11 month old in restaurant

[Anoushkaka]

So I know things have changed with parenting since I had my own children, youngest is now 11 but do some parents literally just let their kids to what they want?

Went for a meal yesterday with DH and our children. A couple come in with their baby and get seated near us. Highchair is brought over and they put him in but don't strap him in because he doesnt like to be strapped in, mother said this to waitress. They order food and literally plonk a bowl of mash, veg and gravy on the highchair for baby to eat. He puts his hands straight in and starts feeding himself with his hands, food is going everywhere, patents are looking at him and saying "what a great boy he is".

Baby literally has food everywhere, parents make a half hearted attempt to clean baby which results in an almighty tantrum and him nearly falling out of the highchair because he wasn't strapped in. Dessert comes and the same thing with a bowl of ice cream, its everywhere. They then give him a sippy cup that spills all over him because obviously its not one for his age group.

He screams to get out of highchair, father takes him out and let's him bang cutlery on the table, pull soil from a nearby plant pot and again spill water everywhere. All the parents kept saying to staff was ,"oh sorry, he is just so independent and clever for his age".

I was appalled to be honest. I spoke to my friend who is a childminder and stressed that yes unfortunately a lot of parents are now like this.

Take him outside then! The might think he's amazing and just expressing himself but the rest of us don't. No doubt he'll be the one bothering other diners when he's on the move.

I think I've got a good idea how your children behave 🙄

We let our 6 month old feed themselves so we can enjoy our meals together. We did it in a restaurant yesterday. I cleaned up the floor and table afterwards with wipes. It is baby led weaning and is better than spoon feeding for a baby's development.

Take your DC out to eat by all means. There will be mess and some noise, that's inevitable. Doesn't bother me in the slightest.

But, please don't: let your DC crawl around on the floor, stand on the table and lick the windows, sit on the table and throw everything off it onto the floor, run around the restaurant getting under people's feet and, when there is mess, clear it up as best you can.

We don't eat out with SD and DGS any more. It's just too stressful, rude and entitled.

This is a weird post. How did the baby bring messy affect you? Just don't look. It's good for kids to start eating out early; how else do they learn how to behave in a restaurant?

Not much help when you're out for lunch!

I did a combination of baby led weaning and spoon feeding. I would spoon feed for things like yoghurt and mash but give my child finger foods as well, like cut up fruit and toast. I couldn't handle the mess of full baby led weaning but it is what is recommended by the health visitors now. So you can't really blame new parents for following it. And I can see it leading to babies who won't eat from a spoon.

If they had strapped the baby in it sounds like baby would have screamed and annoyed you even more.

The only thing the parents did wrong was to not clean up after themselves a bit more imo.

How dare you call me a liar. I was referencing your own awful comments and what they demonstrate about your own behavioural standards, which inevitably you will pass on to your DC and you have just admitted as much on another post saying that your DC's behaviour is terrible (with laughing emoji). I assume you don't know the difference between referencing and quoting. I couldn't quote your post as it had been removed by MNHQ. I was REFERENCING your disgusting comments in it. And I am not attacking your DC but rather commenting on your influence on their behaviour given your own track record. It is not your DC's fault.

I'm guessing that the ones with parents like that never learn to behave in a restaurant.

I think you have got a lot more to be embarrassed about than my posts 😂😂😂. I'll leave you to get back to your wonderful parenting!

You were the one calling posters 'miserable old bitches' on this thread, had that disgusting post deleted and continue to insult a number of posters because they don't agree with you believing that DC should be allowed to run wild in restaurants. I believe my post was deleted because you reported it, and I stand by what I said about your awful behaviour having implications for that of your DC. It's pretty obvious and that was all I said. I don't think you can vouch for what makes people cringe and I don't care what someone with your track record thinks of mine. And it's "you're" not "your" FWIW.

A person with opinions such as yours is totally unworthy of motherhood.

How sanctimonious can you get? Motherhood isn’t some state of moral godliness. I think you’ll find that many totally shitty and unsuitable people get to do it.

Can't you just give it a rest NewMum. You're derailing the thread.

Give it a rest, you’re embarrassing yourself.

I am not derailing any thread @Newmum0322. If you look back, you are arguing with many posters on here and insulting right, left and centre. I have only taken exception with your own vile comments. You are twisting things beyond all reason in order to deflect from your own behaviour. I am not engaging with you further. You can spout whatever nonsense you believe.

This is a weird post. How did the baby bring messy affect you? Just don't look. It's good for kids to start eating out early; how else do they learn how to behave in a restaurant?
By having sensible and reasonable parents who don't teach them from a very young age that throwing food around, tipping water everywhere,banging the table and tipping soil out is acceptable as they look on adoringly at how cute and advanced and independent for their age the child is.

That child is not learning how to behave in restaurants. They're learning that they can do what they like and their parents will be too busy cooing over them to be the grown ups.

What we did when out from weaning onwards was aim to set them up for success, not failure:

• they sit in a high chair or on our knee or we had a portable booster for a while as well
• we brought our own finger foods/purees that we knew they'd eat, and then also ordered something age appropriate from the menu that can easily be picked up by a weaning baby/toddler or they could scoop once they had spoon control (why would I order a baby something like shepherds pie and gravy or Bolognese to get tipped or mushed or thrown everywhere? That's a stupid decision)
• they had a bib on and we had cloths ready
• they had age appropriate bottles and cups, which we took responsibility for
• we carried some small toys/crayons/books that were age appropriate to keep DC occupied
• if they were unsettled then they'd go back in the pram or in the baby carrier or taken for a small walk
• we aimed to minimise the mess

They weren't perfect every time. No children are. I never found any situation where people expected perfection from young children, just that the parents are making a reasonable attempt to be considerate.

It’s called baby lead weaning , as long as they clean after themselves then it’s not up to you . The old eats of spoon feeding babies puréed food just creates fussy eaters and delays development

Does baby led weaning include pulling soil from plants then?