For days, I’ve been wondering why Jessica Biel was suddenly everywhere. She was stepping out for pap strolls, she went to the Independent Spirit Awards, she was out with Justin Timberlake at the Vanity Fair Oscar party. And now I know why: she’s officially opening her long-gestating restaurant, Au Fudge. Biel started talking about this restaurant years ago, and I feel like it took her a solid three years to open Au Fudge. Meaning, she started this side-project before she even got pregnant with son Silas. But Au Fudge was always conceived as a kid-friendly establishment. It always seemed to me like Biel was trying to cozy up to the Hollywood Sanctimommy crowd, and I have to say… that initial instinct was probably correct. Biel gave an interview to E! News where she panders pretty hard to the moms who just want a comfortable place to eat with their kids.
She panics about taking her son to a restaurant: “Since he’s so little still and I’m still kind of learning how I do it in a very smooth and like elegant way, it’s terrifying. You get to a place, you want to make sure the diners around you are not being bothered, you’re full of anxiety, you’re trying to go as fast as you can—you don’t enjoy it at all. That is exactly what we want to erase from the feeling of a mom, a dad, a family, a nanny, grandparents bringing their grandkids here. It doesn’t matter. We just want you to feel stress free about it and know that they’re playing with things that are safe, that we don’t use chemicals here, that there’s not just a bunch of plastic everywhere and we’ve really tried to think very thoughtfully about your family because it’s our family, too.”
Her plans for Silas’ first birthday: “Honestly we’ve been so busy here—I literally have no idea what we’re doing. He hasn’t had any sort of sugar like that, so I don’t know. I think I probably gotta start thinking about that…I don’t even know if I have the brain power at the moment to do anything other than just get this thing off the ground.”
I’m happily childfree and I couldn’t care less about kids in restaurants… for the most part. Like, if your kid sits and eats and behaves like a normal kid, there’s no problem. And, like, if it’s a baby and the baby is crying, I feel sorry for the mom and the baby, but at the end the day, it’s a baby and you can’t reason with a baby so why even get mad about it? But I do take issue with bratty older kids in restaurants. Like the seven-year-old who throws a tantrum about french fries or the nine-year-old being rude to the waitress. Take that sh-t to McDonalds. Anyway, it will be interesting to see if Au Fudge is a successful little side project for Biel. I would be interested in learning the price range and menu, because it would help me understand what kind of clientele she’s aiming for. Like, does she want Hollywood moms or does she want just regular working moms or what?
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.
Good for her. She is married to a self obsessed camera hogging narcissist so I like to cut Jess a break every now and then.
Hahahahahahahahaha. Nice. Well said!
I just find her boring. Beautiful but boring.
To me she is Jennifer Garner 2.0. just the same vibe you know, like she will turn a blind eye to the cheating as long as it’s not made public and she can maintain her image.
As for kids in restaurants it doesn’t bother me either way, but people who bring their kids to the pub and leave them to run wild as the parents get their drink on bugs the life out of me. I use to work in a pub during college and Sundays were carnage.
At least Garner had some semblance of an identity and personality – and fame – in her own right aside from the famous husband.
It’s really not the same as Biel, who can basically be summed up as “hooked up/married to Justin Timberlake and has a butt”.
@teacakes – thanks for making me snort water out of my nose. “Has a butt”, indeed!
There’s love there but I think she puts up with him and his extracurrics mainly because of STATUS. She kind of was on the verge a few times but never made it into the A circle. His money, cred, and status in the music industry is it. They’re all status obsessed and it’s hard for them to get down to normal level, esp if they’ve got people on their payroll leaning on them too. That’s why I look at someone like Katie Holmes and give her extra props for keeping it real. Can’t be easy to come back down to earth.
Her restaurant looks cute but I’d never take kids to some place like that and broadcast it’s a treat. Have you seen the instagram pics? It’s like triple layer cakes with lots of frosting and food colouring. They’ll associate sugar and dairy with fun and think of them as “special foods.” I’d take them somewhere organic and healthy for celebrations.
We’re used to celebrities turning on the charm & fake upbeat personalities in interviews and photos. No wonder we’re disappointed when they’re actually normal. Boring is under-rated.
A friend of mine was behind Jess & JT in line at an icecream shop quite a while ago now in Melbourne, Australia. She was amazed how low-key they were…just dressed normally (ie. daggy, no hair & makeup styling) and talking quietly to each other…no “look at me” antics.
No snark from me today 🙂
Everytime I read about Au Fudge I remember the episode in Sex And The City where Samantha Jones complains about kids at restaurants and a kid throws a bowl of pasta on her.
Me too! I was at Old Fisherman’s Grotto in Monterey CA recently. The have a sign that says, “Children crying or making loud noises are a distraction to other diners, and as such are not allowed in the dining room” Most fine dining restaurants that are well known like Le Bernardin do not allow kids under age 10 or 12. I went through this with my kids. There are many kid friendly places to eat. I was lucky, I used to drive from LA when my kids were little and take them to a kids movie theatre in Seal Beach where there were strollers everywhere. I had one in a stroller and a 5 year old obsessed with Disney movies which they played all the time. They had a lobby with fun things for kids and we’d spend a whole day there a couple times a month. I have doubts about this restaurant lasting. Grown-ups frequent restaurants for quality. If they want a place to take their kids, There’s Shakey’s, Bullwinkles, Chuck E Cheese etc.
I don’t understand why people insist on taking their kids to restaurants.
It’s an adult environment, conceived as such. The food, no matter how small and cute the portion size, isn’t really to the children’s palates.
Not to mention the potential for allergies.
And it’s not designed as personal space unless you reserve a private room.
So everyone is uncomfortable ie the parents who hope their little darlings are well behaved and or don’t disturb the other patrons, the food is probably the last thing the kids want and can’t be changed if kid is a fussy eater. Not to mention that you can’t really control the kitchen if your kid has allergies. Will the parents handle any emergency or are they hoping the staff a trained enough to deal with their kids?
