Do you tidy up after your child in a restaurant ?

[wanderingstar]

...because I'm seeing more and more parents who just don't bother to make any effort at all to pick anything off the highchair or floor. Moreover they don't seem at all embarrassed at the sight of all sorts of food and general mess left behind.
A table will never be immaculate after my family has dined at it, but I would always, say, clear up a high chair tray with a napkin, so the staff can clean easily after we've gone. Plus I wouldn't leave masses of food on the floor either, if that's where it's, ahem, ended up. Not saying I get out the Dettox floor wipes or anything, just think it's right to show willing. What do you all do ?

Yes, if the staff have been really friendly and welcoming.

If they've treated me as a nuisance and an imposition (a common occurrence in Britain), then no.

having worked in restaurants I can say without a doubt that old ladies with scones are FAR messier than babies.

and they NEVER clear up after themselves!

and they wee on the seats.

I do, but the only thing that I have noticed in several places is that when I do wipe the table with a napkin or whatever, the staff think it is clean and then don't bother to wipe with a wet cloth, meaning they leave the high chair/ table with dried stuff on - yuck for the next person! Made me tempted to leave all the detritus and then at least it would get a proper clean!

i had a thread on this once!! yes i usually do but one time my daughter was having a massive tantrum and i didnt wipe the highchair (it wasnt really messy, just a small food splodge if i remember rightly) and the woman yelled after me in front of all the customers as i went out of the door "well THANKS for cleaning the highchair!!" (or something like that). ive never been so embarrassed. i think you have to make allowances sometimes.

I always clean up after my dds/myself feel uncomfortable if I don't...my mother was the same.. we would even have to walk home with empty crisp packets in our pockets if we couldn't find a bin!

It actually depends on where we are... There are a few places that know us and nearly have a heart attack when we bend down to pick things up (that italian restaurant is so lovely!) but I always feel guilty. We always make an effort to clean up - but on the rare occasion that we are practically running out with a screaming child we leave a HUGE tip.

ooh litter. thats one thing the kids are not allowed to do, drop litter.

agree I used to leave a little bit on the high chair so they had to give it a proper wipe. I hate self cleaning cafes. Our Tescos expect you to clear the table after, OK but who wipes it before the next customer, are you going to give me the spray and cloth as well.

And yes I did clear up extra kids mess in restruants, not fair to leave it all overs the place. In the likes Of Mc DOnalds I refuse to clear the table as they charge enough in the first place. I am not a regular thank god.

lol skribble...it mas mcds i got shouted at in and no im not a regular either

Oh I would have let rip. You expect me to sit in a toilet to eat my food and then you expect me to clear it up. I don't think so!

On mothers day DH suprised me with a lovely trip to KFC, even the kids objected. I thought at least we could take away and eat it in the car but no we sat in . Its next door to a great Pizza Hut that has great staff so I huffed the whole time .

men are so romantic arent they? was it a candlelit kfc?

Yeh sure thing, for dinner we had takeaway at MIL's which I ended up clearing up as DH said "In a minute", and I knew MIL would end up doing it.

IT just kept getting better.

my ex took me for a meal once for valentines day. nice italian restaurant. he turned up in a suit so old and borrowed i could visualise him stealing it from his granfather's closet. i suppose he tried bless him (totally off topic).

I try to but if I can't I always make sure I apologise for the mess left (usually crumbs on the floor ... I will always tidy the table). Staff at restaurants are always friendly and say thank you ....

I do all the time - probably because I used to be a waitress!

usually, I pick up most of the mess, saying that they dont make much!

Don't think it has anything to do with class. Some people are just selfish and don't consider others. Apparently in past times it was a sign of poor breeding to help clear up after your meal. I don't mind showing my poor breeding at all I think it's very important to show my child how to be considerate towards others and when he's old enough I will stop clearing up his food remnants and he will start!

cataloguequeen my mom used to make us do that too! but now i find myself just "looking" at dp if he dares to drop something on the floor, even if it's accidentally! i can't drop any rubbish on the floor now, apart from it looking nasty, i think it's so ingrained that i have to "put it in my pocket and put it in the bin at home"!!!
i agree with you expectin, how are today's children supposed to learn manners if we don't teach by example?

I do tidy up as much as I can, I don't like leaving a total mess.
Last time we were in Pizza Hut in Stockport though, the service was so shocking that my friends and I didn't leave a tip - and didn't tidy up! They didn't seem to want us there (and our kids were v well behaved) - in fact we had to threaten to walk out before they gave us the bill (wish we had now!!)

Yes I do!!

I generally wipe the high chair after wiping childrens faces and try to straighten the mess a bit. I never go no hands and knees to do the floor though, but make a point of apologising for them food on the floor if necessary, I have never been looked at in a strange way for not cleaning a restaurants floor and if I was I would simply not return. I think that if places cater for children then they expect some kind of mess.

Oh dear, now I am
Took the DSs to lunch today in small cafe with the in laws and had to get out really quickly before Grandad completely lost it with DS1 so I just left.
really sorry - don't normally

I do a bit. I pick up big lumps from fallen high chair and on table, but let's face it, they have the cleaning tools. I'm working with paper napkins here so it's only sensible to let them do it. I'd hope they were going to wipe the table after me anyway.

I agree with whoever said, if it's abit messy, leave a bigger tip. Conversely if I can't afford to leave a big tip, I clean up much better.

Tidy up a bit to show willing because kids make SUCH a mess. Wipe the highchair and so on. Would never clean the floor though, I don't carry a dustpan and brush with me (and my mother taught me that picking stuff up off the floor was ill-bred, for some reason - similar to expectinginsummer's post).