Keeping noisy children out of restaurants?
Before baby J. was born, E. declared he would never take our child to a restaurant. I laughed it off because I knew he would eventually realize how unrealistic that is.
We dine out with J. at restaurants that are kid-friendly, and we take him out when he's happy, well rested and already fed. I try to be mindful of other patrons who want to enjoy a quiet lunch or dinner.
I was reminded of E.'s declaration when I read this New York Times Motherlode blog post on a restaurant at a beach town in North Carolina that posted a sign that said, "Screaming Children Will Not be Tolerated."
The controversy has now exploded. Motherlode author Lisa Belkin put the issues this way:
First, should children be allowed to be noisy at restaurants? I know the sign at Olde Salty’s says “screaming” children are the issue, but who decides whether a child is screaming? Kids don’t always come with volume control, and what their parents hear as a “conversational tone” might be another patron’s idea of a basketball cheer. Does it matter that Olde Salty’s is right on the beach, serving sandwiches and crinkle fries, rather than a jacket and tie kind of a place? How does a child learn to behave in a restaurant if they are never allowed in a restaurant? On the other hand, why do paying customers, out for a quiet evening, have to listen while the youngsters in the next booth learn table manners?
What do you think? Have you stopped dining out? Do you have strategies for taking your children to restaurants or other public places?
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