Do you let your toddler walk around in the restaurant?

[Anonymous]

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Yep...under the table is really clean and totally mutes the noise that a playing kid makes. But I'm sure that she just treats it like a fort and reads quietly.

I'm not letting my DD play under the table to keep her quiet. I'm letting her play so she's not restless. It's not clean i grant you but it's better than letting her run loose in the restaurant. From you tone of writing it sounds like you prefer that parent bring their kids bound and gagged to a restaurant. Are you sure you are a parent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a little surprised at the comments that it's rude to do this. I'm reacting from a place of "kids should be tucked away and shield the world from them" mentality. Kids are people too, and it they want to walk around a restaurant highly supervised and out of the way of anyone who might trip on them (I don't think anyone was suggesting that a toddler be given free reign to wander unsupervised) I don't see the problem. It never bothered me before I had a child, and it doesn't bother me now. People who say it's rude are somehow implying that children's mere presence is offensive, and I find that offensive. Unless you yourself teleport yourself to your seat, you walk through a restaurant too.

Do you pace around a restaurant when you are bored and waiting for a check? No, it is rude! It is just as rude (and much more dangerous) when your child does so. No one is saying that your child can't hold your hand and walk to their seat, to the bathroom, or to the exit. Those are all appropriate behaviors; wandering around is not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a little surprised at the comments that it's rude to do this. I'm reacting from a place of "kids should be tucked away and shield the world from them" mentality. Kids are people too, and it they want to walk around a restaurant highly supervised and out of the way of anyone who might trip on them (I don't think anyone was suggesting that a toddler be given free reign to wander unsupervised) I don't see the problem. It never bothered me before I had a child, and it doesn't bother me now. People who say it's rude are somehow implying that children's mere presence is offensive, and I find that offensive. Unless you yourself teleport yourself to your seat, you walk through a restaurant too.

The point is that adults do not randomly walk around a restaurant past tables in groups of two. That would be rude and disruptive. Can you imagine it? It isn't that children should be treated any differently than adults. They should be treated the same. It is inappropriate for any person to wander around a restaurant. It is disruptive to other diners.

[Anonymous]

No.

[Anonymous]

I'm astonished at these answers! I've taken my 2 year old to the Silver Diner or Fuddruckers and while waiting for food, he's wanted to walk around, so I held his hand and we did a couple laps. People smiled and waved at him and it was fine. What the hell is the big deal?

[Anonymous]

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the child can't behave, he/she should be removed. Trust me, this is the only way your child will learn to behave.

That might be true for your kid, but my kid seems to be doing ok when we ask for age-appropriate good behavior (which at 2 or 3 might mean being quiet but being allowed to get up once, and at 5 or 6 being quiet and seated).

Walking around a restaurant is not good behavior for any age, especially not for a small child that might not be seen by a server carrying hot items. If you don't feel comfortable enforcing such rules with your under-5 child, you shouldn't bring your child to a restaurant.

Well I would never let my child up alone, so I am pretty sure the server will see me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a little surprised at the comments that it's rude to do this. I'm reacting from a place of "kids should be tucked away and shield the world from them" mentality. Kids are people too, and it they want to walk around a restaurant highly supervised and out of the way of anyone who might trip on them (I don't think anyone was suggesting that a toddler be given free reign to wander unsupervised) I don't see the problem. It never bothered me before I had a child, and it doesn't bother me now. People who say it's rude are somehow implying that children's mere presence is offensive, and I find that offensive. Unless you yourself teleport yourself to your seat, you walk through a restaurant too.

Can you please post a list of the restaurants that you frequent? That would be helpful so I can avoid you at all cost...I don't want DS to learn any bad habits.

I'm pretty sure your intense negativity would repel me instantly, so no need to worry that our paths would ever cross. Not that they would have any chance to actually cross, as that would require actual movement, and because your child is chained in a highchair the entire time, don't worry your perfect little head over me and my kid getting in your way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A restaurant is not a gym. It is a very dangerous place. Kids should be taken outside if they can't stay seated.

If you haven't noticed, its cold out. And when its dinner time, its dark out. I'm not going to stand outside with an 18 month old in a dark parking lot. Or even go sit in the car for that matter.So, we go early, as to not interfere with the romantic couples and other non-family type guests. And we don't go to upscale restraurants. And we only do it when in order to let whoever isn't done eating to finish eating and pay the bill. Yes, its not a gym. But we don't let him climb on things or pull on things. We don't use it as a gym. Parents who do a lap or two with a toddler aren't using the place as a gym. Parents who let their kids go wild are. Big difference.

