Do you let your toddler walk around in the restaurant?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:yes. and we tip high. And I agree, walking is not a dangerous activity, I'm amazed at how scary the word "walk" is to most posters.

One of the more selfish responses. Who cares if you tip high? Do you also tip the other diners who are distracted? Random child walking is a dangerous activity when there are servers with hot food and knives. You can't expect the staff to actively avoid your child...I guess you plan to sue if anything happens to your free range child.

I don't think anyone here has advocated allowing a child to walk or run around unsupervised. The servers are also suppossed to look out for people. How else would we ever get to our seat, or use the restroom, or get out of the seat to leave the restraurant? No one has written they let their child run around freely. If you hold there hand, I'm pretty sure the server will see you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:yes. and we tip high. And I agree, walking is not a dangerous activity, I'm amazed at how scary the word "walk" is to most posters.

. You are right - walking is not inherently dangerous. Restaurants, however, are and should be treated with respect.

With respect? How laughable. My family is in the restraurant business, so I know what goes on in the kitchen. Most of the waiters and waitresses are druggies that don't want a normal life that might entail drug testing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:yes. and we tip high. And I agree, walking is not a dangerous activity, I'm amazed at how scary the word "walk" is to most posters.

. You are right - walking is not inherently dangerous. Restaurants, however, are and should be treated with respect.

With respect? How laughable. My family is in the restraurant business, so I know what goes on in the kitchen. Most of the waiters and waitresses are druggies that don't want a normal life that might entail drug testing.

Right. The danger should still be treated with respect. It is not less dangerous because a high percentage of restaurant employees are intoxicated, it is more so. Either way, don't rely on the server to know your child might be underfoot.

[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.

Completely agree with you! Geez, I'm so sick and tired of all the offensive behavior towards kids and people with kids. Why do we have to cater to everyone's ultra thin sensibilities and walk on eggs' shelves just because we have children? I'm with you, PP: they are people too! Little, immature, and impulsive, but in order to learn and develop, they need to be exposed to everyday situations just like anyone else. Why this expectation that children should behave like extremely mature and polite adults, or else, they should be confined to their houses forever? And to answer the question: no, our toddler doesn't walk around in restaurants, but this underlying extreme concern about "others" in this board is so disturbing.

Recently we had a person give us the ugliest stink eye and ask a hostess to move to another table as soon as she saw we had a kid in our table- who was not being disruptive, btw. We usually get some sort of passive-aggressive behavior at the grocery store or metro, because people can't wait an extra 3 seconds for us to do whatever needs to be done when you have a child with you, or maybe because they simply can't stand the sight of children nearby. I don't have to be ultra considerate of everyone else's needs or feel sorry all the time because I have a little one. I'm paying for my meal/ticket/groceries just as you are! Get real, people! All over the world, kids are part of every aspect of life, to the point that others don't even notice.

Is it only DC or is the US in general so child-unfriendly?

[Anonymous]

On the rare occasion that we let our toddler out of the house and interact with others, we will call ahead to the restaurant. We only use restaurants that have a back entrance that we can slip quietly into and be immediately seated in the back, lest anyone should accidentally happen to encounter the misfortune of laying eyes on my child. We use a portable high chair so that her feet don't actually have to touch the ground of the restaurant. We roll her in quickly and efficiently. If someone does accidentally see her, despite all of our precautions, we immediately leave the restaurant, but not before paying for everyone's meal. We know it's not much consolation for the trauma that they most certainly endured having witnessed an actual toddler, but it's the best we can do under those most unfortunate circumstances.

[Anonymous]

I think its big cities like NYC and DC.
I was at the grocery store yesterday (without the kiddos!) and when I approached the checkout lane, the lady in front of me was almost done - like 3 items left on the conveyor belt, all by the cashier. I placed my items on the conveyor belt, forgetting to put the divider. The cashier didn't notice the huge obvious break, and the woman didn't notice, and I didn't notice, until he had scanned 3 of my items. He removed them but had to wait for a manager. I apologized to the woman, who berated me. Not just 'you should have put it there'. No, she went on the entire 3 minutes about how I ruined her day.
I made sure and placed a divider between me and the lady behind me, who joked (I think) that I had learned my lesson.
Seriously, I apologized. yes, I should have placed the divider between orders. But to berate me? Seriously?

[Anonymous]

"If you aren't going to parent, why did you choose to have a child in the first place? High-tipper or not. "

The condom broke.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I do let my toddler walk around in the restaurant, whether it's a family-friendly pizza joint or on a rare outing to a somewhat more upscale place.

She's young and restless, she enjoys seeing who else is dining in the restaurant, and she's always escorted by an adult who's looking out for her safety and interactions with others. As another Pp said, she'd be far more disruptive bored in a high chair. We've never gotten so much as a dirty look from another diner. It's really not a big deal.

[Anonymous]

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.

1. Where in God's name are you eating?

2. It's telling that you admit the behavior is "annoying" - and feel free to keep doing it anyway. Nice.

[Anonymous]

We'd walk together to the bathroom or outside or to "help" get napkins, etc. But free range? No. Running around? No.

Honestly preventative measures work best. Let them walk and move before you go to the restaurant, and bring toys and a snack to keep them busy if it's a long wait before the food arrives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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, raped, 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.

1. Where in God's name are you eating?

2. It's telling that you admit the behavior is "annoying" - and feel free to keep doing it anyway. Nice.

1. Springfield
2. Refering to the people on their cell phones talking loudly... they are annoying and I have to put up with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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, raped, 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.

1. Where in God's name are you eating?

2. It's telling that you admit the behavior is "annoying" - and feel free to keep doing it anyway. Nice.

1. Springfield
2. Refering to the people on their cell phones talking loudly... they are annoying and I have to put up with them.

Thankfully, it doesn't seem like we will be running into each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On the rare occasion that we let our toddler out of the house and interact with others, we will call ahead to the restaurant. We only use restaurants that have a back entrance that we can slip quietly into and be immediately seated in the back, lest anyone should accidentally happen to encounter the misfortune of laying eyes on my child. We use a portable high chair so that her feet don't actually have to touch the ground of the restaurant. We roll her in quickly and efficiently. If someone does accidentally see her, despite all of our precautions, we immediately leave the restaurant, but not before paying for everyone's meal. We know it's not much consolation for the trauma that they most certainly endured having witnessed an actual toddler, but it's the best we can do under those most unfortunate circumstances.

I like you!

Maybe you could consider a Hannibal Lechter-type contraption, complete with straight-jacket, face mask, and rolling hand cart.

[Anonymous]

12:34, I will assume that the fact that you apparently think the expression is "walk on egg shelves" is but one reason you are the type who lets their kid roam through a restaurant, disturbing and interfering with others dining experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I do let my toddler walk around in the restaurant, whether it's a family-friendly pizza joint or on a rare outing to a somewhat more upscale place.

She's young and restless, she enjoys seeing who else is dining in the restaurant, and she's always escorted by an adult who's looking out for her safety and interactions with others. As another Pp said, she'd be far more disruptive bored in a high chair. We've never gotten so much as a dirty look from another diner. It's really not a big deal.

This has been our experience too.