To expect parents to keep their children relatively quiet in a pizza restaurant...?

[confuseddoiordonti]

I have just got back from a pizza (Planet Pizza in Bristol in case anyone's wondering) and me and DH were driven bonkers by the number of overexcited shrieking childen in there (we got there just before 7pm.)

I am not against children in restaurants, and I realise this is a pizza place rather than the Ivy, but I do object to them charging about and shouting where there are people there with no dc's (like myself.) I realise that some noise is to be expected and I don't have a problem with that, but I do have a problem with the same children running about, shouting and crawling around under tables. Am I being unreasonable by getting a) pissed off and b) wishing they were someplace else so I could eat my pizza in peace...?

Lastly, while I was tempted to go over and ask some of the parents to get their children to keep it down a bit, I did chicken out and hoped they'd realise the kids were too noisey themselves (they didn't.)

Am giving it serious thought what with all the po-faces.

YANBU - Kids shouldnt be charging around.

YABU - To expect kids to be quiet. Unfortunately no amount of gaffer tape works.

I don't mind them charging about, as long as they leave me alone. They all charge about at home and I manage not to drop the dinner on them. How hard is it not to drop a pizza on a kid's head?

The restaurant issue comes up over and over again on MN. I think that the idea that it is somehow about parents can't be bothered to look after their kids is misleading. It is ultimately about 2 parenting styles, and behaviour in a restaurant is a tiny part of the over all difference.

There are people who bring their children up to believe that they are more important than everyone else, and people who being their children up to be considerate of other people.

It has always been this way, and it always will be. All the selfish adults don't appear from nowhere; they have been raised to have ludicrously high self-esteem.

how would i know it was aimed at families if i wasn't a parent

sorry you cannot blame the op for choosing the wrong restaurant

i hate the analysis that "that's what children are like"

well yes maybe it is if you let them be like that

If everyone lets their kids run about, we are all being considerate of each other's desire to eat, chat and drink wine in peace.

Hully - That would depend on just how noisy they were.

Very noisy ooops pizza on head

Slightly noisy - perhaps just a bit of a salad.

my goodness, she went for a meal, children were running around and screaming, and mothers are saying she was in the wrong for even imagining that they might be expected not to run around and scream

i didn't take two year olds to restaurants if i thought they would kick up

i didn't think it was an infringement of their human rights

Hully can you pour me a glass please?

It's not about that mmrsceptic, it's about a way for parents and kids to all have a nice time. Pizza restaurants are ideal - kids get to eat pizza and run about, adults get to drink wine and sit down. Everybody's happy. If you don't like that, go elsewhere, and be happy.

"Pizza restaurants are ideal - kids get to eat pizza and run about, adults get to drink wine and sit down. Everybody's happy."

If that's how Pizza restaurants have developed, then I'd better avoid them like the plague, or use that one in London where mobile phones are banned, so I can enjoy a meal without little rascals chasing each other, and others using their phones.

"kids get to eat pizza and run about"

children should not run about in restaurants, it's dangerous, annoying and selfish of the parents to allow them

More encourage than allow.

LOL at Hully.

I'm with those who say that children shouldn't be running about. It's rude, inconsiderate and dangerous.

euw

i cant stand children getting up from the table in restaurants either at home or on holiday. If nothing else its dangerous for the children as people are carrying hot food ,drinks,cutlery and its down right rude. If they are taken out and taught how to behave from a very early age ,they will sit through a 3 course meal and will be very welcome back. Dont blame the kids...its the parents.
On holiday i asked the waiter to find me a quiet table away from the greek and russian children who just bawl and shriek across the table and mess around with their food.
A good telling off wouldnt go amiss.
Even the waiters in our hotel said you can sit next to a family of 4 greeks or russians and you feel as if you are in a room with 50,they are sooooo noisy( not all of them)

I don't think it's dangerous, annoying, rude, inconsiderate or selfish. I can't think why on earth anyone would pay a lot of money to eat vile pizza while shushing children and feeling tense (aside from most of the English). I think if you're going to pay, you should get something out of it ie wine in peace.

lol at "(not all of them)"

but basically in agreement ally

It is dangerous to have children running around in a restaurant. They could trip other people up, they could run into a waiter who is carrying hot food and drinks.

It's also inconsiderate because it's bloody annoying having to dodge children when you're heading to the loo.

It's a restaurant not a play park.

why is this a debate? it's a no brainer

nasty foreign children and their insistence on speaking and enjoying themselves. It's just not British.

didnt want to generalise mmrsceptic
as there are the ODD ones who behave.
Went 5 star this year as a real treat for our hols, hoping to avoid bratty children, but the nouvaeu riche russians are taking over and ruining peace and quiet with their deafing kids.yuk!!!!!!!!!!! desert island next year.
I have 2 DS's and they went in resaurants from 18 months and they behaved...its just plain ignorant.

Coming from a different culture with different cultural norms doesn't make them ignorant, plain or otherwise. Your insular and intolerant attitude is far more deserving of the term.