And that’s before you get to the parents who completely ignore their kids’ poor behaviour and expect other patrons to tolerate it.
I do understand the parental urge to socialise at restaurants, but PLEASE keep the kids at home. It won’t kill them, and everyone will have a better experience.
Lol, ‘parental urge to socialize’. Either this post is meant to troll all the moms (like me!) who take their kids to restaurants, or you truly loathe humanity. Maybe both!
I think it’s better for restaurants to advertise that their environment isn’t for kids, rather than ban everyone under 15 from eating out entirely, don’t you? Lots of places are like that, and lots of places stack their high chairs by the door, so people can tell if it’ll be somewhere they can bring their kids. Restaurants exist to feed people.
@mkyarwoodExactly, I’m not bringing my kids to a place that is $20 a plate but a place that has paper and crayons all ready for them, of course.
Listen ladies, i’m not attacking your specific situations or your person, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t attack my opinion which differs from yours.
I’m not calling you bad parents or advocating an age limit or telling you how to discipline your kids. That is none of my business. Have courage in your decisions instead of attacking random strangers on the Internet.
And I stand by my view that Restaurants aren’t a place for kids.
I’m guessing you would be among the “let them run wild and annoy everyone” then.
@LAK
First, I do have courage in my decisions and that has nothing to do with “attacking” a stranger on the Internet. I was responding to your sweeping generalization of parents and children, in a nice way I thought. Really, if you don’t think children should be allowed in restaurants what age is appropriate to start?
I’m sorry, but your entire post was attacking strangers on the Internet, little darling. You knew what kind of response your post would get so please don’t act surprised and then claim you are being attacked. No one is attacking you. We are just voicing our opinions like you did yours. Now if I said, “How dare you! You $&@”%%^£, you are the worst person in the world!” Now that would be attacking you.
Mel M,
I wasn’t speaking to you specifically in my second comment, more a sweeping comment to all the ladies who reacted that way to my first.
Further, there are lots of mums on this very post who have made their point without attacking or being abusive. Some names I recognise from other threads where they occasionally write about their kids and their first instinct isn’t to attack if anyone writes something they might not agree with.
Either way, it doesn’t change my view, and I doubt my comment changes their view.
I don’t see why saying children don’t belong in restaurants can only be translated as an attack on their parental abilities.
If I said children didn’t belong at a wedding (as an example of a situation where this also comes up), would the parents interprete that as a judgement on their parenting?
I’ve got 3 kids who are now 12, 14 and 18. I took them to restaurants all the time while they were growing up and never had a problem. They knew (and know now) what kind of behavior is expected of them.
Not all moms let their kids run wild.
@chelsea – if that was for me then no, I am not. We hardly ever go out to eat. The handful of times we did was when our two oldest were over the age of two and it was at a family friendly diner. There was one time that my son started getting loud and acting his age and my husband promptly took him out to the car so that I could finish and pay the bill and he didn’t disturb other diners. I’ve lived life without children so I know how annoying they can be, heck I get annoyed by my own! I’m still a person though and I still want to go out to eat every once and a while just like everyone else, it’s a nice break from the kitchen. I just don’t see how one can stick to the statement that restaurants are not for kids when the restaurants we go to have a kids menu, crayons, and high chairs. I think it’s more appropriate to say some restaurants are not for kids and if you don’t plan on minding your children while dinning out then yes stay home.
Interesting POV. My sons are 12 and 6 and we go out to eat every weekend. They know how to act in public and I get a break from cooking. I’m curious why you would think restaurants are an adult only environment.
BevUse you be taught them to behave.
@LAK
Whoa, not all parents expect everyone else to cater to their children. Not all children are ill behaved. Not everyone has the luxury of getting a babysitter anytime they want to go out for a night and, *gasp* some families like to spend time with each other. But I guess you would say that we chose to have children so we should consider our restaurant going days over, unless of course we have a babysitter. So should we all just not be allowed to see the inside of a restaurant until we are 18?
I took my children to restaurants and did not stress about it at all. They were always well behaved and ate what they asked for. We often got compliments on the behavior of our children. Did I take them to fancy, over-priced restaurants – no – couldn’t afford them. But there should be no reason, unless you refuse to make sure your children are behaving. You can’t judge all by a few parents who don’t want to discipline their children. Do I get frustrated when parents ignore their children – yes and if they were going to do that then they shouldn’t bring the children to the restaurant.
All of this. It’s on the parents, not the children. My kids are always well behaved at restaurants… because we taught them to be that way. I have three girls , ages 7 and under, and they understand to be respectful of your servers. Also, to respect the people around you. If you are well-prepared and can read your children’s behavioral signs (understanding their limitations), you can pretty much do anything with children. And be patient. Always.
I love how other people (clearly with no kids) are so quick to chime in and share their opinions on kids and how we should be raising ours. /side eye/
Yes! Going out to eat, especially brunch, with the kids was one of our favorite activities when they were little. One of mine is on the autism spectrum — and still he was fine (if he wasn’t on a rare occasion we would make a quick exit) and enjoyed the experience.
It really was not that stressful to go out to eat with young kids, imo, so to me the concept behind this restaurant seems kinda silly.
I think you make some valid points but I’m going to make some counter ones, although, I definitely agree with you that the parents are the issue. Since I’ve reached adulthood, I have always taken younger family members (nieces, nephews, cousins) from age 3 up to nice restaurants. I treat it as a “special event”, usually coupled with some other activity and encourage them to try “just a bite” of something new while choosing foods they will eat and take the opportunity to enforce table manners and enjoyment of the nice surroundings and food. They are told that “we” must behave well. I focus on them and engaging them in pleasant table conversation about their interests or the activity we just enjoyed, as one would with an adult. We’ve never had an “incident.” Waiters have been surprised at how well behaved they are and how much fun they’ve had serving them. As they have grown up, they have thanked me for exposing them to great restaurants, great food, great experiences, and for teaching them how to behave. They feel comfortable going to nice places when other teens or young adults may have some apprehension. But again, it is all in how the adult handles it. If any one of them had ever acted up, I would have immediately paid the check and gotten them out of there.
