Tuesday, July 21, 2009

get. a. babysitter. (or stay home)

why is it that every time my boyfriend and I go out to eat we always are seated beside the table with the snot nosed brats from hell screaming kids? I'm not exaggerating...I cannot remember the last time we went out to eat and were not seated beside a table that had one or more children who were spoiled brats and their parents did nothing to make them behave.

This past weekend this happened and the table beside us had a child that appeared to be less than a year old and he screamed at the top of his lungs the entire time.

Is it rude to ask to be seated at a different table (if there is another table available) when something like this happens? I think it's rude to continue sitting there while your child is crying or screaming, but that's just me. Furthermore, if I had children and I wanted to go to a nice restaurant, I would either get a babysitter, stay at home or take the kids to McDonald's for a happy meal.....the parents of these screaming kids can't be enjoying their meal anymore than I am with the way their kids are acting.

Most restaurants (depending on the state you live in) have smoking and non-smoking sections. Why can't we have children and no children sections? Seriously. Not only is it not fair to people that don't have or don't want children, but what if my boyfriend and I did have children, but decided to get a babysitter and go have a nice, quiet dinner together and then get to the restaurant only to be seated beside people that don't have the common sense to leave the kids at home with a babysitter or go to a restaurant that is more kid friendly?

6 comments:

SouthernBelleJM said...

I was a hostess in college and grad school, and I am still working a night a week there now just because I've worked there for sooooo long. I never get mad when people ask to switch tables or if they would like to move from their existing table b/c of unruly children. I would do the same!

Kelley said...

Last weekend we went to go see Transformers (which was a big waste of 2.5 hours) and there was a family sitting on our side of the theater that brought a 3 year old with them. For one, it's not an age appropriate movie, and secondly they let their child run up and down the aisle, scream and yell, talk the entire time, and the parents just went right on watching the movie. I was APPALLED, and I should have gone and told the manager, but I kept hoping that the movie would get better. I love kids, but I feel like you can't expect an R rated movie to be appropriate entertainment for a 3 year old girl! I like the idea of a kid, no kid section though!

Anonymous said...

You know, people can be so rude to others. I agree, they can't be enjoying themselves if their children are acting up. I would request a different table, or at least ask the server/manager to say something to these people.

Zb said...

Liquid Benadryl should be sold in sippy cups at the movies.

Oh gosh darn it, I love you for this post!

Lin said...

I completely agree with you! I think restaraunts should have seperate seating for ppl w/children.

Dont get me wrong, I love kids but sometimes I just want to have a nice quiet romantic dinner with my husband.

Lynsey Jones said...

I am a parent, and even when I go to restaurants and the hostess says "Smoking or non?" I say "non children". Gets my point across without being TOO bad.