Sounds kind of lazy. You can take a kid outside even it it's cold and dark. Or you can wait in the lobby. The other quote, "But we don't let him climb on things or pull on things." If you have a toddler, that's just a lie.

Actually, you can hold a toddlers hands - wow - and they can't climb or pull on things! And it keeps him right next to me, so I'm sure the server will see me. But as I am not myopic, I usually see the server and move out of the wat, averting any danger. And we stay away from kitchen doors.
I will not risk getting mugged, traped, murdered, child kidnapped - just so you can eat your dinner in peace.
Oh wait, no one can eat in peace, because you're on your cell phone. And you're DH is texting away or playing some game on his iphone.
Restaurants are not private. Its a public place. So you have to put up with other people and their annoying habits. Get over it.

[Anonymous]

When I was young I waitressed, and I actually once saw a fellow server have to literally leap over a small child with a tray of 6 or 7 dinners just to make sure that the tray fell away from the child. Of course the server fell, of course dinners everywhere and that child was really lucky he wasn't seriously injured. Doesn't matter if it's right next to your table--only takes a few seconds for a kid to get hurt.

[Anonymous]

No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A restaurant is not a gym. It is a very dangerous place. Kids should be taken outside if they can't stay seated.

If you haven't noticed, its cold out. And when its dinner time, its dark out. I'm not going to stand outside with an 18 month old in a dark parking lot. Or even go sit in the car for that matter.So, we go early, as to not interfere with the romantic couples and other non-family type guests. And we don't go to upscale restraurants. And we only do it when in order to let whoever isn't done eating to finish eating and pay the bill. Yes, its not a gym. But we don't let him climb on things or pull on things. We don't use it as a gym. Parents who do a lap or two with a toddler aren't using the place as a gym. Parents who let their kids go wild are. Big difference.

Sounds kind of lazy. You can take a kid outside even it it's cold and dark. Or you can wait in the lobby. The other quote, "But we don't let him climb on things or pull on things." If you have a toddler, that's just a lie.

Actually, you can hold a toddlers hands - wow - and they can't climb or pull on things! And it keeps him right next to me, so I'm sure the server will see me. But as I am not myopic, I usually see the server and move out of the wat, averting any danger. And we stay away from kitchen doors.
I will not risk getting mugged, traped, murdered, child kidnapped - just so you can eat your dinner in peace.
Oh wait, no one can eat in peace, because you're on your cell phone. And you're DH is texting away or playing some game on his iphone.
Restaurants are not private. Its a public place. So you have to put up with other people and their annoying habits. Get over it.

As much as I am firmly against your decision about how you deal with your child at a restaurant, I think we have identified a much bigger issue here - you should either move somewhere safer or get a lot of therapy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would anyone take the risk of letting their child get burned by hot food or cut by a stray knife? I'm sure that you could attempt to sue the restaurant but your kid would still be scarred for life. It's not worth it. Teach your kid how to behave in a restaurant and you will be fine. And, for the people who let their kids run free during the earlier hours of operation (to not bother the romantics), that is just rude. Everyone has the right to enjoy their meal. Just remember how you felt prior to having kids...no matter how "cute" the parents think their kid is, it's annoying to everyone else.

I think my kid is adorable and I love to hear and see him develop his language and motor skills. However, I understand that DW and I are the only ones who feel this way when we are out in public.

Actually, the restaurants we go to, the early evening hours are packed with families. And many with toddlers let them get a wiggle break every now and then. The thin skinned people that are offended by everyone, including children, don't dine where I do, or certainly not the same hours as I do. I'm sure they'd have a heart attack to see a child stop and point at the pretty picture.

[Anonymous]

As a restaurant patron, I would much rather see a child calmly walked by an adult around the perimiter of the restaurant (looking out windows, at the coatrack, flirting with the hostess) than listen to the child scream because he or she cannot sit still for as long as it takes parents and/or servers to finish eating and paying.

[Anonymous]

We used to walk my son around the restaurant when he got fidgety, but we went with him. We also tried to get a table with a little bit of space near it so that he could walk around our table area a bit by himself. I never let him walk around the restaurant by him, though.