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 ?

I do clear up.

I scrape the food onto the top plate and stack them, swoosh round the table with a serviette, picking up any dropped food, leave the highchair ready to be sprayed and wiped (ie remove the food), and pick any large pieces up off the floor.

I am very working class.

One of my big bug bears in life is this attitude which seems to prevail that ''some else will do it'', it's like people who drop litter on the streets, or, as on another thread, leave nappies for others to clean up.
Don't want to come accross as preachy or priggish but it all seems to be getting worse so it's up to us to teach our children that fundamentally, if you make a mess, you clear it up!

want to add, i help run a mums group and the amount of mums who let their children deliberately crumble crisps/biscuits on the floor, without stopping them. Then the little darlings have fun rubbing the crumbs into the carpet. The group is free and some mums just don't even think about the fact that the volunteers have spent 3 hours making cups of tea, playing with the babies and listening to the mums' problems and then have to spned another hour scrubbing up mess made deliberately by their children. Where has the respect gone these days?

I do not consider myself to be in any class! (ooh!) but I always no matter where we are, scrape, stack, clean, pick up any mess we have made and so does my DH.

Always attempt to clear up the worst of it. It also depends on what kind of establishment it is.If it is a place where you are expected to clear your table then absolutely I clear up. Even in places where you don't clear the trays yourself I will gather up the rubbish, pick up stray food. I think there is a really valuable lesson for children/adults that dirt doesn't magically disappear behind you. Some body has to deal with it. You need to take some responsibility for your environment, it may only take you a moment but shows respect for others.

I think its part of the whole don't drop rubbish/recycle show respect for your enviroment continum.

Yes, I always clear up after the little pigs as best I can, because I am usually intending to revisit the establishment, and I like to be able to hold my head up without being crippled with humiliation by the knowledge that the person serving me has spent time on her knees, scrubbing ground-in cheese and mashed banana out of the carpet.

Depends how nice the waitress was for me.. I almost always make an effort but I have to say recently I left a huge mess behind on purpose because we'd had such poor service and the waitress was so rude.

I always clear up after my children but I always thought it was because we run an outside catering business and I can't help myself tidying up after food. Also I know what it is like to clear up after someone else. I also think it sets a good example for my children to see me tidying up and often they help me - otherwise they will grow up thinking that you just leave things in a mess for other people to tidy up.

We live in Italy, and its always a race to see if I can clean up after dd aged 2, or the waiter or owner. Kids are positively indulged here. It's lovely that there are never any disapproving stares (except from English holiday makers). My kids can behave like kids without me losing any sleep. That includes the time last year when sat in v. posh restaurant dd pulled the tablecloth off a very large table, knocking over every bit of food and several glasses of wine. All the other diners smiled indulgently telling me how beautiful she is, whilst I died on the spot. I had just about got hold of the little madam when two waiters appeared and cleaned everything up in a flash. We were brought fresh food and wine, were not charged extra, nor would the waiters accept a large tip. Needless to say its now our favourite eating hole! The Italians find it hilarious that I feel the need to crawl around on my hands and knees picking up debris. They see it as natural that kids make mess. It just seems to me that mine make more mess.....

I always do to some degree and how much will depend on the establishment. If it is a large commercial chain type of place that is totally geared up to tots then I will pick napkins and large bits up off the floor and given the table and high chair a cursory clean off. Although it is the staff's job to do this, it does help a bit and makes it a bit nicer for the next family, especially if it is very busy. In more upmarket, small or independant places, or places that are not very geared up for kids, I make an extra special effort to leave it at the least as clean as any adult customer. Some establishments just aren't aimed at kids and i don't see any point in putting them off any further. If we have made a particualrly bad mess or noise, I will often leave an extra large tip if the staff have been particulary helpful/tolerant. If more families are more respectful of public places then we just might see a few more places being a bit friendlier to people with children - it is a two way thing.

ah, that's very interesting Ven95 and a very nice story. by contrast i'll tell you about a french restaurant we went to yesterday (without wanting to spark a 'nationalities who love/hate kids' debate). the snotty waitress sat us at a table right next to the only other people in the empty restaurant who happened to be another couple with a toddler, despite us asking to go somewhere where we could stash the pushchair easily. the waitress serving the others made a huge fuss about where the couple had put the highchair and insisted on rearranging them. she then totally failed to bring the meal they had ordered for their toddler, so the couple spent the whole of their meal trying to get her attention but gave up. on the way out, the toddler spilt some milk. the mother tried to clear it up but only had one napkin so tried to get the waitress to help. the waitress took one look and said 'oh GREAT!', stormed off, reappearing with a mop and bucket which she plonked down in front of the parents. the couple then left, looking rather terrified whilst snotty waitress grudging cleaned up milk whilst bitching to her colleague about the customers. charming!