Right call here?

[Anonymous]

Was out to lunch with friends and their kids. Kids are 3, 4 (mine), 7, 9, 12. 7 yo is having a meltdown (going through a bad time). Refuses to sit at the table. Flounces off and sits in a corner (on an outdoor patio). 3 year old immediately joins her (bc more fun to be in the corner on the patio). My 4 yo IMMEDIATELY starts saying he’s done eating (we’ve literally just ordered and no food has arrived) and wants to sit in corner with other kids. I tell him no, in a restaurant we sit at the table. He starts whining but DH puts the clamp on the whining and distracts him (DH is good like that). If were solo I might have let him go to the corner just to avoid whining. Just curious if behavior like that would be ok and maybe we should have let him go to the corner. They were not disruptive in the corner. I don’t tolerate things like going under the table or sitting in my lap (just bc it annoys me) or being otherwise disruptive at a restaurant.

[Anonymous]

NEVER go out to a restaurant with that many children. The whole thing sounds like a shit show. I wouldn’t obsess over the particulars. As a general matter, I think kids should stay at the table, but it sounds like that broke down quickly and the. The wheels came off. Next time order in.

[Anonymous]

If the patio was mostly empty and they weren’t near other diners, I wouldn’t care. If it was crowded or there were other people eating near the corner I would have made them sit at the table.

[Anonymous]

^^PP again - caveat I would not allow him to go to the corner if he was whining to. Never give in to whining.

[Anonymous]

If you just ordered and no food has arrived, I see no problem with the kids going to the corner, assuming that it's not close to other customers or in the way of the wait staff.

In general, I try to say yes to these kinds of requests unless there's a specific reason to say no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you just ordered and no food has arrived, I see no problem with the kids going to the corner, assuming that it's not close to other customers or in the way of the wait staff.

In general, I try to say yes to these kinds of requests unless there's a specific reason to say no.

Agreed.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't have let either kid go off with a kid who is pouting. If they want to pout, go do it alone. Come back when you're ready to be part of the group.

[Anonymous]

You did the right thing, OP. Just because other kids are doing it does not make it right.

My kids are teens now, but I remember going to nice restaurants with my husband's family and his niece and nephew would get up and run laps around the long table. BIL and SIL did nothing; grandparents looked pained but didn't say anything.

Of course, our kids (roughly same age) wanted to get up and do that, too. I whispered no, you will stay in your seat. They asked dad. He said the same thing.

We always told them this is a restaurant, you will not treat it like a playground. No running, no yelling, no screaming, no tantrums. If you can't pull it off, then one of us parents will sit with you in the car while the other eat. You will not ruin other people's good time. This is how kids learn boundaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You did the right thing, OP. Just because other kids are doing it does not make it right.

My kids are teens now, but I remember going to nice restaurants with my husband's family and his niece and nephew would get up and run laps around the long table. BIL and SIL did nothing; grandparents looked pained but didn't say anything.

Of course, our kids (roughly same age) wanted to get up and do that, too. I whispered no, you will stay in your seat. They asked dad. He said the same thing.

We always told them this is a restaurant, you will not treat it like a playground. No running, no yelling, no screaming, no tantrums. If you can't pull it off, then one of us parents will sit with you in the car while the other eat. You will not ruin other people's good time. This is how kids learn boundaries.

And your kids are perfect and your in-laws’ kids suck. We get it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You did the right thing, OP. Just because other kids are doing it does not make it right.

My kids are teens now, but I remember going to nice restaurants with my husband's family and his niece and nephew would get up and run laps around the long table. BIL and SIL did nothing; grandparents looked pained but didn't say anything.

Of course, our kids (roughly same age) wanted to get up and do that, too. I whispered no, you will stay in your seat. They asked dad. He said the same thing.

We always told them this is a restaurant, you will not treat it like a playground. No running, no yelling, no screaming, no tantrums. If you can't pull it off, then one of us parents will sit with you in the car while the other eat. You will not ruin other people's good time. This is how kids learn boundaries.

And your kids are perfect and your in-laws’ kids suck. We get it.

? That’s good advice.

[Anonymous]

Oh man. We've gone through this, OP. My kids are expected to sit and eat. It doesn't matter where we are, unless it is Chik Fil A or a place on a beach. You sit, and don't get up.

My sister doesn't have these rules. Her girls dance around, walk around, play near the windows, etc.

My kids are like "SWEET! Let's play!" but DH and I firmly say no, you sit and eat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^PP again - caveat I would not allow him to go to the corner if he was whining to. Never give in to whining.

But she let her 3 year old go...right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^PP again - caveat I would not allow him to go to the corner if he was whining to. Never give in to whining.

But she let her 3 year old go...right?

New pp here

The way I read it, it was the other family's 3 year old. OP has just one child, age 4. Other family has four children; 3, 7, 9, and 12.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You did the right thing, OP. Just because other kids are doing it does not make it right.

My kids are teens now, but I remember going to nice restaurants with my husband's family and his niece and nephew would get up and run laps around the long table. BIL and SIL did nothing; grandparents looked pained but didn't say anything.

Of course, our kids (roughly same age) wanted to get up and do that, too. I whispered no, you will stay in your seat. They asked dad. He said the same thing.

We always told them this is a restaurant, you will not treat it like a playground. No running, no yelling, no screaming, no tantrums. If you can't pull it off, then one of us parents will sit with you in the car while the other eat. You will not ruin other people's good time. This is how kids learn boundaries.

And your kids are perfect and your in-laws’ kids suck. We get it.

And yours would be the ones running laps around the table while screaming at the top of their lungs. We get that also.