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.)

"Its simple, if kids start to get a bit noisy, you have to tell them to quieten down. If they are getting up and down to much and start to run around, you tell them to sit down."

What's so funny about that?

I think you have to expect that a restaurant like this is going to be noisy and a bit chaotic, however I don't think kids should be allowed to run about and yell needlessly. You need to teach your kids manners imo, and they need to learn to behave in public places. What's so hard about that?

[laughs along with Filly]

NB how old were these children, confused?

Well said! It's not that I expect small children to sit there not uttering a sound, but I don't think it's reasonable for them to be shouting across the place to get parents / other child's attention, or running about between the tables.

Even a non-parent like me can see there should surely be a happy medium...?!

I'd say between about 2 and 5ish - little, in other words.

! I stand corrected

do you knwo I have been carefully reserving judgement on this thread in case they were big rampaging 9yos

but under fives...

So, under fives can shout and yell as they are, well, under five?!

YANBU. Children can behave well. It just takes some effort. I have no problem with excited chatter and laughter and a few small toys at the table - I do have a problem with running around, yelling and generally dominating the atmosphere.

And I really resent this ghettoising of kids when it comes to eating out - reasoning being that a pizza restaurant, for eg, is 'meant' for kids therefore it doesn't matter if they behave like little thugs. But by that token they can't go to proper restaurants so they will never learn to behave decently. Why should a pizza restaurant be just for children and families and why should the Ivy be just for adults.

It isn't being child-friendly to encourage this, it's being adult-unfriendly.

It's very possible for an NT child of 2 to still have poor receptivelanguage skills, so the tell them to sit down thing won't work; I personally favour a highchair though.

A 5 year old should beable to behave somewhat moreappropriately all things being equal, but I find adoptimg the deliberate kindness approach (AKA Ostrich Technique andassumingall things are not equal can help- there's no point winding ourselves up, so assuming child has been stuck in a traffic jam for four hours (quite likely with the Avonmouth bridge LOL), has sn, or is having first ever bad day tends to keep blood pressures low.

'So, under fives can shout and yell as they are, well, under five?! '

it's certainly true that people should have different expectations for younger children yes, after all if theywere all capable of thesame behaviouras 5 year oldat 2, the Government would long have had them in FT school to grab SAHM's taxes start their education.

mmmmmmmmmm

sheds

i heart sheds

Riv I wuld if I could LOL, damnedparcels of such glam things as hard hat / podger / quad spanner being delivered. Goodness I havean exvitinf life

all I meant was that 2-5s have had, because of their age, have less language skills, a lower boredom threshold and less restaurant experience than older children and therefore perhaps less should be expected of them.

and a 2yo calling 'Mummy mummy mummy' is a different kettle of fish to a 7yo shouting 'Get them get them robots attacking you are all dead!' etc

I think you should have used your l33t Montessori skillz to occupy them educationally

Thanks OrmIrian. I too have no problem with excited chatter etc, but the noise was far more than that.

donotpresstheredbutton - that's a good way of looking at it, but possibly easier in theory than real life.

BTW - what's NT stand for?

Oh, I had imagined these children being older, between 5 and 10. Didn't ealise we were talking pre-schoolers.

With children of this age, I would be more worried about them getting hurt when running around in a resturant.

I stand by what I siad in my earlier posts, but, OP,

YABU a)to be pissed off -chill out!
b) wishing they were someplace else so I could eat my pizza in peace.- I quite often wish people were someplace else so I can live my life (or work) in peace, but such is life.
c) to post on a parenting forum and expect unanimous support.

Maybe be you should try one of those "Child Free" forums.

Does sound a bit late for little ones to be out...7pm is definately bubbly bath time at that age.

YANBU.

I hate this classification of family restaurant and non-family restaurant, all restaurants should welcome everyone, and all people using the restaurants should be considerate of the other custumers. If you can't keep your child quiet, then take them outside to run around for a bit - I've done this a few times. I would never let my child make lots of noise and run around in a restaurant.

as Lynettescave says, running around in a restaurant can be dangerous, especially for the waiters carrying glasses and hot food.

When I opened the thread I expected you to say that you were in a genteel counrty pub. Lots of dark corners with heavy solid (unmoveable) furniture set up in tables of 2 or 4. Nothing on the menu under £10, all wild Alaskan salmon and rare cooked ostrich with not a chicken nugget or fruit shoot in sight. I also expected you to say that this was midweek after 9pm.

What do I find that you are in a pizza place before 7pm on a weekend!!!!!

Whilst I wpuld not like screaming kids running around me take heed stay out of there in future!!!!!

It's like going into my local Wetherspoons on a Friday night and being shocked to see pissed up dickheads in there.

I wouldnt let ds who is 2 run around a restaurant but I DO take toys for him to play with at the table because otherwise it'd just be a screaming match as he'd get over-excited! That said, I think I maybe stricter than others as a group of 8/9 year old boys were running round screaming, shouting etc at a science centre the other day and i wouldnt let ds make that much noise when other people are trying to enjoy themselves too.

Thanks Belgo. It's not like I went to a play centre and then got cross due to children shouting.

yeah well if pizza planet is dedicated to children and you're not a parent how are you supposed to know that somewhere like pizza planet is dedicated to children

Why should the op use a child free forum? There are plenty of regular posters on here who do not yet have children but who regularly comment on childrens/other parents behaviour.
I wasn't aware there is an entry requirement for membership on this forum.

Op - YANBU. 7pm is too late for littlies to be out on a Sunday evening and expect them to behave. Why shouldn't the op expect to enjoy a meal in a pizza restaurant without children running around?
I have two children but I don't like maruading under fives running around and screaming in a restaurant either.

NT = Neurologically Typical.