I chose the "kids are people" too option but I think that this cannot be defined by either one or the other. It is not a black and white issue.
Like adults, kids are different. There are kids who are able to sit through a meal at a restaurant without causing too much disruption and there are those who have spilled the water, squashed the bread and licked all the cutlery even before you've sat down. Parents need to know their kids!
I wonder though why parents would want to take kids (especially the disruptive kind) to a fancy restaurant. Most parents I know don't get the opportunity to go alot - I know I don't. And when I do, the last thing I want to do is clean up spills, hide all the cutlery and clean up crumbs. If I wanted to do that I would stay at home.
But, kids are people too. It's the parents decision. If we're going to ban kids because they may be noisy we should also ban people who speak loudly on their mobiles or obnoxious people.
Yes kids may be annoying at times - after all they're kids. But guess what - some adults are annoying too - what's their excuse?
karen - 11 years ago
I adore children but sometimes its nice to enjoy time with your favourite person, dining out without a little one hanging over the side of a highchair screaming at the next table. Most children are lovely but you cannot exit them if they behave terribly, once they are in flicking peas across the table, screaming, you're lumbered...Regarding other establishments, i think we need to protect our children's childhoods as long as possible, preserving their wonderful innocence...
Museums and galleries are a must if the child is even mildy interested..
Great subject!
I voted for the first answer, although I think well-behaved kids should be allowed anywhere. But I understand that that would be impossible for restaurant owners to implement.
I wrote about another place where kids shouldn't be, in my opinion, on my blog at http://aresidentalien.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/freedom-vs-safety-no-this-is-not-about-the-war-on-terror
Thanks.
Kids should not be banned from fine establishments or evening events if they are taught to behave appropriately. Exposure to these venues is good for children. I, sometimes, am guilty of thinking the children should not be there. I then look around and see many adults whose actions are intrusive to the rest of the participants.
Do you think that it is possible that these adults would be better behaved if they were taken places as children?
Most children are funny about what they eat, I have a sixteen year old daughter that still has a way of being picky. Unfortunately fast food has become the easy fix at times. You also cannot make a two to even six years of age child stay seated for a long period of time, at least that has been my experience and other parents that I know. Unless a child has been to finishing school my suggestion, take them to Ci Ci's pizza or some other family oriented establishment. Leave the fine dining to the adults. Besides do you really want to take your children some place where they cannot be themselves, children are very smart they know when they are not welcomed.
There were two questions posed in this poll/survey. The first, concerning bringing children to a museum, I have no problem with at all. If you can get your kid to go to a museum by all means, do it! I can also remember lots of times, as a kid, when my school would take day trips to the Philadelphia Museum of Art (yes, where Rocky ran up the stairs) and to the Franklin Institute. They were both great places to see as a kid.
For the second part of this poll/survey, bringing a child (or children) to a restaurant, that's a completely different scenario. There are indeed restaurants that are tailored to a romantic night out on the town, an intimate candlelight dinner at a quiet corner table. At those places I would never think to bring a child.
So please ask about one or the other of these places, but not both, as somewhere that it may be objectionable to bring children
A lot of what is stated above makes sense. I especially like the comment from Shannon, "Parents know thy children." I took my kids to the John & Mabel Ringling museum last Friday and we had a fantastic day. So....today I finished writing Part Two of our trip. Please check it out. I did add something about this topic in there but it is kind of at the bottom when I am talking about the art galleries. Thanks! ~April
http://underthemonkeytree.com/2012/10/22/ringling-museum-trip-part-two/
Not only is every family different, but each child within that family is unique also. While I answered the poll, this is an area that isn't quite as black and white as the given answers would suggest. I'm a mom of four boys (ages 19, 17, 9, and 6) so I feel I am speaking from experience.
We've had experiences where we've included our children in situations and settings that were adult-oriented (i.e. fancier restaurants, cruises, Shakespearean plays) with very pleasing outcomes. We've also had fewer experiences with less than desirable outcomes. But we know each of our children and usually know what we can expect from them at different ages. We try to be very aware of what each can handle based on their varied personalities.
