Kids running in eating places

[cheesefest]

When I see kids doing this, do you think it’s due to their parent(s)’ poor discipline, don’t sit up to a table at home for meals or something else? I believe it’s the not sitting at a table to eat. If the concept is alien for them, they will struggle to do this. The other is boredom. As at home, they are given the food almost immediately after being called that food is ready.

A friend was eating at a restaurant last night and it was ruined by two kids running around and screaming. Restaurant isn’t one of these with a play area next to it. Parents weren’t bothered or told them off as hand and eyes glued to their phones.

A few more diners complained and the manager asked them to leave after paying. The gobby mum said her kids are well behaved!! WTF? Running almost into waiters with trays of drink and hot food? Screaming at top their voices.


Got this information from a longer rant on FB she wrote last night.

What do you think? Seen experiences similar to this when dining out yourself (I have) or if you worked at a restaurant?

 

[cheesefest]

Its infuriating, esp when you have kids yourself and are trying your hardest to keep them eating their dinner and some cretin is letting their demon spawn run riot.

Im glad the manager told them to leave. But from your post it seems not until they had finished eating? So seems almost pointless

I didn’t put this properly. Manager came up to them with bill and card machine and made them pay on the spot. Then threw them out

 

[cheesefest]

I absolutely love this. Well done that man(ager).

I absolutely hate it. Back in the day going to a restaurant as a kid was a treat and you knew you had to behave. Nowadays (especially in middle-class London neighbourhoods) it seems parents do this because they either can't think of any proper way to entertain their spawn, or don't want to admit their days of spending the afternoon/evening in a pub are numbered now - because of said children. On a few occasions we've sat down in restaurants at 7.30/8pm on a Fri/Sat night only to find ourselves next to some hipster couple with their kids running amok. We usually pointedly look at them and ask to move tables. Surely if you're going out with your kids a more appropriate time for them to eat is earlier? And not on a Fri or Sat night? I think nice restaurants should have a no kids policy past 7.30pm...

We once sat in a pub garden and moved twice because of little cretins literally running circles around our table. We told them off twice, couldn't even find who the parents were, so we finished up and left. Ridiculous.

Been to restaurants Mon-Thur during term time to celebrate a birthday. Seen primary school aged children in them at 9pm! My parents never did this when I was ykung. Not good.

 

[cheesefest]

If they want to remain on the outer seat that's totally fine, get up, let me shuffle over to the window seat and they can sit back down on the outter, but they don't. I've never seen this anywhere but London, you have to awkwardly squeeze past them.

It’s like the “how dare you” look you got, pre-pandemic, when someone had to move their bag off the neighbouring seat in order for you to sit down. One time, I asked them did they pay for two seats or have a pass for their bag. That soon made them move their bag!

 

[cheesefest]

Not 9pm on a school night!? The end is nigh.
Maybe they were also out for a one off special occasion and therefore it's not the end of the world.

My friend is a year 1 teacher. Remembers a couple of years ago, she had twins in her class. They kept falling asleep. She was concerned. Secretary rang home. Answered by 19 year old sister. Said they had a meal out at 9pm and twins didn’t go to bed til midnight.
I often see school aged children being dragged about at my work at 9:30pm when they look shattered.

 

[cheesefest]

well that was pretty handy that you had a year 1 teacher friend and she has a story to regale you with following you posting this thread, or did you just remember about it now?

Just remembered it

 

[cheesefest]

I used to work in a supermarket whilst I was in 6th form. Weekdays I'd finish at 10 fairly regularly and it wasn't unusual to have families with kids still in school uniform wandering about at my finish time.
I also used to do nights during holidays and it again wasn't uncommon to have parents with kids in in the early hours.
My step mum, prior to retirement taught and was a head of various primary schools. Exhausted kids is a real issue.
I currently have a family that lives nearby with 3 boys all younger than 10 and there have been plenty of occasions on school days where the kids are out playing in their garden until near midnight. Tbh I know it's because the dad is crap and shouldn't be allowed to have kids. He doesn't control them at all whenever the mum isn't in.

At the back of my flat, there’s some terraced housing. Heard this constant noise and investigated and there was a boy aged about 8 on a bouncy castle at 2am on Thursday morning!

Some people should be sterilised. As bad parents breed the next generation of bad parents. As the kids think their upbringing is ok.

 

[cheesefest]

A few years ago, two brothers aged 3 and 4 came into my work at 7pm around Oct. They lived at council flats down an alley opposite my work. Came in wearing nothing but a t-shirt! They wanted some orange squash as ran out.

Who in their right minds lets very young children out when it’s dark with very little clothes?

 

[cheesefest]

Most kids are absolutely fine in those "eating places".

It’s like anything - 1% of people cause 99% of problems

 

[cheesefest]

Years back, chatting in the back of a friend’s taxi in the Feeder Park at Heathrow, waiting to be sent to a Terminal, I noticed a printed laminated sticker on the glass divider that separates the driver from the passenger compartment.
It said, BRITISH PARENTS, PLEASE DO NOT LET YOUR CHILDREN PLAY WITH THE SWITCHES FOR LIGHTS, WINDOWS ETC.
I said, “That’s a bit near the mark Bob, only British parents?”
He said, “When was the last time that a French, German, Italian or American kid sat in your taxi putting the windows up and down, or the light on and off?”
“Fair enough”, I said, “but what about Arab kids?”
“I can’t write in Arabic” he said, “I just shout at those little ********, seems to work.”

My friends, family and myself have noticed when they have been on holiday and noticed screaming kids not sitting at tables, are always British! Parents are not bothered. Staring at their phones or have a argument with waiters on why there’s no Heinz tomato ketchup available. I have witnessed the latter,