“I definitely agree with you that the parents are the issue.” “it is all in how the adult handles it.”
So very, very true.
I used to work in restaurants when I was in college, and I think people would be a little amazed at how many parents just let their kids run wild. Restaurants are dangerous places for kids to play, there are so many hot, heavy and sharp things being carried this way and that. So many times I have seen toddlers wander into the kitchen, where food runners come shooting out with dishes straight from the oven. I once caught a full tray of water glasses moments before they came crashing down on a toddler’s head. The mother was chatting with her friend and the kid was running laps around the restaurant. A waiter was bringing a tray of glasses to the bar, and the kid sprinted in front of the waiter and tripped him. I caught the tray as the waiter fell, barely catching it before it landed on the child’s head. It really could have caused serious injury, and the mother seemed irritated by me when I brought him back to her table. I just saved your kid, you should have thanked me!
I have also seen so many kids open all of the sugar and sweetener packets on the table and dump them on the floor. This happened regularly. All it would take is for the parent to tell the child to stop because sweetener isn’t a toy. I was always so grateful and extra sweet to tables that had well behaved kids. They were like a diamond in the rough.
Lilacflowers has a great backup plan though–in addition to flawless preparation and execution, everyone at the restaurant is so floored by your Hiddle-date that they don’t notice the kiddos. 🙂
” I treat it as a “special event”, usually coupled with some other activity and encourage them to try “just a bite” of something new while choosing foods they will eat and take the opportunity to enforce table manners and enjoyment of the nice surroundings and food.”
Exactly. I’ve always taken my son to restaurants, simple and fancy ones, and today he thanks me. After being educated to eat and appreciate a good meal, nowaydays at 19 years old and living alone he’s perfectly capable of not only cooking but also receiving friends for diner. With paper napkins and all LOL
The concept of restaurants being a place for adults is such a strange concept to me. Like when we think going out to eat, we are like everyone goes to these restaurants kids and all. I understand there might be a cultural difference but that was how I was brought up.
It depends on the restaurant, to me. If it’s a casual place and the kids are old enough to behave reasonably and enjoy it, fine. But I will never understand why people bring a toddler to a high end restaurant. It’s not fair to the other diners and it’s not fair to the toddler, who doesn’t understand why he/she is supposed to sit there quietly for so long. It’s so selfish. Get a babysitter or choose another restaurant. You may have to actually have a period in your life when you don’t get to eat where you want. Get over it.
Eh. My husband and I go to high end restaurants at 4/5 pm. We usually see other kids there. There’s a way to continue to eat well and have an environment where kids won’t be nuisance.
We like to go to nicer restaurants because we are foodies and are used to quality food. We don’t have family close by.
Well, that’s fine, since you are thoughtful about it and choose a time when your children are not tired, hungry and cranky, and earlier than most diners would go. That’s a really good idea. I’m talking about people who have a two year old sitting next to me at 8:30, understandably fussy and whiny, while I’m spending several hundreds for what was supposed to be a romantic dinner. Not fair to me or the child.
If it is a casual dining restaurant, I understand why people bring kids. I don’t expect to go to Red Robin or Denny’s and eat in silence and soft candle light!
I don’t think people should being small children to fine dining establishments though. Half of the people there have probably saved up money for a special night out that is now being ruined by a screaming child. Ambience is supposed to be part of the experience.
I feel the same way about concerts and such. If I go to see the Nutcracker, I realize it is a child friendly ballet and I expect the occassional crying baby or bored 6 yearold kicking my seat. However, if I have paid $100+ to see another ballet, you better believe I’m wishing nothing but endless traffic jams and hang nails on the people who bring their small kids. It really isn’t fair to everyone else.
Exactly. My girls are in the fussy toddler period so I even hesitate to take them out to casual places because I think it is unpleasant for EVERYONE let alone fancy places at dinner time. But there are plenty of places to socialize with kids especially older ones.
I want to know what high end restaurants serve starting at 4pm…
I actually work in a high end restaurant, and there are parents that will bring their little kids in, BUT(!!) they usually come super early, like 4:30-5. And the children are typically very well behaved. I tend to think the problem lies with parents, not the kids. Know your children, know what they are capable of, understand when it’s too much, and plan accordingly. My daughter was very well behaved as a toddler and could easily sit through a meal quietly, but my son( 20 months) is an absolute nightmare. Because he has not yet learned how to behave out in public, we generally do not go out to eat with him. The few times we have we were out of town and it was our only option.
“Not to mention that you can’t really control the kitchen if your kid has allergies. Will the parents handle any emergency or are they hoping the staff a trained enough to deal with their kids.”
I’m not following the allergy angle of your argument…? Two of my kids have food allergies – I do as well. I am extremely cautious in this regard, so we rarely eat out. When we do, however, I have our epi-pens with me (as always) and am as prepared as anyone can be for an allergy emergency. I don’t know any allergy parents who would rely on restaurant staff to save their child in an allergy-emergency situation – it makes no sense. Beyond that, most kids aren’t dealing with allergies, so it seems sort of pointless to bring allergies up at all.
I’m with Kaiser, 100% – no problem with reasonably well behaved kids in restaurants, I feel for babies/parents when a baby gets upset in a public place, and I want to throttle the parents of bratty kids in restaurants.