While I wouldn't advocate bringing my own children into a casino or bar, I also wouldn't judge those that choose differently. However, I think the key in ANY situation is responsibility and flexibility. Parents have a dual responsibility to first set realistic expectations for their kids and to then show courtesy to patrons they bring their children in to. We need to be prepared to leave if a setting isn't appropriate for the child OR if the child isn't appropriate in the setting.
I live in Las Vegas and I see so many children in the casinos. There is a lot of swearing, gambling, drinking, smoking, scantily clad cocktail servers..All of this doesn't bother me in the least, but in my opinion, this is no place for a child. Much of the time the parents are bring the children to eat in the buffets or restaurants, which wouldn't be so much of a problem, but they must travel all through the casino area in most casinos to get there. Children are not allowed near the machines and betting areas. This is heavily regulated with security. Many parents want to gamble after dinner and send their kids off to the arcade with quarters. Again, they are traipsing through the casino area to get there, and they are on their own for a few hours. Even with all the security this is not safe. I realize not every parent does this, however, it happens with great frequency. There are babysitting areas in some casinos, although they can be quite expensive. I just think that a casino, in any way, shape or form is really no place for a child. There are plenty of other choices here in Las Vegas to take your children without a casino being one of them.
Not all places are suitable for children but having said this, I do think that taking your children, at a suitable age, out to eat, to a movie, to the zoo, to a wedding, and other such places helps them learn how to develop responsible public behavior.
If we are going to an expensive restaurant for say, someone's birthday and we want the kids to come along, then we expect to be treated well and to have top customer service for them too. We are paying for their food also. We do keep in mind the people around us and bring lots of distractions, from books, to coloring to the iPad and phones are always a great last-resort distraction. There are so many ways to keep a kid occupied now that it really shouldn't be a problem to bring them to a restaurant.
If our little one gets fussy at a restaurant we take her outside for a walk. We would never make other people endure her crying or complaining. But if tour kids laugh a lot or talk loudly, sorry, you will have to deal with it. Our kids deserve to eat great food too, and they have learned at an early age, how to be extra polite in public, and that the behavior expectations bar rises... which is a good thing. Honestly, I think my kids (age 3, 7 and 9) act better than some adults at these restaurants.
When I go out (doesn't matter what the venue is) I am not bothered by the presence of children unless they are not well behaved. If ever I have to deal with unruly children in a less than child friendly place I always feel a bit of contempt for the parents who've brought them along. These parents know the tolerance level of their children and should be able to gauge whether an activity is appropriate or not. Even if the venue is child friendly - parents should know their kids' limits and develop strategies to alleviate situations that are "less than optimal" for those around them.
I've raised two daughters who were never allowed to interfere with anyone else's experience at restaurants, the zoo or wherever. If a parent really can't wait to try out that new restaurant and they can't find a babysitter - maybe they should go during off-peak hours? If their child is nearing the brink of a melt-down they need to be okay with leaving the store/restaurant/venue - not only for the people around them - but also for the sake of their children.
To me it's all a matter of being polite to others around them and it's also a good lesson to bestow upon their children.
Well I have two daughters but they are aged 15 and 13 now. I remember when they were little we didn't always take them out with us. Most of the time we took them to restaurants so they would learn to eat out and to museums to teach them about art, life and the world. In the end we never took them to places that were evidently not for children - formal dinners, parties with lots of smking adults, museums with sexual content,etc. you get the idea. They would only act out and get bored which would be normal. So, our daughters learned quiclkly about sitting down with napkin on lap and using the fork and knife. They also loved going to museums too.
Some adult-oriented places are suitable for kids and some are not.
I see little value in taking children to 'fancy restaurants' for either children or parents - not to mention the other customers.
It might be validly considered child abuse to expect a kid to sit through a Wagner's entire Ring Cycle! Taking kids to museums, however, is a different story. While some exhibits would not be suitable for a child, depending on the age of the child, many museums and art galleries have specific programmes of events just for children. These events are excellent opportunities for educating kids in an entertaining way and in a community setting. They also enable and encourage parents and grandparents to spend quality time with their children; and they help prevent kids from spending unhealthy amounts of time glued to their computers and (sometimes aggressive and destructive) computer games.
Bringing kids into adult settings is about making wise choices.
