44 comments Add a comment
This week I met up with my friends from schooldays for a Christmas get together. We went to Al Forno's in New Malden. Not long after we were seated at our table several couples came in with their children. Four of the kids were under 10 years old including a baby and it was at a time of night that would be considered very late to eat out with young kids.
The minute they entered the two boys present completely misbehaved at the table. They were screaming at the top of their lungs and running around treating the place as if it were a creche that sells Italian food rather than a restaurant! The little girl was no better either, but what really annoyed me most was the parents of these kids. They did not tell them off at all, they were totally oblivious to what ruckus these ankle biters were causing to everyone around them. Also it seemed as if their meal was dragging on forever. The little brats kept demanding ice cream at a time when they should have left the place and be in bed (it was 10:30pm!), but the parents caved in and let them have it anyway.
After the wholly undeserved ice cream treat, the thoughtless fathers of these kids decided to stay and have coffee. Actually I don't even know when they left the place because wed had enough and left before them.I hope they went home before 11pm because I think it is wrong to have kids under 10 years old in eateries at that time when they should be in bed (for God's sake why is a baby awake at 10:30pm?!). When we were leaving only two tables were occupied and that included the family with the unruly brats.
How are kids supposed to learn to behave in public when they are allowed to run riot in restaurants without their parents telling them off? Maybe this behaviour is the norm in their homes, but it in public no one should be subjected to kids creating a nuisance and ruining a night out for others. I understand that it is the Christmas holidays and people want to go out with their families, but there is a time and place to take young children out and they should not be out so late at night in a restaurant regardless of whether or not it is a holiday or school night.
To be honest there was a McDonald's down the road they could have gone to instead. Kids will be kids, but I think that parents need to be parents. Its not my responsibility to discipline other people's kids, but sometimes I wish I could since it would seem that they don't want to take that kind of responsibility upon themselves.
I hope my New Year's Eve get together with friends will not be ruined by thoughtless parents bringing their unruly kids out in the wee hours when we go out to celebrate the beginning of 2012!
By: Angry Autistic Female
Leave a comment
A baby awake past 10pm? You do realise babies wake continually through the night for feeds don't you?
The biggest contribution to badly behaved children these days? Overworked parents having to work all hours under the sun to afford to survive. That means little time spent with our children who then lose out on a trusting relationship with us and therefore don't listen when we tell them to stop or quieten down for the millionth time. Mostly likely they spend all their time with grandparents who spoil them or at childcare where they feel not loved. Illegal now to smack too. Just make it as hard for parents as possible and then ponder why the children are badly behaved.
you sound like a considerate parent who tries her very best to keep her kids in check and I'm sure its not an easy job for you. Don't feel I am tarring all parents with the same brush. My gripe only addresses to those who do nothing about their kids' unruly behaviour in a public place and I mean nothing! Yes you should defintely have a life where you can enjoy all its pleasures and should not give up on it just because of having kids.
What you describe does sound unreasonable, I wouldn't like it either, but sometimes people with kids want to have a life - I gave up just about every pleasure in life to have my children and bring them up right and still people judged me for them not being quiet etc when they wanted.
Mostly it is nothing to do with decent parenting - kids get bored and tired, this can affect the whole day for other guests, the happy couple and the parents themselves
Let's expand on that :
Badly behaved children at weddings, which is usually the fault of the parents = spoilt day for everyone.
Well behaved children at weddings, the product of decent caring parents = enjoyable day for everyone.
Discuss!
However, my uni sadly has not enough facilities for families of young children. They recently closed the nursery due to the cuts and this means many parents have to go elsewhere to drop their kids when they are studying. That isn't fair because they have to pay for that care provided as well as paying tutition fees. Sadly, this country is not child centred when it comes to childcare. In Europe, they never have such problems like this.
In fact, my friends had numerous problems with childcare support at uni. They didn't seem to care and almost likened my friends to second class citizens because they have kids!
However, I do feel like with pubs, there is a time and a place when it comes to bringing kids to uni. These students need to make sure their kids understand it is a place of study and not a playground so that they don't disturb others who are studying. Especially, if these students don't have kids of their own! Maybe parents are used their kid's unruly behaviour but others aren't.
You can read more of this gripe I wrote about my graduation bbq in more detail in the 'Quick Gripes' section.
Well, he did stop them playing, ate their meals quickly and left. The owner, who I don't even know, came across and thanked me as they found it difficult to be direct about these things themselves. This family had become quite regular visitors and the children never ate, just the parents. They didn't really want their custom in the first place as it is not really a family restaurant. They then gave me and my wife our meals for the night for free.
I've been back a few times since and they usually refer to the other family saying they have never been back since.
Fed up of going into restaurants and the like to find kids running around uncontrolled annoying other people while their parents sit around enjoying themselves.
Anon