Weigh In: Children in Fine Dining Establishments

[sigmagrrl]

Do you believe that parents should feel free to bring children (under the age of 7) to a fine dining establishment (think Spago, Ruth's Chris, Morton's, etc)?

Discuss...

[Rudey]

Originally posted by sigmagrrl
Do you believe that parents should feel free to bring children (under the age of 7) to a fine dining establishment (think Spago, Ruth's Chris, Morton's, etc)?

Discuss...

I don't think Ruth's Chris or Morton's are really fine dining establishments. The only Spago that I would and have frequented was in LA.

-Rudey
--I've got snob written all over me.

[Tom Earp]

It is absolutly fine to bring children to Fine Eating Establishments!


But Shock Collars should be issued at the door so when little monsters act up---Zap their asses!

[NinjaPoodle]

Originally posted by sigmagrrl
Do you believe that parents should feel free to bring children (under the age of 7) to a fine dining establishment (think Spago, Ruth's Chris, Morton's, etc)?

Discuss...

NO

[Shine]

I think maybe children over the age of 10 should be allowed. Anything younger than that is asking for trouble. I don't go to Spago and spend $200 on dinner to have a kid screaming and crying or banging on the next table.

[OUlioness01]

it depends on the behavior of the child. i have seen some kids 3 or 4 years of age that i wouldn't mind seeing in a fine dining establishment and 10 or 11 year olds that should never have been allowed to enter. i think parenting and the child's disposition have a lot more to do with it than age. yeah, i guessi think that *some* children should be allowed, but some should not.

[Rio_Kohitsuji]

The children should be screened by management before entering, plain and simple

[Jill1228]

What he said!
The last thing I want is some little crumbsnatcher screaming and acting a fool while I am trying to enjoy my dinner!

Originally posted by Tom Earp
It is absolutly fine to bring children to Fine Eating Establishments!


But Shock Collars should be issued at the door so when little monsters act up---Zap their asses!

[KillarneyRose]

I think Ruth's Chris is nice

- Tracy
-- Hey, I'm nouveau riche , what do I know???

[AllisonDG]

I HATE paying a lot of money to go to a nice resturant and have children screaming and misbehaving. If you have money to eat at nice places then leave the kids at home and get a babysitter!!!!

[CatStarESP4]

Definitely not, unless they are well behaved regardless of age. Several years ago, was having lunch with my mom, her friend and the toddler son of the friend at a somewhat expensive casual Italian restaurant. The child started acting up and throwing food, some it landed on neighboring guests trying to enjoy their meal. His mother had to apologize for her son. It got to the point that they had to leave the restaurant while my mom and I finished our lunch on our own.

There is nothing that ruins my dining experience that a child misbehaving. It is even worse when it is a fine dining establishment.

[nucutiepie]

I was given the opportunity to live abroad and do a LOT of traveling (read: to over 20 countries on four continents) before my eighth birthday, because my dad's job required him to do a bunch of stuff overseas. The company my dad worked for was pretty nice about paying for nice hotels and nice restaurants, so I grew up going to really really nice places. However, my parents raised us from an extremely early age to behave like little angels in these places - you know, quiet, respectful voices, napkins in your lap, proper use of silverware, etc. We never even considered acting out in any of these places because we knew if we did our parents wouldn't take us along on trips - so we never acted out, threw fits because we couldn't find anything to eat (we all grew up to have an adventurous palate and will try basically anything) or anything of the like. We were also given the opportunity to fly first class and the same standard of behavior was expected from us, which we also met.

If parents are going to raise their children the way my parents raised my siblings and I - that is to say, if they teach them how to behave in nice places and impose consequences if children misbehave - I see no problem in taking them out. On the other hand, kids who are going to act out and create scenes have no place eating at the Olive Garden, let alone a nice restaurant.

[kstar]

I never set foot in a restaurant until I was 8, and I knew that if I didn't behave I would have to sit in the car for the rest of the meal.

Keep yout kids at home. Children should be neither seen, NOR heard.

[aephi alum]

As a child (as young as 4), I frequently accompanied my parents to fine restaurants. I was taught from a young age how to behave at table - proper use of napkins, proper use of silverware (including which fork to use for what), how to sit up straight and sit still, etc. Even when my parents and I were eating dinner at home on a Tuesday night, I was expected to uphold the proper standards, so you can bet I behaved at restaurants!

I was also exposed to a wide variety of foods from many cultures, not just burgers and hot dogs and other "kids' food" - so I was always adventurous.

The only thing that annoyed me was when I went to restaurants that offered a children's menu, and the hostess would just grab a children's menu for me without asking. I used to insist on a "real" menu

If a child is capable of behaving in public, sitting quietly during a potentially long meal, not making a fuss because the restaurant offers filet mignon and poached salmon rather than hot dogs and chicken fingers, then I have no problem whatsoever. But kids who habitually misbehave, act out, throw tantrums, etc - they get to stay home with a babysitter until they learn to behave properly in public.

[docetboy]

Can we put people who obviously don't belong in these resteraunts, regardless of age (think EARP) in shock collars too?