Of course you should clean it up...It is only the right and ethical thing to do! It would be rude to just expect the busboy to clean up after your child.

If you are too tired to do it and need to get home, then by all means leave a nice big tip.

Anonymous wrote:Seriously get it to go. Restaurants are not really for toddlers.

DD and I rarely eat out, but when we do I don't do anything special.

I've always been cognizant of leaving a messy table, so I stack our dishes, wipe seats and table, as I've always done. I've always tipped at least 20%, adding more if the server is really nice/helpful, still do that.

When we eat out it's usually at a family restaurant unless someone else has invited us and made arrangements, so maybe that helps.

But I feel children are members of the general populace, so unless the establishment is very upscale I think they expect to serve kids and so don't feel any need to 'make up for the inconvenience' of serving my family. I suspect it would be even more inconvenient if families with children did not eat there and the restaurant lost that revenue.

We clean up as best we can. Most of the time they come over and say not to worry about. But I think it's more respectful and an acknowledgement that we are aware of what happened.

Also, understand that your huge mess is more likely to be cleaned by a busboy than the server, and that the generous tip you leave may or may not be shared with the bus person.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never when I was a waitress in college and never since dining with kids as a parent have a I seen a parent on the floor picking up after their kid so I call BS on this many parents cleaning the floor. I tip 30% and figure that covers it. Sure, if my kid threw half a hamburger on the floor, I'd pick that up, but crumbs, rice, etc., uh, no.

I did many times. Only a few times the server said leave it. I am shocked at how some people leave their tables.

This online question is self-selecting. Those of us who clean AND tip well feel pretty passionately about it, I think. I am a former server and so is DH (actually, that's how we met). We also pre-bus our tables (with or without kid), etc.

Seriously get it to go. Restaurants are not really for toddlers.

Just tip a few extra bucks, if you're worried about it. If I can pick up a couple of bit pieces as we're walking out the door, I might do that.

Anonymous wrote:Eat more meals at home. Gee whiz, people sure eat out a lot in these parts. Too much sodium in restaurant food.

But we are still in better shape then back in Mayberry. Golly Gee, even some of us eat out nightly!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never when I was a waitress in college and never since dining with kids as a parent have a I seen a parent on the floor picking up after their kid so I call BS on this many parents cleaning the floor. I tip 30% and figure that covers it. Sure, if my kid threw half a hamburger on the floor, I'd pick that up, but crumbs, rice, etc., uh, no.

I'm a pp who said I clean big bits of food from the floor but not tiny crumbs. Yeah, I AM talking about things like half a hamburger! I don't think any of us are picking up individual grains of rice and tiny crumbs.

I was just at a restaurant last night where I spent a minute picking up all the food off the floor. If my 1 year old drops a pieces of broccolli and bites of whatever else on the floor I pick it up. It's not that hard. Tiny crumbs of course not.

Anonymous wrote:Never when I was a waitress in college and never since dining with kids as a parent have a I seen a parent on the floor picking up after their kid so I call BS on this many parents cleaning the floor. I tip 30% and figure that covers it. Sure, if my kid threw half a hamburger on the floor, I'd pick that up, but crumbs, rice, etc., uh, no.

I did many times. Only a few times the server said leave it. I am shocked at how some people leave their tables.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clean up everything, bring plastic stick to the table placemats and only give a little food at a time so it cannot be dropped or thrown. I don't get how the floor gets that messy. Assist your child if they cannot fully do it themselves. It isn't your home. You wouldn't leave your home a mess (I hope).

We're talking about toddlers, not infants. You only give your toddler a little food at a time? I don't understand how you could possibly keep your child from accidentally dropping food. Do you hold your hand under his fork as he brings it to his mouth?

When we went out, I limit the food and yes, I do help feed. I don't get how it is ok to make a mess when you are out. There is a difference from accidentally dropping a little food and making a huge mess.

Anonymous wrote:Clean up everything, bring plastic stick to the table placemats and only give a little food at a time so it cannot be dropped or thrown. I don't get how the floor gets that messy. Assist your child if they cannot fully do it themselves. It isn't your home. You wouldn't leave your home a mess (I hope).

We're talking about toddlers, not infants. You only give your toddler a little food at a time? I don't understand how you could possibly keep your child from accidentally dropping food. Do you hold your hand under his fork as he brings it to his mouth?

Anonymous wrote:Never when I was a waitress in college and never since dining with kids as a parent have a I seen a parent on the floor picking up after their kid so I call BS on this many parents cleaning the floor. I tip 30% and figure that covers it. Sure, if my kid threw half a hamburger on the floor, I'd pick that up, but crumbs, rice, etc., uh, no.

I'm a pp who said I clean big bits of food from the floor but not tiny crumbs. Yeah, I AM talking about things like half a hamburger! I don't think any of us are picking up individual grains of rice and tiny crumbs.

Bring newspaper and spread it under him while he eats. Then toss it when he's done.