Another lunch ruined by other peoples’ children

[Bakeoffskateoff]

Am I being unreasonable to get really pissed off with other people being unable or unwillling to teach their children to sit quietly in cafes and restaurants. Went out for lunch today to our usual weekend cafe. Two lots of families with kids aged five to eight who were noisy, whiny, annoying, sat on tables, crying. I had to hurry my lunch down to get out of there as soon as possible. I’m sick of parents who think little Freddie is so cute for making loud tractor noises, causing other diners to turn around. No one else appreciates your child quite like you do.

If you can’t teach your child manners please don’t take them out where there are other people.

I agree with you.
You will get flamed though.

Don't you get bored of going to the same cafe every weekend?

You might have had a point until you got to the last sentence but you took it too far.

Popcorn at the ready...

Go to adult only places then.

I’m assuming you don’t have children? It’s not easy getting them to sit still or even quietly! what did you want the parents to do?

Totally agree, people don't parent anymore

It doesn’t matter if the OP has kids or not. Plenty of parents teach their children how to behave when out in public

If people choose not to then they shouldn’t be upset if they are judged by others

😂😂😂😂😂😂

Don't know why but this made me laugh 😂

My afternoon coffee was ruined by a middle-aged woman sat at the table next to me. She decided to sit watching videos at full volume on her phone. I was glad earphones in my bag, but felt sorry for the other people in the cafe who had to listen to a half hour of crap.

Some humans are utterly incapable of behaving in public, not just the young ones.

Hmm. Yes it is.

You teach them manners from an early age.

Yes, it is!

Parent your children fgs.
Teach them indoor voices, sitting still and praise the behaviour you want to see.
I am so sick of the weak, helpless and ineffective parenting nowadays.

I fully agree with you as a Mum of 3. I manage to keep my children reasonably quiet and contained when eating out. Without screens too. It's not impossible.

Ofcourse it matters, until you have a child you don’t realise how hard it is. I agree children shouldn’t be running riot, but come on, sit there quietly?! What planet is the OP on?

I'm a parent and I agree with you.
My parents always told us 'children should be seen and not heard', and would have given us a good hiding (literally) for that behaviour; both which are seen as very unacceptable now.

I'd never let DD run round ruining people's lunches. I'm not daft enough to believe other people like my child or want to hear her.
I wouldn't take her to somewhere that wasn't particularly child friendly until she was older and I was sure she knew how to behave.

Totally agree it is not just children who make noise in public.

I was on a train and there was a large group being extremely loud, they were a long way from us but really annoying.

Mumsnet is full of shit gentle parents who don't discipline their kids so they'll all be here soon to tell you you shouldn't go out in public OP.

we are on hol in Poole at the moment and I have been surprised at the total shit parenting witnesses pretty much everywhere we have been- parent to kid- “wash your hands with soap” in a bathroom kid “no” then walks off unwashed hands… just one of 100 examples

I have said this indoor voices so many times in my life

Not this old chestnut

And yet many parents manage to teach their children how to behave….

I’m on the fence. Not because I think it’s fine for kids to scream and chuck food wherever they are, but because there seems to be a massive grey area over where is/isnt child friendly now.

I took my 2 DC to a cafe this morning, it had a kids menu up outside so I assumed it would be child friendly. I felt like a massive PITA wheeling my massive pram in, parking it up next to a table and managing my 4 and 1 year olds, because the majority of people inside seemed to be elderly or middle aged people meeting for fancy afternoon teas.

I want to be able to take my children out because I think it’s important they learn to behave and cope in society and around the public, but the only places on offer seem to be hellholes full of grubby soft play equipment and chips, or places which claim to be child friendly but have no pram space and are frequented by people who want to have their food in peace.

Most children are perfectly capable of sitting quietly.

Too many are permanently overstimulated these days so they have no attention span. Being bored for a while is a good life lesson.