I chose the "kids are people" too option but I think that this cannot be defined by either one or the other. It is not a black and white issue.
Like adults, kids are different. There are kids who are able to sit through a meal at a restaurant without causing too much disruption and there are those who have spilled the water, squashed the bread and licked all the cutlery even before you've sat down. Parents need to know their kids!
I wonder though why parents would want to take kids (especially the disruptive kind) to a fancy restaurant. Most parents I know don't get the opportunity to go alot - I know I don't. And when I do, the last thing I want to do is clean up spills, hide all the cutlery and clean up crumbs. If I wanted to do that I would stay at home.
But, kids are people too. It's the parents decision. If we're going to ban kids because they may be noisy we should also ban people who speak loudly on their mobiles or obnoxious people.
Yes kids may be annoying at times - after all they're kids. But guess what - some adults are annoying too - what's their excuse?
I adore children but sometimes its nice to enjoy time with your favourite person, dining out without a little one hanging over the side of a highchair screaming at the next table. Most children are lovely but you cannot exit them if they behave terribly, once they are in flicking peas across the table, screaming, you're lumbered...Regarding other establishments, i think we need to protect our children's childhoods as long as possible, preserving their wonderful innocence...
Museums and galleries are a must if the child is even mildy interested..
Great subject!
I voted for the first answer, although I think well-behaved kids should be allowed anywhere. But I understand that that would be impossible for restaurant owners to implement.
I wrote about another place where kids shouldn't be, in my opinion, on my blog at http://aresidentalien.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/freedom-vs-safety-no-this-is-not-about-the-war-on-terror
Thanks.
Kids should not be banned from fine establishments or evening events if they are taught to behave appropriately. Exposure to these venues is good for children. I, sometimes, am guilty of thinking the children should not be there. I then look around and see many adults whose actions are intrusive to the rest of the participants.
Do you think that it is possible that these adults would be better behaved if they were taken places as children?
Most children are funny about what they eat, I have a sixteen year old daughter that still has a way of being picky. Unfortunately fast food has become the easy fix at times. You also cannot make a two to even six years of age child stay seated for a long period of time, at least that has been my experience and other parents that I know. Unless a child has been to finishing school my suggestion, take them to Ci Ci's pizza or some other family oriented establishment. Leave the fine dining to the adults. Besides do you really want to take your children some place where they cannot be themselves, children are very smart they know when they are not welcomed.
There were two questions posed in this poll/survey. The first, concerning bringing children to a museum, I have no problem with at all. If you can get your kid to go to a museum by all means, do it! I can also remember lots of times, as a kid, when my school would take day trips to the Philadelphia Museum of Art (yes, where Rocky ran up the stairs) and to the Franklin Institute. They were both great places to see as a kid.
For the second part of this poll/survey, bringing a child (or children) to a restaurant, that's a completely different scenario. There are indeed restaurants that are tailored to a romantic night out on the town, an intimate candlelight dinner at a quiet corner table. At those places I would never think to bring a child.
So please ask about one or the other of these places, but not both, as somewhere that it may be objectionable to bring children
A lot of what is stated above makes sense. I especially like the comment from Shannon, "Parents know thy children." I took my kids to the John & Mabel Ringling museum last Friday and we had a fantastic day. So....today I finished writing Part Two of our trip. Please check it out. I did add something about this topic in there but it is kind of at the bottom when I am talking about the art galleries. Thanks! ~April
http://underthemonkeytree.com/2012/10/22/ringling-museum-trip-part-two/
Not only is every family different, but each child within that family is unique also. While I answered the poll, this is an area that isn't quite as black and white as the given answers would suggest. I'm a mom of four boys (ages 19, 17, 9, and 6) so I feel I am speaking from experience.
We've had experiences where we've included our children in situations and settings that were adult-oriented (i.e. fancier restaurants, cruises, Shakespearean plays) with very pleasing outcomes. We've also had fewer experiences with less than desirable outcomes. But we know each of our children and usually know what we can expect from them at different ages. We try to be very aware of what each can handle based on their varied personalities.
While I wouldn't advocate bringing my own children into a casino or bar, I also wouldn't judge those that choose differently. However, I think the key in ANY situation is responsibility and flexibility. Parents have a dual responsibility to first set realistic expectations for their kids and to then show courtesy to patrons they bring their children in to. We need to be prepared to leave if a setting isn't appropriate for the child OR if the child isn't appropriate in the setting.
I live in Las Vegas and I see so many children in the casinos. There is a lot of swearing, gambling, drinking, smoking, scantily clad cocktail servers..All of this doesn't bother me in the least, but in my opinion, this is no place for a child. Much of the time the parents are bring the children to eat in the buffets or restaurants, which wouldn't be so much of a problem, but they must travel all through the casino area in most casinos to get there. Children are not allowed near the machines and betting areas. This is heavily regulated with security. Many parents want to gamble after dinner and send their kids off to the arcade with quarters. Again, they are traipsing through the casino area to get there, and they are on their own for a few hours. Even with all the security this is not safe. I realize not every parent does this, however, it happens with great frequency. There are babysitting areas in some casinos, although they can be quite expensive. I just think that a casino, in any way, shape or form is really no place for a child. There are plenty of other choices here in Las Vegas to take your children without a casino being one of them.
Not all places are suitable for children but having said this, I do think that taking your children, at a suitable age, out to eat, to a movie, to the zoo, to a wedding, and other such places helps them learn how to develop responsible public behavior.
If we are going to an expensive restaurant for say, someone's birthday and we want the kids to come along, then we expect to be treated well and to have top customer service for them too. We are paying for their food also. We do keep in mind the people around us and bring lots of distractions, from books, to coloring to the iPad and phones are always a great last-resort distraction. There are so many ways to keep a kid occupied now that it really shouldn't be a problem to bring them to a restaurant.
If our little one gets fussy at a restaurant we take her outside for a walk. We would never make other people endure her crying or complaining. But if tour kids laugh a lot or talk loudly, sorry, you will have to deal with it. Our kids deserve to eat great food too, and they have learned at an early age, how to be extra polite in public, and that the behavior expectations bar rises... which is a good thing. Honestly, I think my kids (age 3, 7 and 9) act better than some adults at these restaurants.
Parents know thy children!!
When I go out (doesn't matter what the venue is) I am not bothered by the presence of children unless they are not well behaved. If ever I have to deal with unruly children in a less than child friendly place I always feel a bit of contempt for the parents who've brought them along. These parents know the tolerance level of their children and should be able to gauge whether an activity is appropriate or not. Even if the venue is child friendly - parents should know their kids' limits and develop strategies to alleviate situations that are "less than optimal" for those around them.
I've raised two daughters who were never allowed to interfere with anyone else's experience at restaurants, the zoo or wherever. If a parent really can't wait to try out that new restaurant and they can't find a babysitter - maybe they should go during off-peak hours? If their child is nearing the brink of a melt-down they need to be okay with leaving the store/restaurant/venue - not only for the people around them - but also for the sake of their children.
To me it's all a matter of being polite to others around them and it's also a good lesson to bestow upon their children.
Well I have two daughters but they are aged 15 and 13 now. I remember when they were little we didn't always take them out with us. Most of the time we took them to restaurants so they would learn to eat out and to museums to teach them about art, life and the world. In the end we never took them to places that were evidently not for children - formal dinners, parties with lots of smking adults, museums with sexual content,etc. you get the idea. They would only act out and get bored which would be normal. So, our daughters learned quiclkly about sitting down with napkin on lap and using the fork and knife. They also loved going to museums too.
Some adult-oriented places are suitable for kids and some are not.
I see little value in taking children to 'fancy restaurants' for either children or parents - not to mention the other customers.
It might be validly considered child abuse to expect a kid to sit through a Wagner's entire Ring Cycle! Taking kids to museums, however, is a different story. While some exhibits would not be suitable for a child, depending on the age of the child, many museums and art galleries have specific programmes of events just for children. These events are excellent opportunities for educating kids in an entertaining way and in a community setting. They also enable and encourage parents and grandparents to spend quality time with their children; and they help prevent kids from spending unhealthy amounts of time glued to their computers and (sometimes aggressive and destructive) computer games.
Bringing kids into adult settings is about making wise choices.
Ann