[honeychile]

I think it entirely depends on the child and the parents. Some children are socialized enough to be able to handle a "fine dining experience" earlier than others, mostly because their parents have insisted that they behave or leave - without stage whispers of doom, yelling, or hitting.

My parents were both very active in the community, and to this day, I hear stories about how people would be disturbed at first when one or both of my parents would bring me to a function - and then were shocked to see how well I behaved, without any correction whatsoever!

In my parents' case, there just wasn't a babysitter available 98% of the time.

ETA: My worst screaming child experience was at a crowded doctor's office, when a child ran up and down the waiting room, screaming her head off. She got close to me, I put my open hands on her shoulders and said, "Go sit down." She did. Her mother shot daggers at me, but if she wasn't going to rein her in, someone had to.