By law in Massachusetts, all restaurants must display notices advising customers to alert servers to food allergies. All ingredients MUST be explained if asked. I have food allergies and have been impressed by how numerous restaurants handle it, especially dealing with issues of possible cross-contamination in preparation and servers advising me which food items to avoid. And parents know their kids’ allergy situations
Exactly! I was thinking the same thing. I have a food allergy and there are several restaurants we go to I have to mention up front: ” please keep all shelfish away from my steak so I don’t die. ”
That’s enough to get their attention. I have only had an issue one time, and it was my fault. I went to an upper class restaurant and they cooked all meats in some sort of oil that I wasn’t aware of. I didn’t read the menu all the way! Now I mention it almost everywhere. But since I have a food allergy should I just never leave my home for food?? That argument doesn’t make any sense.
re. the ‘potential for allergies’ and ‘you can’t really control the kitchen if your kid has allergies’: don’t adults have allergies too?
I agree with @mkyarwood’s proposal that it should be more of an opt-out system for restaurants than a blanket ban on everyone under 15. Besides, it massively depends on what your children are like – I remember my parents taking me to a few quite classy restaurants when I was in my very early teens, because they obviously trusted that my brother and I would be able to cope with it. Going to a nice restaurant can be a great way to introduce children to food properly, and there’s no reason why children can’t like ‘restaurant’ food and develop an adventurous palate from an early age. Not too early, obviously – you’d be a fool to take a six year old to El Bulli or similar – but they’re ready, which for me was by the time I was eleven or twelve.
Like GNAT said, I think it depends on the type of restaurant we’re talking about. (Full disclosure: I don’t have kids).
If we’re talking about a fast-casual place like Olive Garden or Panera or some generic diner / pasta resto then sure, bring the kids along. Of course they will act out sometimes, but if the parents take control and calm them down then it’s all good. I’ve never been super upset at seeing kids eating with adults, as long as they’re well-behaved. If you’re talking about fine-dining restaurants then no, I don’t think bringing young children along is a good idea. Even some adults I know get bored at the fancier places, lol.
I don’t have kids but I have nieces, nephews, and young cousins. They know that an outing with me means a meal at a high end restaurant. And they love it!
So I agree with both sides of the argument. We live in a place far away from family and have had a hard time finding sitters for our son. And we like to eat out. From a young age we’ve talked him to restaurant and tried to instil what we call “restaurant manners”. This with appropriate distractions only (books, colouring pads and as last resort the iPad without sound) when needed makes it a pleasant dinner for 3 of us and I don’t think bothers other patrons (apart from those who have a general unreasonable rule that kids should not be allowed in restaurants). On the flip side we have friends with kids who behave at restaurants the way they do at home and it’s annoying and embarrassing when out with them
I can understand it on both sides. I’ve been out with my friends for a nice dinner and there have been on occasions families who either had no control over the kids or contstantly fidgeting about with them. Its distracting when trying to talk with friends and have a baby wail in the background.
On the other hand Im out with my kids all the time and I generally choose restaurants that have a more family atmosphere and kids feel easy, the food is easy to eat and leave the high end to special occasions only adults.
But before going out we’ve had conversations about the etiquettes of eating out and have done role plays. I think it’s a parents responsibility to gauge if the child/ren are able to handle the environment and have the manners to dine. If you have a 2 year old who likes running, screaming and is a fussy eater then find a place where they can be accommodated. It’s unfair on the child or children.
When my kids were younger is get tables closer to the washrooms and on the side so I didn’t inconvenience other diners.
I think most places we’ve eaten the kids there have been pretty well behaved.
Some restaurants ban kids because they don’t want it to affect their ambience and I’m ok with that.
Jeez….what kind of restaurants do you frequent?? What a bitter Betty you sound to be.
As parents of 4 boys, my husband and I go above and beyond to teach our children to respect other patrons space and comfort, and we *do not* ignore their needs. If these are the types of parental patrons you’ve encountered perhaps you should reevaluate the restaurants you choose. But please, don’t make it seems as if ALL parents and children are unpleasant diners on all occasions.
I wonder too what restaurants LAK is referring to. I hope she returns to clarify.
I found dining with my young kids extremely stressful, so we didn’t do it at all until they were much older. Now it’s fine but I simply cannot fathom paying the prices so we either order pizza or just cook.
Also people breathing on my food bothers me so the entire concept of eating in a restaurant doesn’t sit well. And I loathe buffets. 😷
Seriously? I’m kid free right now but you take kids to restaurants so they develop a palate and learn how to behave in public. It is important for children to do this.
Its not like parents take their kids to 5 star restaurants they aren’t. The only time it’s worth getting annoyed is if the child is out of control and the parents do nothing. But if a kid is sitting nicely and eating doesn’t hurt me.
LAK, I hear what you’re saying, but I do think it depends on the family. My kids (6 & 9) are high energy and on top of that, one is autistic and the other is an extremely picky eater, so we rarely take them out to a family restaurant. It’s hard for them to sit still longer than 30 min! At the same time, we want them to practice good social behavior, so we come prepared with things for them to do while they wait and enforce rules with incentives. We also try and go when the restaurant is less busy so the crowds and noise are less. That seems to help in the training.
It’s nice to have a break from making meals every night and child minders can cost more than a meal out, so it can come down to simple economics is to why parents go out with their young kids. I agree that if kids can’t be restrained from causing a scene and disturbing others, parents should take them to a more casual place or get take out.
I’m in the same boat – 2 boys, ages 5 and 7, and boy #2 is on the autism apectrum. Restaurants were a nightmare with him until just a few months ago (he’s been getting a LOT of therapy) because he didn’t understand that he wasn’t supposed to try to wander up and down, crawl under the table, etc. And we missed a lot of family events because of this – birthdays, celebrations, etc.
Bridget, I feel your pain. My son has high-functioning autism and now he does understand how to act but his hyperactivity and impulsiveness sometimes takes over still. Crowd noise aggravates the problem too. My kids don’t care about eating at a restaurant — all they ever ask for is Chick-fil-A, because they like the food and the playground — so it’s rare that we eat out as a family anywhere else.
