Do you think there is a correlation between kids who run about in restaurants and don't sit up to a table at home during meals

[longlocks]

I believe so. As if a child who doesn't sit up to a table for meals at home - due to no table (seen property listings with no table) or parents being lazy and letting them eat in front of telly or in their rooms. Or don't have a proper structure of mealtimes, so eat a bit, run about, eat etc.

For these children, going out for a meal sitting up to a table is an alien concept to them.

The only times I didn't sit up to a table as a kid for meals was breakfast during the week as usually parents and myself had staggered breakfasts due to school and their work/other commitments. Or when I was ill. That was usually food eaten with hands - sandwiches, cheese n biscuits.

Think parents should only take kids out if they can sit at a table and only leave in these situations 1. Visiting the loo and 2. If there is a buffet - either a full one or for a part, such as Harvester with salad bar or places with unlimited soft drinks where the diners themselves fill up the drinks (Nando's)

You think so based on… your imagination?

Zero correlation in my home. We rarely eat at the table, my kids love a restaurant and behave appropriately.

Says someone familiar with the workings of a Harvester 😂

I think if children don't behave at home they aren't going to magically behave in public, not just sitting at a table but in general.

We always have dinner at the table unless we order pizza delivery as a treat.

We even do grace at the start of every evening meal.

I got my DD(aged 1) down from the table to have a walk half way through dinner at the restaurant today as she’s fidgety. My general rule of thumb is that it’s better for her to be out the high chair but happy, than strapped in but noisy/angry.

My daughter sits happily at our table at home. But she runs round like mad when we're out - gets way too excited at exploring the new place and can't sit still. She's two.

So no I don't think it's correlated.

Also I always ate my food on the sofa growing up and I never got down from the table in restaurants as a kid. I don't think the two are related whatsoever - just how calm or excitable your kid is in new places

Good grief what is it about people that don’t like children in restaurants? This is the second thread I’ve seen today on similar subjects.

Ours always sat at the table at home, with out first we had a high chair that converted into a toddler table and chair. As our family grew I got a couple of extra smaller chairs to fit that table and at night we sat at the kitchen table. Taking them into a restaurant was different, there were different distractions, it was a different setting and of course different food. Children aren’t robots, they’ll all have their off days (as we all do). I never allowed them to run around restaurants and if they screamed out they went until they calmed down. Isn’t that basic parenting?

Not everyone has space for a table at home OP and not everyone has perfectly behaved children.

My children always ate their dinners in front of the tv during the week, but at the table during the weekend and behaved perfectly in restaurants. No correlations anywhere OP.

Nope , you're wrong and also very judgemental .

I actively avoid going to restaurants with my girls as the 2 younger ones get bored and whinge/want to wander around. I only go to places I know we'll get served quickly as they soon want to climb the walls.

Obvs we go well prepared and keep them secured at the table but we've had some hairy moments in the past.

Things they don't like:
-not being able to order whatever they want (they have to choose from a menu which obvs has a set number of food items)
-having to wait to have order taken
-drinking their drink immediately and not getting a replacement
-waiting for the food to be served
-waiting for the bill

So we only take them out if we have to. It's just not relaxing.

We have a dining table by the way, and we eat all meals at the table. The difference is we cook what we think they'll like, and they don't have to sit still at the table for 10-20mins as we prepare it... we call them when it's ready.

I agree with this post.Plus some people sit on a rug and eat their food. No better no worse than people who use tables.

I sit at the table for all my meals as do my children. Eldest is now 13 but was hard work out for meals and youngest now 2 is also hard work altho getting better. I mostly think it’s jot worth it. Middle child is super chilled and always just sat. Could take him out from birth and he was never any trouble.

Nope, no correlation. Rarely eat at a dining table at home, DC perfectly behaved when we eat out. Sorry to shit all over your theory

What is people's problem with tablets at the table in restaurants? People moan about it soooo much, but why is it any of your concern!? Ok if it's turned up loud and the noise is annoying I get that, but apart from that, what other reason can you give for it bothering you in any way? Most people do keep the volume down or use headphones.

I understand that isn't the point of the post but I've already seen others posts about it on this thread so I'm sure people can answer.

it was the same for mine.
It’s obviously not safe for children to run round a restaurant and I would rather stick pins in my eyes than go to one with a soft play, so we ate out very little went the children were small. we don’t allow devices at the table either.

This fits with our experience but you are wrong to think you can be all judgy about it. We have a massive dinner table, have lovely family dinners together on it every night. Except for the 5 year old who doesn’t eat much, is not fussed about dinner so doesn’t have any. His dinner is on the table for him, but he doesn’t want it, I’m not going to make him have it, and I’m damned if I’m going to let my dinner go cold so I can give him an eating disorder. Sod that.

We eat out only rarely as it isn’t very pleasant for us or the staff. I assume he’ll get hungrier at some point in life and the problem will be solved. Some children are hungry and some aren’t.

"I never allowed them to run around restaurants and if they screamed out they went until they calmed down. Isn’t that basic parenting?"

You would think this is basic parenting but unfortunately many parents don't reach that level which is the reason so many people don't like children in restaurants. It's because they are allowed to make a racket, run around and ruin the experience for everyone else.

No. That's bollocks.

We had no table growing up because we lived in a tiny flat. There was no space. I ate with my food on my lap, was grateful for it, and never ran about in restaurants. My son sometimes eats at the table with us, sometimes eats at his little table in the living room while we eat on our laps. Depends how we feel and what we're eating. He is also impeccably behaved in restaurants and is only 3.

Absolutely lolling at eating at a table being an "alien concept"

You're nuts.

We've never had the room for a dining table. Small living room and kitchen. My kids always ate in front of the TV, they were never allowed to run about in restaurants. Somehow they've made it to adulthood unscathed.

We have a table but rarely use it for family meals. Everyone likes to
eat alone in their rooms here ! On the very odd occasion we go to a restaurant my dc sit still and don’t run about so it’s not always the case OP that no table / family meals at home equals feral restaurant antics

THIS.

sitting for dinner at home is very different to sitting in a restaurant. My children all sit at the dinner table at home. But dinner at home is maybe 20mins max.
restaurants tend to take ages. Your expecting the children to sit patiently and wait for our order to be taken, then wait for the food to be prepared and served, the wait for the dessert menu and wait again for it to arrive. It requires much more patience plus there is so much going on around them with all the other customers, staff, the decor.
My children sit at the table when we are out but they do find it difficult and it takes a lot of effort.

Absolutely.
Oldest sits beautifully. Youngest really struggles after about 10 mins, and will then asks to go to the toilet, and ask again every 10 mins because she finds it really hard to stay still. There is no running, no shouting, screaming etc.
But there is a lap of the restaurant about every 10-15 mins. OP, I would love to sit for hours, but this is not the reality when you have a ND child. And yes we have a dining table

Definitely no correlation.

Dc were the type to not sit down at home but would definitely sit down at a restaurant and through a meal.

Tablets (even with headphones) = end of civilisation, but it’s totally fine for posters to sit reading MN on their phone during their meal.

I think the issue is children. People don’t want children to exist in the same places as them, but are aware that voicing this makes them look like miserable cows, so they focus on bitching about the tablet “performance parenting” (the parents speaking to the child), and any noise from the child.

I suspect the noise is annoying and that people generally feel that part of parenting is talking to your children, socialising with them, and entertaining them.