When my sister and I were younger, my parents often took us to restaurants for dinner. We were taught to be on our best behavior and learned to select and place our own orders. At 5 and 7, my children know the same. In fact, on a recent trip to Friday’s, Yvette began circling her choices on the kids’ menu so she would remember what she wanted to order when the server returned! Many times, we are approached by other customers who compliment us on how well-behaved our children are. I say this not to be boastful, but to prove that young children can be expected to behave at a restaurant.

A child’s behavior in public places is predicated upon two things – how well parents teach their children to behave in these situations and how often the children are exposed to these public places. When we go to a restaurant and see children acting like they are at the playground, the first thing I do is look at their parents. Listen, we all know sometimes our children get out of hand. If I see parents at least making an attempt to calm their children down, then I send the sympathy vibe and pray the parents get a break! But more often than not, these parents are ignoring their children’s behavior, engaging in their own conversations and sometimes not even knowing that the children have left the table and are hanging out with someone else’s children! For this there is no excuse.

I read the following article the other day – local NYC restaurants are considering banning children from restaurants during peak hours. Some agree, some thinks it’s unfair punishment for those parents with well-behaved children. What are your thoughts?

Read “Growing Number of Restaurants Banning Children During Peak Hours”

(31WriteNow Challenge Day 12)