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AIBU?

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Original poster

Babies in upmarket restaurant

192 replies

Rocky12 · 05/02/2009 14:48

I have upset my SIL who went on holiday recently somewhere really expensive and wanted to take her 10 month old baby into the hotel restaurant that didnt allow kids under the age of 12. She said that she was asleep and wouldnt disturb anyone but I pointed out that she could wake up and start crying and what would happen if they were half way through their dinner. I felt that the hotel policy was right and there does need to be child free places. Not everyone wants to be surrounded by other people's children asleep or not.

Am I being unreasonable? She has gone off in a huff now.....

OP posts:
doggiesayswoof · 05/02/2009 15:56

sorrento - just to be clear - my kids (and those of other posters on here) do go to "nice" places in the UK

they just don't go to places where the policy says no children

there is a difference

doggiesayswoof · 05/02/2009 15:57

Mauritius - ooh

I've never been.

Coldtits · 05/02/2009 15:58

I don't feed my children shite at a trough. Thank you for your concern. Neither do I inflict ds1's hyperactivity on ANYONE. It's nice for you that your child doesn't have these issues.

mayorquimby · 05/02/2009 15:58

"Sorrento, surely you cannot believe that EVERYONE around you regardless of where you were was charmed by your child..... "

you've obviously never met any parent with their child on a train/aeroplane/restaurant /post office/ anywhere else you can't escape from.
i mean obviously everyone else finds their kid charming, how could they not?

Peachy · 05/02/2009 16:00

I get massively stressed if I am even with someone breaking even a minor rule (unless its something I am morally opposed to actually), although I think mor nice restaurants should be child friendly.

As longa s it is well publicised (have turned up at one only to find rules changed and be turned away) then YANBU I guess (although I type that berudgingly becuase I dont't like the rule iyswim)

However a hotel that accepts kids but won't feed them is truly abysmal.

sorrento · 05/02/2009 16:01

I'm not asking everybody else to love my baby but it is noticable when you go abroad that a crying baby is met with oh dear what's the matter, how can we cheer you up rather than tuts and dirty looks to the already upset harassed parents.

doggiesayswoof · 05/02/2009 16:01

I am really wondering how we got from debating child-free establishments to "if you feed your kids shite don't be surprised if they eat like pigs"

wtf?

sorrento · 05/02/2009 16:01

Yes it is nice for me and I don't envy you Coldtits.

Original poster
Rocky12 · 05/02/2009 16:02

Peachy,

There was another restaurant in the hotel but it was too noisy for SIL who didnt want her daughter woken up!

OP posts:
Blu · 05/02/2009 16:02

DP and I ate in a smart restaurant when DS was 2 weeks old - he slept quietly in his car-seat thingy. I would have taken him straight out had he woken and cried.

Alas, from the age of 3m to 4y he was a nightmare in restaurants. Not happy sitting still, basically not espcially interested in food - even at home, so after enough mouthfuls to satisfy his hunger, he wanted to be up and about. So we didn't go. Not often, anyway.

Now, at 7 he enjoys eating out, behaves very well, talks, eats, does not make extra noise or run about.

I watched an Italian family out for a meal - the toddlers and small ones DID get restless, and people took it in turns to walk them around outside. They didn't screech, and run round other people's tables.

doggiesayswoof · 05/02/2009 16:03

Peachy the hotel has two restaurants, one is child friendly

the sil wanted to go in the other one so her dd didn't get woken from her nap

mayorquimby · 05/02/2009 16:03

"However a hotel that accepts kids but won't feed them is truly abysmal."

come on though is there really any hotel like this in the whole world?
i mean most hotels will either have a seperate kids dinner that is not in the dining room or else they will have an early family sittin (say pre-7.30) and then adults only from 8 o clock on. i'd be shocked to find any hotel that didn't provide some alternative.

Original poster
Rocky12 · 05/02/2009 16:04

If I was going out for an adult meal with my OH why would I want to sort out or see what was the matter with Sorrento's child.....

OP posts:
traceybath · 05/02/2009 16:09

lol rocky - i so agree with you.

StewieGriffinsMom · 05/02/2009 16:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

sorrento · 05/02/2009 16:09

I'm not asking you to deal with my child but a smile wouldn't kill you would it ?

sorrento · 05/02/2009 16:10

I have an 8 year old, a 6 year old and a 4 year old so the PFB doesn't apply here.

bangandthedirtisgone · 05/02/2009 16:10

Sorrento how did she eat in her buggy asleep?

Nekabu · 05/02/2009 16:11

It's all very well saying that restaurants in other countries wouldn't dream of having a no children policy; I bet they would if they had a few more of the children I've seen in restaurants over here in them! Of course some parents won't put up with their child kicking up a storm and deal with it but an awful lot don't. Someone posted on here a while back about a child who was running around the restaurant and playing with toys on the floor (getting under the feet of the waiting staff) and she was roundly castigated for saying that the child should either have been behaving itself or removed from the restaurant and not, as was the case, ignored by the parents and allowed to play at will.

Restaurants are there to make money. If they are refusing to allow people with children in to their restaurant then it's simple maths - they've learnt that they lose more customers to badly behaved children than they gain by serving them or taking a gamble on the children behaving well.

doggiesayswoof · 05/02/2009 16:11

Is that right sorrento? you have one child, who is still a baby? so maybe you haven't had to do the toddler thing yet?

OK.

DunderMifflin · 05/02/2009 16:11

Chill out sorrento! You seem to have got a bit uptight about the whole issue.

doggiesayswoof · 05/02/2009 16:12

sorrento, apologies, x-posts with you

You're very fortunate to have such well behaved children

Coldtits · 05/02/2009 16:13

babies in restaurants piss me off whether they are screaming or being utterly charming. I do not want to experiance babies in restaurants, which is why I go where they aren't welcome.

Sorrento, people find your baby charming because the people who DON'T are in the child free restaurants. YOu take those places away, and you will be surrounded with grumpy people giving you death stares, huffing "Oh for GOD'S sake can't she shut that fucking child up?" and making sarcastic comments. I wouldn't be one of them - now I am a mother. Ten years ago I'd have been right there making you as uncomfortable as possible so you would leave and take your child away./

sorrento · 05/02/2009 16:13

My toddlers weren't vile is that such an ailen concept ?

StewieGriffinsMom · 05/02/2009 16:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn