Children running around restaurant WWYD?

[AutisticLegoLover]

Please could you tell me what you'd do in this situation:

In a hotel restaurant at breakfast there were two young children about age 4 running around and screeching. It wasn't clear where the parents/adults were that they were with. They were eating while running in front of guests who were carrying hot drinks and food from the breakfast buffet and going up to other tables and carrying on their screeching.

What would you do in this situation?

No way should you have been identified as a complainant. The staff were well out of order there and I think I'd be escalating the issue.

Yes. I think this has now escalated to a hotel problem rather than a guest problem. As a manager, I would have spoken to the parent and told them in no uncertain terms that if their children can not sit down in the busy restaurant then we would be happy to serve them their food in their room or another quiet area of the hotel. I would have told them that I could not risk their children, my staff or other guest being burned. They would have been given a minute to get their kids to the table and if they got up again I would have told them to leave.

If you can speak to the hotel and tell them that the waiting staff mishandled the situation and as a result you were threatened by another guest. As you have done nothing wrong you do not expect to be annexed but suggest that the misbehaving children and threatening adult are instead.

This

I don't expect children to be seen and not heard either. I expect children to make some noise and be children. What I don't expect is screeching and running around in a restaurant. All other families were sat quietly eating and chatting without screeching and running around.

I might contact customer services as it was the hotel manager I spoke to who said they could basically do nothing about it and that could be segregated or have breakfast in my room. Why should we be segregated due to the poor behaviour of others? I've never had an issue at other hotels full of families having breakfast.

Yes, what @Ghostjail says.

@AutisticLegoLover would it help if we all "workshopped" what you might say to the hotel manager? A version of what @Ghostjail writes:

the waiting staff mishandled the situation and as a result you were threatened by another guest. As you have done nothing wrong you do not expect to be annexed but suggest that the misbehaving children and threatening adult are instead.

I'm open to any suggestions, thank you.
I feel like my world is getting smaller since knowing I'm autistic and the offer to segregate me was upsetting. My children love the breakfast experience and consider it the best bit of staying in a hotel.

Grabbed my stuff and left. Children running around, threatening behaviour from parents. Possible meltdown territory One of the many reasons why for why to me as an autistic person NT spaces just don't feel safe or welcoming.

A bowl of fruit salad right over the noggin. Whoops are you ok you poor poppet, you bumped right into me. Go get Mommy to clean you up.

Totally agree with the children’s behaviour. Mine are almost three and almost one. I would not allow them to be running around and shrieking because; 1 - it’s dangerous and 2 - it’s very annoying to other patrons! I of course am not going to keep them absolutely silent either…the three year old loves to chat about his food with is and waiting staff and does get excited when his food arrives but that’s not dangerous or inconsiderate in my opinion.

I would be complaining about the manager as it’s wholly inappropriate to say which guests have made a complaint. They don’t even need to say there have been complaints, just that the behaviour is dangerous and out of order!

I would tell them off. Hopefully that qould embarass them and they will skulk back to mum/dad

Go over and tell the parents that there's a well known paedophile known to use the restaurant and they'd be better to keep their kids safely seated at the table in their immediate sight at all times.

@AutisticLegoLover "I might contact customer services as it was the hotel manager I spoke to who said they could basically do nothing about it and that could be segregated or have breakfast in my room. Why should we be segregated due to the poor behaviour of others? I've never had an issue at other hotels full of families having breakfast"

That's bad that the General Manager said that to you.

At this point what I would do is find the hotel on Tripadvisor and write your feedback there.

Threatened by the parent, obviously. Try reading OP's posts fully.

Oh, what happened next, do tell.

I agree with this. It could be worth suggesting to the manager that if they won't take action to provide a safe environment they are in breach of H&S requirements, and if they won't take action to provide a reasonably quiet environment they are in breach of their duty to make reasonable adjustments for your disability.

I’d totally expect the staff to get the kids sat down and if the parents kicked up a fuss, they should be asked to leave. It’s absolutely disgraceful behaviour when it impacts on other paying customers.

There was an incident near me some years ago where staff at a pub politely asked a family to control their kids who were running and riot and they kicked off, assaulted one of the bar men and smashed the place to bits. It went to court and everything. Might explain why some people are scared to intervene.

Assuming he's an ex?

Stay classy.

Just out of interest, what would you do if an adult purposefully hurt your child in front of you?

That's horrible. It's not the kids fault their parent wasn't doing their job.

Excuse me.

I have children. I've never had to chase them round a restaurant though because I'm a good mother.

But you do you

Incidentally, I realise you're having trouble with comprehension, but I merely asked what you would do.

Your hysterical responses tell me all I need to know