I do wonder what this thread would look like if most of its contributors had enough experience with kids, or enough life experience in general, to know what they were talking about. I'm not a parent either, but I've learned enough vicariously through parents that predicting or controlling a kid's behavior is not as easy as flipping a lightswitch on or off, or teaching a pet not to shit in the house. In addition to that, parents shouldn't be treated as second-class citizens; they have as much a right to eat wherever they want as much as anyone else. I could just as easily to say to those who are bothered by childish behavior that if you aren't prepared to deal with other people's problems, then you shouldn't leave the house.

Okay...

Yes, kids, right? And now I am totally ruining the joke by asking if it is kids, right? Because it's kids, right? Right?

...........some are ok. I wish I could introduce the child I wish to adopt. Hell, she already likes hanging around me and complaining about the other kids. Her mom always makes questionable decisions and she doesn't deserve that.

Aww. I am a firm believed that to a certain degree, children are capricious and annoying and whatnot, but when it comes to annoying children in restaurants and the like, 90% of the time its the parents failure. Instead of telling their kids to not go to other tables and stay in their seats they either completely neglect them or give a compromised "Kaden... come here" and return to their plate/conversation without enforcing anything... as if just trying to appease the ppl their spawn is drilling by saying "I tried"

Damn parents! They need to be spanked, not the kids hahaha

I love kids

Iseewhatchudidthere.

Couple of thoughts:

I hate children.

That said, I spend 99% of my life with an eight year old, a baby, and a five year old with daddy issues. On more than one occasion, I have moved in to the houses of these children and been responsible for feeding them, cleaning them, homework, diapers, questions about life and death etc.... Uncertainty about childhood erections .... The fun part? They are not even mine... And I do this shit for free. I've developed woman hips from holding babies for the last eight years.

Anyway, the point is that if you think anyone, especially the parents can control the actions of a child, you are wrong. Children are completely irrational and self-serving... Tell them no? A smart child will find a way around it or will get back at you. A dumb child? They will make loud, unpleasant noises in protest (and every single employee will immediately go "Madame! Silence that unruly child! You must be a terrible parent! This is a farce! You, ma'am, you are a farce!). Thing is, there aren't many dumb children... The little fuckers are crafty! They are more likely to respond to bribery and blackmail than anything else because they know that in public your bitch ass ain't gonna yell.

It's like when I say to my nephew "Stop. I WILL kill you.", he replies "You wouldn't kill a child." (damn. He knows.)... I storm off shouting "You know nothing of my work!"

But more importantly, if you work in the service industry, you work in service of everyone including children.... And they love every moment of it, because they know.... They know.

I can understand your frustrations. Up until recently a pretty upscale movie theater in my town didn't let anyone under 18 past 6 pm without a consenting adult. But that has changed due to new management :/

I wait tables in NYC, it's just as prevalent here. One place I worked at, they would let their kids just run around while I'm trying to maneuver plates and drinks on trays. And they'd keep trying to run into the kitchen. And a screaming baby in a high chair got a hold of the sugar packets while I was visiting a table and made it rain. The parents response: "Isn't that cute?". No, no, it's not. And they left it for me to clean up. Thanks. And then another one using one of most popular booths as a fort while his family eats dinner and never calls him over. They retrieve him as they leave and I get to clean up his mess. It's not the McDonald's ball pit! It's a restaurant in NYC!!

I like kids, and parents should be able to take them out to dinner if they want (they're not pets), but michelin rated restaurants in NYC?Uh uh.

This is common sense, or should be anyway. My son's 4 as of last week but I'd never bring him to any major restaurant just because he wont' sit still the entire time, he hardly does when we go to places like Burger King. There's a fish place he likes called Archies we go to (because he likes the lighthouse that's attached to all restaurants) and he'll sit there for about half an hour and eat really well but then when he's full he's up and mobile.
My dad and step mom like bringing him to some restaurants and always tell him (because they're so "proper") "Remember your restaurant manners.." I just tell them "Umm.he's a toddler, you know that right? Farts are hilarious to him"
It's all about that person's image, maybe? I don't know. But I DO agree with you, none the less