F. . . Parents who let their children run wild

It's kind of funny that people keep comparing "family restaurants" to "nice restaurants", making it seem like it's okay for your bad kids to act a fool at a family restaurant, but if it's a "nice restaurant", then it's a different story.

So if i'm trying to enjoy a meal at Applebee's, it's perfectly fine for your bastards to ruin it for everybody there, including ME, but if you and I were eating at a fancy steakhouse or something, then you would definatley make your kids behave.....

they should behave in public, but i know most people seem to miss that point.

It's kind of funny that people keep comparing "family restaurants" to "nice restaurants", making it seem like it's okay for your bad kids to act a fool at a family restaurant, but if it's a "nice restaurant", then it's a different story.

So if i'm trying to enjoy a meal at Applebee's, it's perfectly fine for your bastards to ruin it for everybody there, including ME, but if you and I were eating at a fancy steakhouse or something, then you would definatley make your kids behave.....

Well I personally would make my kids behave anywhere or they wouldn't enjoy the privelege of eating out in any restaurant.

But there are social norms in each place. Look around an Applebee's, it's entirely normal for kids to be climbing on the chairs and laughing and carrying on. It goes unnoticed because the environment is a noisier one. In a nice restaurant it's not OK for them to be loud at all, which is generally why parents rarely take kids to places like that.

You should never have to deal with kids running around a restaurant, or throwing food at each other, or fighting with one another at the table. That's not OK even at Applebee's. But if you're in an Applebee's and my three year old is crying because she's tired and I won't let her have chocolate milk, well too bad for you. It's an Applebee's, there will be noise.

^^ What he said.

If another woman cursed at my wife, I would not get involved at all. It's between two women, it's up to them to deal with it. You as a man getting involved is kind of chicken shit, IMO.

That said if it looked like it was about to come to blows I would step in to break it up.

I would jump to protect my wife from a man's verbal assault though. I might even throw the first punch, even though I'd be at fault for assault & battery.

No one abuses my friends or family. I've made up my mind that mace would be best for the situation. It's non lethal and doesn't leave any marks. It's pretty funny too.

I'm not trying to sound like a idiot, but i'm only asking because i'm not a parent yet.

But i see it all the time. Why do people take their infants and children that are like 2 years old out to places when they are obviously too little. Is it because you can't find babysitters?

It used to happen at the old movie theater all the time. Infants in the movie. Ruining it for everyone. Now at the alamo, they don't allow it because they serve beer.

It's kind of funny that people keep comparing "family restaurants" to "nice restaurants", making it seem like it's okay for your bad kids to act a fool at a family restaurant, but if it's a "nice restaurant", then it's a different story.

So if i'm trying to enjoy a meal at Applebee's, it's perfectly fine for your bastards to ruin it for everybody there, including ME, but if you and I were eating at a fancy steakhouse or something, then you would definatley make your kids behave.....

they should behave in public, but i know most people seem to miss that point.

Sense our daughter was born three years ago we go out to eat about 1/2 as much because I have a hard time relaxing worried that our daughter might bother someone eating. Funny thing is most of the time she will sit there and makes less noise then the adults sitting around us. When we do eat out we use the one hour rule of thumb. Anything over an hour for a three yr old is just asking for trouble. The one time she did act up we where just finishing our dinner and the wife took her outside while I got the bill and paid the lady.

No one abuses my friends or family. I've made up my mind that mace would be best for the situation. It's non lethal and doesn't leave any marks. It's pretty funny too.

Fair enough, but it's also chicken-shit when done to a woman.

As for unruly kids, it depends on a couple things. First, are you in a nice restaurant or a friggin Applebees? While I wouldn't let my kids run around anywhere, the expectations need to be different at a "family" restaurant vs a different place.

But I do get what you're saying, if the kids are actually running around between tables and acting like maniacs, that's completely unacceptable in any place but McDonalds.


Ah what you saying about Applebees that is fawking nice place. =)

Sense our daughter was born three years ago we go out to eat about 1/2 as much because I have a hard time relaxing worried that our daughter might bother someone eating. Funny thing is most of the time she will sit there and makes less noise then the adults sitting around us. When we do eat out we use the one hour rule of thumb. Anything over an hour for a three yr old is just asking for trouble. The one time she did act up we where just finishing our dinner and the wife took her outside while I got the bill and paid the lady.
We're in the same boat, as my kids are 2 1/2 and 15 months. We have to pick and choose when we eat out for the sake that we don't want to ruin anyone's time, whether it's Applebee's, Arby's, or any other restaurant. My wife gets very embarrassed, even in a kid-friendly restaurant, when my kids get out of hand. For the most part, both kids are very well behaved when we eat out, but we had one occasion where my wife took our youngest out while I had our food boxed up to go.

I'm not trying to sound like a idiot, but i'm only asking because i'm not a parent yet.

But i see it all the time. Why do people take their infants and children that are like 2 years old out to places when they are obviously too little. Is it because you can't find babysitters?

It used to happen at the old movie theater all the time. Infants in the movie. Ruining it for everyone. Now at the alamo, they don't allow it because they serve beer.

I'm like Firstdown, if we can get in and out our kids are quite and well-behaved for about 45 minutes to an hour. I make sure to take them places where noise is expected. Usually there's an adult party that's being way more annoying than the rare instance where my girls decide to cry. If they throw a tantrum, you take them out of the restaurant until they calm down. They get it out of their system and they're fine to come back in.

As for why you go out with kids, most of the time I prefer to stay in because it's just easier than refereeing the children at the table. But sometimes you want to take the family out for quality time. Eating together is a fun thing, and sometimes it's nice to see the kids get excited about getting taken out on a "date" with mommy and daddy. They like it, it's a treat for them. That's the #1 reason to do it.

And so I let them have fun when we're out, because we go to a noisy place where others are having fun. They giggle, they enjoy themselves, because they're kids that's what they do. Sometimes they cry. While I've never once had a problem with someone saying something to me about their behavior, if they ever did I'd likely tell them to fuck off, because it's an Applebee's. What do you expect? A quiet candlelight dinner?