What’s been trickier is navigating the playdate/birthday party invitations. We still feel the need to be there with him in case he needs to be reigned in or redirected, so we tend to host playdates and accompany him to birthday parties or special STEM learning events that our local college will host for kids his age. The help he gets at school from the SpEd team has made a world of difference in his social behavior, so I’m hopeful he will learn the social skills needed to function independent of us.
Substitute Red Robin in for Chik fil-A here. Which, after a year and a half of no dining out with the kids whatsoever, feels positively fancy!
We’ve lucked out and our little guy is in a special school program where he’s been able to do all of his behavioral and speech therapy, so he’s made fantastic progress – to the point where I even took him out to a fancy lunch to celebrate my mom’s birthday (they still had chicken strips, of course). And I planned ahead – brought a couple of card games, some coloring stuff, and the iPad for a last resort. He did awesome! For us it’s all about preparation and flexibility.
Honestly, our little guy doesn’t go to a ton of birthday parties, and when he does he goes with people we know well and that I don’t worry too much about leaving him there. Though for that very reason we tend to prefer to host playdates at our house with the neighbor kids.
We are still people (Moms/parents) and we still like to live. Not everyone is lucky to have the grandparents around to babysit. Being a mom is exhausting and sometimes having a meal cooked for us every once in a while is welcomed.
This, absolutely this! I just want to sit down, have someone bring me my meal and take away my dirty plate for a change. This way, I can actually interact with my kids. Draw pictures, read a story and give my kids my attention for a little bit.
Little hellions are a completely different story.
As for the allergy comment above. No one in my family, including 2 kids have any food allergies at all. Kind of an illogical point to make regarding kids.
+10000
Completely agree. Although I am not a parent, I definitely understand why parents feel the need to enjoy a break from fixing a meal. I didn’t understand it until I saw close friends exhausted from taking care of a 2 year old and pining to be served just for once. I’ve gone out before with my 2 year old godson, who normally is well behaved, but just freaked out at a restaurant. We had to leave mid-meal. I won’t ever curse parents in restaurants again! I think Jessica’s idea for a nice restaurant made for kids is a great idea. I f**king hate Chucky Cheese.
Walk a mile in a mom’s shoes, then come back to us.
My parents took my brother and out to a restaurant on Sundays almost weekly and while they weren’t high end restaurants, it was an important family bonding time. Once we were 18, it happened less because we got busy with work or friends.
I can’t recall that we misbehaved though. My mom in particular would have murdered us if we had a tantrum in public or thrown food or done something stupid. But we were definitely going to places like Swiss Chalet, Olive Garden and Red Lobster by age 5.
It goes back to the parents. Kids know what they can get away with at an early age and if they know they won’t be punished, some will push boundaries.
Unless it’s a super fancy restaurant or a restaurant that really emphasizes the alcohol, then it’s most likely a family restaurant. I have no clue where anyone would get the idea that restaurants are only for adults.
Even with fancy restaurants, you probably wouldn’t take a baby or toddler, but once the kid has learned table manners (probably around 7-8 or so), by all means take them. I don’t have or want kids, but I’ve been far more disturbed by drunken idiots, overly loud music, and ubiquitous televisions in restaurants than by children. Actually “family” restaurants tend to have less loud music, fewer televisions, and far fewer drunk people, so they’re much more relaxing. The kids don’t have cooties.
Huh. @LAK, generally I agree with your comments and enjoy your insights, but I think you are being ridiculous here and it’s not just because I have a 4 year old and I’ve been taking him to “nice” restaurants since his birth.
@GNAT – I have taken my son to Michelin-starred restaurants and other “fancy” restaurants and I’ve only had to leave in the middle of our meal only once (there was a gong in the middle of the sushi restaurant and my then-two year old could not resist playing it). He is extremely interested in food and in fact, he has far more discerning and sophisticated palate than my husband and many adults I know. He will reject even ice creams and other desserts if they are not good.
That said, I can understand your sentiments, because I’ve seen unruly children and unconcerned parents plenty at all types of eating establishments. However, I think it should be up to the parents to decide if their child can handle different environments. Just as other patrons have a right to complain and establishments have the right to ask the disturbing party to leave.
I just don’t think it’s a good idea for toddlers, even if your child is well behaved. A baby will sleep, and that’s okay. But even if your toddler isn’t crying, and is behaving well for a two year old, he’s still a distraction to other diners. You just don’t know it. He’s occasionally climbing down from his seat, making loud noises and squirming around. It isn’t fair to say I have the right to complain. I don’t want have to complain. That’s upsetting and mood spoiling, and then I’m the mean lady who hates kids. It’s not fair to the restaurant. They know the other diners are going to hate it, but they don’t want to offend you by turning you away, so they let you in and hope for the best. Nobody wants to sit by you, so they have to rearrange all of that, plus they don’t have a child’s menu, so they have to dig up something suitable for a child to eat. Maybe you have the one child who is perfect, but as a general rule, if the cost per person is over $100, and you sit next to me with a two year old, I’m annoyed.
Mean Hannah: clearly I touched a nerve with my original comment. Not singling you out specifically.
And it’s brought out the mummy brigade which is fine because you have situations that I hadn’t considered, BUT considering how many people complain about kids in restaurants, or even have to put a caveat around the fact that they *are* annoyed by kids in restaurants, but wish to appear otherwise, clearly it’s a thing even if the mummy brigade don’t wish it to be.
Good names so well said! I wouldn’t have dared taken my child as a toddler to a nice restaurant and she is well behaved. She is 12 now and there are still limits on what is an appropriate place for her to join me for dinner. If I walk into an establishment where a meal is 100+ per person and I see a child I’m asking to sit as far from that child as possible or I’m simply leaving.
We have a nearly 3 year old and i definitely understand this view. Before having her, we went out to restaurants almost weekly. Now we go every few months. It’s a bit unrealistic to expect people with kids to just not go out when the whole family is meeting up at a restaurant for dinner or something.
We always plan ahead and believe every parent should. We call the restaurant to make sure they’re child friendly and ask what they have for kids. Then we pack whatever else to keep our kid busy and entertained. We make a reservation to minimize waiting time so she isn’t bored by the time we get to our table. And we go in knowing we need to excuse ourselves if she acts up and knowing we can’t hang out after the meal for very long.
But we do go out occasionally and I’m not going to apologize for it. As long as parents are responsible and considerate, it usually goes well.
I’m sorry, but the notion that because I have kids I must subject them and myself to food is ridiculous and offensive! I know my kids very well and am always ready to remove them from the situation should they act up, but usually they do not as we tend to try to be in a position to feed them before they get really hungry and eat well before they start getting tired or cranky, so the main adjustment I’ve had to make is dining early. But we have taken my kids (from when they were as young as r old) to many many restaurants, including a few 5 star restaurants ( one of our indulgences when we travel). Now, as a result, they love food and are very interested in what goes into it. My five year old in fact is very into the whole restaurant experience, even orders for herself and interacts with the waitstaff whenever she has requests and has never once acted up or been out of control. It is possible to take kids to great restaurants I think,you just have to bear in mind that you have to be “on” the whole time. But the takeaway from doing it is you have little people who genuinely love eating good food.
It appears that you are referring to a “fine dining” restaurant, not the type of place that most people go to for a meal out. In that case, yes, unless you are 100% sure your kid is going to be happy and quiet, leave them at home. I have no interest in hearing your kid whine and wail when I’m paying that kind of money for food. For me, at least, the whole fine dining experience has literally been a once in a lifetime thing and it would have been ruined by unruly brats or screaming babies (fortunately it was awesome).
However, this is not the case for most people. Most restaurants are far more modest, and even if it isn’t specifically a “family” place I see no reason not to bring kids if they’re reasonably well behaved. If the baby cries, take it outside. It happens. Most places will make you a grilled cheese or something easy and kid friendly if you ask nicely. And, gasp, plenty of kids enjoy grownup food too.
I may not entirely agree with you LAK, but I HEAR you. I am a first time parent and don’t go out much yet, but once he gets older we will. I realize people are sensitive when it comes to their children, but as someone who was declared a “persecutor of children” for not wanting children at my black tie museum/sit down dinner wedding reception, I know all too well that parents can take it too far into attack mode.
I will say, I do get frustrated when my husband and I treat ourselves to the super rare date night at a nice restaurant only to encounter a screaming baby being ignored by its parents.
LMAO at “persecutor of children” . SOME parents just don’t get it sometimes.
No they did not?? ” persecutor of children”?? Wow. That’s ridiculous. I just can’t with people who think their kids should be allowed to go anywhere and everywhere with no regard to the appropriateness of the situation. In my( large Italian) family we actually had a rule that you had to be 18 to go to the weddings. That created a nice dividing line so no one got any hurt feelings about their kid not being invited( huge family) and kept the affair age appropriate.
I get what you’re saying about a wedding. We did not want children at ours either. My one cousin didn’t attend. Their choice. But not wanting children at a wedding, to me, is different.
Haha, Anon, that is a perfect example. There’s just no arguing one side or the other because it isn’t black and white. Restaurants are public spaces AND it is not always appropriate to bring kids everywhere you go=both can be true.
I totally get why you wouldn’t want kids at a formal affair you’re hosting and wouldn’t take offense in the slightest. I would bring my kid to whatever restaurant was convenient for me but at a certain price point, I’d accommodate other diners by going during my kid’s schedule (late afternoon), not prime dining hours when people are socializIng or relaxing after work. It’s just not a big deal. I work in cafes a lot and always go during off hours to avoid hogging a needed table. We balance our needs against those of the public all the time. There’s a wide middle ground to be had and just no point acting like its a black and white thing.
@ LAK I couldn’t agree more!
My children enjoyed eating at Marie Calendars. They were very well behaved because they enjoyed the food and were well disciplined kids. I think there are some kids that don’t do well in that environment. I knew my kids timing like clockwork. When my son was still in the stroller and my daughter was a 5 year old little lady, I’d ask for a corner booth where I could tuck him in in his stroller for his nap. They weren’t criers anyway, but in the odd time there was a tantrum, we left immediately and they were made to understand that it would never be allowed. In a store, if there was a tantrum, same thing…I’d drop everything I was doing and leave the store…no treats, no toys. They learned that if there was something they wanted in that store, they’d NEVER get it with a tantrum. My daughter would say to my son “stop yelling or stop running—you know mom will leave and you won’t get a batman toy”. A small token was a fun way for them to enjoy the trip, even if it was just a box of fruit roll ups.
I’m not going to attack you for having a different opinion. But I am going to offer my own perspective, and I hope that’s okay.
I live in New Orleans, where it’s not uncommon to see 3 year-olds dining out at the first dinner seating at Commander’s Palace or Galatoires. (Full disclosure: we’ve taken our child army to Sunday brunch, 10:00 a.m., at Commander’s, but beyond that, we’re not big on haute cuisine for the 4 year-old for obvious reasons.)
Food is such a huge part of the culture here. Dining out, therefore, is an extension of that. But even in New Orleans there are some unspoken rules about eating out with your kids. To wit, if you’re going to a niceish restaurant for dinner, you go to an early seating, so as not to ruin the experience for the 7:00 diners who were probably looking forward to a nice night out. On the flip side, my kids DO have to learn how to behave in public and how to develop a palate, and that can’t happen in a vacuum. But it’s on the parents to set the tone and example. If one of my 3 starts to act up, we’re outside like a shot in timeout.
Again, we trend more towards casual dining and kid-friendly spots, because we are in actual possession of a tiny bit of self-awareness. But while I understand – I think – your argument, I think I’d rebut it with the vacuum concept above. I need to show my children how to eat nicely, how to treat people nicely, and how to be respectful of space. The best etiquette lessons are the practical ones.
You’re obviously a really attentive, involved and caring parent, though. You also seem to have a healthy respect for others. I think LAK might have been referring to a certain type of lazy parent who maybe isn’t too concerned with politeness or parenting, really.
Great post. I agree on all points.
If all parents were like you, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. Mothers wouldn’t be bent out of shape and others wouldn’t feel guilty about secretly hating to eat at a restaurant when children run amok.
But, LAK, I have to tell you. When I was last in Britain I was SHOCKED (seriously shocked) at the behavior of kids in restaurants. It would not be tolerated here. We had a three year old come up to our table and try to take our cutlery! We told him no, and he went running back to his parents who gave us dirty looks. Ugly Americans doncha know. They of course, were letting him run everywhere and paying no attention. And we had similar behavior in several cities. I really couldn’t believe how lax a lot of parents were. So everyone else, LAK may have a totally different experience than we do here in the US, and it isn’t good!
Oh hell, guys, I’m not saying LAK’s comment doesn’t have merit. I’m just broaching the topic from a more moderate position. My kids certainly aren’t perfect angels – in fact, we often refer to our 2 year-old as Thanos – and there are plenty of times I’ve had to grab him out of the shopping cart and rush out of Winn-Dixie to deal with a tantrum.
Certainly I’ve seen parents who ignore poor behavior from their children without addressing it, and it SUCKS for everyone subjected to it (obviously, I’m excepting babies and super small toddlers, because it’s not as though a parent can really reason with them). But I tend to think most sane parents do their best to strike the balance between selfish asshats with no self-awareness and perfect paragons of Emily Post’s Greatest Hits.
totally agree LAK. Once a baby has been born it should be handed over with a banner that says ‘congrats- please remember no-one cares about your children apart from you’. the amount of people who for some reason think others should give a rats ass about their children is nuts.
If we’re the mummy brigade, can you be the mean old bitty brigade? Then we can have dance-offs.
Seriously though, LAK, you usually seem so reasonable, bug it seems this topic touches several of your sensitive nerves. Your language continues to be so sweeping that you seem kinda off your rocker.
No children should go to restaurants? I get the high end ones, especially if the child acts up and the parents are inattentive. But that’s not what you said… At least not the first two times you said it. Your tone has been simultaneously aggressive, defensive and demeaning. Not universally, but to those whom you either don’t recognize or don’t like… Or who aren’t suitably deferential. Mean doppelgänger ?
Wow. I don’t agree that “Restaurants aren’t a place for kids”, there are places that are very kid friendly and I don’t see why parents shouldn’t bring their kids to those places. I’m a parent to 2 toddlers, I don’t bring them to restaurants often because the whole thing gives me anxiety. And I wouldn’t bring them to a fancy steakhouse for dinner yet(because they are so young) but I don’t see why parents should lock their kids in the house all the time because God forbid you hear a little fussiness from a child. I think parents should definitely pick and chose the time and places to bring their kids to instead of shutting them out completely like your suggesting.
That would tank the restaurant industry.
The pile-on LAK seems kind of unnecessary to me.
Agree with others in that I think it depends on the establishment. A fancy five-star restaurant is not the place to bring your kid on a Friday night. That being said, I think it’s perfectly fine for parents to bring their kids to family-style restaurants. Actually, we were at the cute craft beer place (a very “adult” pub) up the street from me on Saturday afternoon and my BF and I were both remarking on how many little kids and families were there. It was kind of nice to see, actually. But then again, the kids were really well-behaved.
I agree. My reply above was not about piling on LAK, but offering what I hoped would be a sensible (albeit differing) perspective.
Some parents zone out in public places. Some don’t. There’s no one size fits all technique for dining out, but in general, I think there should be common sense.
I understand what LAK is trying to say, though, sorry, Oliphant, I don’t really need that banner for my special little snowflakes. 😉
I think there’s a middle ground, though, and I appreciate that you articulated it better than I could!
I understand the pile on because I too read it as “kids don’t belong in restaurants!”. So as a mother, sure I take offense because that goes counter to all my child’s education. I also take offense to the term “mommy brigade”. I am the farthest thing from a soccer mom, traveling and eating out is just a part of our lifestyle.
Afterwards, like you said, each parent should know the limitations of their child. Don’t take a hyperactive kid to a nice place at 8am. Respect others. Always. Remove the child if need be. It’s part of their education. They get used to it pretty fast and will be well behaved. Same goes for the plane!
@cait sorry I’ve just re-read my comment and it comes off as really offensive- it was written in the heat of the moment- a kid just spilt their drink all over my suit and the mother just looked at me and shrugged- RAAAR!!!
calmed down now- no offence meant- from the sounds of your posts I bet you and your children are darling to be around.
@magpie-I totally agree with you about the term mommy brigade and similar. There is a condescending undercurrent I find insulting. It’s like it’s meant to subtly take away our individuality and lump us all into minivans. (And it’s totally cool to roll in a minivan to soccer practice with the kids! Darn straight if that’s your thing!) But that isn’t the only definition of a woman.
@Oliphant – I was just teasing. It’s all good. I see plenty of those parents and their offspring, so I actually cackled when I originally read your comment.
I think there are too many variables to generalize “dining out with kids”. It depends on the child, the child’s age, even the day (same kid can be great one time and not another), the parents, the environment etc. What I may consider casual another may think is fine dining, and so on.
