To have walked out of the restaurant

[watchthetv]

I had been at a play area with my kids and when we went to sit down it was a booth. My kids immediately started bickering about who’s food was whose and which drink belonged to who and I’m trying to get them to just shuffle down a bit so I can sit down. They weren’t listening to me at all. Eventually I was going to blow and stepped outside.

This is a pointless comment. In school the rules are completely different, there are other children around and the adult is not someone there 24/7. Teachers can take a break too (morning and lunch time), so even if little Johnny is getting on their nerves they know that they can escape them during the day and don't have to go home with them.

Generally going out to eat with a 3 and 5 year old wouldn’t be something I’d bother paying for the privilege of. Next time say ‘I don’t really enjoy that kind of thing, we can take the kids to something more suitable or you guys can take them to the restaurant alone’.

Same, why didn’t they?

Some of these comments are a bit unsympathetic. I understand how you feel OP.

I've been a (sucessful I'd say!) secondary school teacher for nearly 15 years yet my own (late primary/early secondary) kids make me feel like I have no clue what I'm doing! None of mine get on with each other at all; it's been especially bad since they broke up from school. So we've 'gone back to basics'; no tv/PlayStation each day until they can be nice to or ignore each other and sticking to it! Also, we 'divide and conquer' when possible as on their own they're nice kids! And we gave up on restaurants years ago, our kids are very high energy so we do parks/picnics for days out with family; sit down meals would be a disaster for us too!

She’s already said so, including their father. A complete non-event.

I think you did the right thing. If you’re like me, the alternative was that you screamed blue murder at them in front of the whole restaurant, and that would have been embarrassing for everyone. Kids are so badly behaved these days, sometimes you just can’t deal with it and it’s better to remove yourself.

Well that's simple because OP wanted advice and not a pile on

Totally agree, getting a kick out of being cruel..totally yucky bullying frenzy comments...I can only imagine the sad lives that make that feel fun

Your kids are your problem. You should not have left others to deal with them really.

"others"
you mean the children's father and grandparents 🙄

Others, no
their dad? He's not being left with his kids, they're just his kids.

It took a while to get it from the OP, but the kids were with their DAD. Non issue.
Does he have a meltdown if he leaves the kids to his wife? No? didn't think so.

If you don't mention that you simply left the kids with their own dad, you can't expect very relevant advice!

Some days I'd have loved it if my kids had done that. Let them squabble over who gets to eat the squirrel vs the badger.

What does find a nice river mean?

I don't think kids of those ages would be enjoyable company in a restaurant anyway, don't go next time, their dad and grandparents can have time with them.

What does find a nice river mean?

It's a thing outdoors, where people go sometimes to relax, gain perspective, or simply float away.

chill

I was just pointing out no one could reply without the details.
Surely you can see that it's not the same at all, if you leave a 3 and 5 year old behind, or if you just leave them with their dad. It's you who is obsessed by not giving the details, it's your thread, why wouldn't you give them?

Why are you having a go at me? There are still posters replying who haven't seen the kids were with their own dad because that crucial detail was buried on page 3 or 4😂

Inspector Javert threw himself into the Seine after hunting down Valjean for years.

It was a kids restaurant, play area and cinema.

I know you are just replying … many times!

If you speak to me directly, I am polite, I reply.

I was asking several times until you did finally reply, that is true. WHO was with the children is relevant.

Even though some people may like to present themselves as mothers/parents of the decade, we have all been here it happens and there will be many more times you’ll leave them to it and take some time for yourself.
But it’s one meal on one day it doesn’t mean anything. Your kids are 5 and 3 the won’t behave like adults because they aren’t adults.

This seems like a non-event - you left your children with their dad for a few minutes while you went outside because you'd had enough of their bickering.
Something I'm sure we've all done!

Cheers, the OP has now clarified she meant she wants the poster she was replying to to throw themselves into a river.
I think. Whatever this means 'Inspector Javert threw himself into the Seine after hunting down Valjean for years' ?

Oh dear.
4 adults and two children.
it sounds like you’re not enjoying motherhood.
it sounds like there is more going on for you than this.

It's a reference to characters in "Les Miserables" Naurrr