the family, and is therefore a price they were willing to pay.

Yes. No nice posh restaurants have a play area for kids (sic) on the coast, in holiday destinations, family restaurants do.

Unfortunately, I deal with the hangover, on a day tot day basis, of the reputation of the Brits who so embrace this so called med lifestyle and also do not parent their DCs.

You go on holiday every summer and think you can comment about typical mediterranean lifestyle? Try living here. Then see.

Some of the low standards of parenting on here are truly revealing!

Many posters are desperate for this to be anyone else’s fault but the parents’, and it really explains a lot about why half the cafes I go to nowadays resemble a soft play.