We have been on all sides of this equation; when a couple without kids, their presence never bothered us unless they were having a meltdown AND the parents ignored it. Once we had a child we used common sense. Don’t bring a tired, cranky child along, particularly if they are already hungry and need Food now. Don’t bring an impatient kid to a place where the wait will be long, or a sensitive one to a loud pub/piano bar.
We have taken ours out since he was around three to what most people would consider nice places. We started with brunches, because the food is mostly out, people are moving around anyway, there are lots of things to see, but there is also the opportunity to practice gracious manners, with cloth napkins and cutlery and a crystal glass. He has never had a melt down, broken anything or done anything more dramatic than spill some water (which I do all the time, being a klutz.)
Now he is a foodie and as a preteen enjoys eating out everywhere, sometimes pointing out if a child is out of control and tsk-ing at the lack of manners. I tell him not to judge, since he doesn’t know the circumstances. If it is Le Cirque or some other 5 star restaurant, my expectation is that the parents will comfort/discipline/distract or remove the child, as appropriate. If it is a boisterous Jack Astor, I still expect a parent reaction but I am also a lot more lenient in terms of how a child can behave at a place with crayons, Kraft paper on the table and garish lights strung along the framed Larssen comics.
@Oliphant – Do you really think no one should care about the children in our society besides their parents? I bet you care about minorities and the disenfranchised. Why are children different?
I truly want to understand the increased venom against children and parents. I know parenting is a choice, but when did the pendulum swing so far that having a child is a selfish and pompous decision that just makes life more annoying for the smart and selfless professionals who are childless by choice?
@kitten I agree Lak is a regular poster on this site and is always respectful and is just offering her OPINION – which we are all entitled to do. Most of these comments snapping back at her are randoms and some seem like randoms just looking to start something. I tend to find in life people get super defensive when there is a ring of truth to something. Thats all I’m say. I can guarantee out of all the people who snapped are guilty of exactly what Lak is saying.
As a mom, former bartender and server I can tell you first hand kids usually do not behave in a restaurant settings so she’s not far off. Now am I saying all kids? Of course not but many parents just assume that everyone will find their little rug rat as charming and cute as they do including their bad behavior and will say hey “kids will be kids right?!” I have had kids run up under me with a tray full of hot food- (they could have been seriously hurt) , annoy other guests at tables close by, destroy the area they are sitting in by dumping food , drinks and making a major mess and so forth. Yet the parents ignore or get super defensive when you point out hey can you please get your kid under control. So yes Lak I get exactly where you are coming from. Until parents stop feeling so entitled and start parenting, I don’t think uou are far off
I even have a hard time with some parents when the place is empty. I was at a cafe I go to a lot and there were two women and three kids between them around age 2-3 and they were screaming so loud, I couldn’t drown them out with my headphones in. And the place was empty but wtf? How can you just sit there chatting with your kid while he screams for 15 minutes straight until the food was served? Is this just what people live like? I do not understand. My neighbor’s flat is like a Pandora’s box of constant screaming. Doesn’t matter if it’s 6 AM or midnight, when she opens the doors, it’s just screeching. I don’t even mind her kids but my God, the crying and screaming never ends. If that’s your normal, cheers, but I don’t think it has to be everyone’s.
100% with LAK on this one. leave the kids at home. I’ve had as many meals ruined by obnoxious kids in restaurants as there are parents in this thread swearing their kids are perfect. Coincidence? I think not.
I don’t see many comments swearing their kids are perfect. Most people just pointed out that they try to make good choices in timing/venue and will handle the children if they act up instead of not going out to eat for years. And generally, when I get together with other moms we definitely aren’t sharing stories of how perfect our kids are.
I’m a little confused by responses like this. Your meal was RUINED by an obnoxious kid? Sure, I bet you were distracted by them and possibly had to strain to hear each other, but RUINED? Did they pee in your soup? Spank you?
To me, some of these comments come across as elitist. When you dine out, you are going for the food. Yes, people should control their children by all means — even leaving when necessary — but I’m starting to suspect that some are just annoyed by the existence of children.
Children behave like children sometimes. They should still have manners (no running around, no screaming, etc.), but they will never be adults, nor should they be. Loud laughter, some wiggles and the occasional outburst are signs of a healthy child. Be happy for them. Don’t you miss those days?
Fine dining is about more than just the food and yes, it is very possible to have an evening, a mood, an occasion ruined by the behavior of those around you.
Yes, I have two adult children, yes I attempted to expose them to food, teach them manners etc, all of the things used as reasons it should be fine to take young children to high end restaurants.
I agree with LAK, there are certain places that really are not appropriate for young children, and there will always be those who justify why their children are the exceptions. I think it should be up to the establishment, if I own a Cracker Barrel franchise, by all means bring the kiddos. If I am serving $500/bottle wine, I have a no one under the age of 15 sign.
I completely agree. I’m a mother with a 7 month old and I wouldn’t dream of taking her to a restaurant. She can’t eat any of the food anyway! I feel like when you go to a restaurant, you’re going there to relax and enjoy and get AWAY for awhile! Besides, she would rather be at home eating in her high chair and going to bed at 7:30 than be at a restaurant with mommy and daddy.
Have you tried baby led weaning? We fed our 7 month old steamed veggies and pieces of meat and bread. She loves to go out to eat.
Weird generalization-it would help to specify ages. I just now took my 8-yr-old out to a lovely breakfast at a French restaurant in our city. She has a day off school and we had such a wonderful time chatting over our meal. No one looked twice at us (I promise). That said, my 11-yr-old went to a pizza place with some friends last week, and although I wasn’t there (another kid’s birthday), I can see how the group of them could have been irritating, even at 5pm, if the other parent didn’t keep them in check. In my experience, one kid over age 5 is usually fine, a herd of them rarely is.
If you want to dine in silence, stay home.
Meanwhile, society will continue to live, experience, grow, change, and be loud.
These children are lucky to have access to such cultural exposure- those in fancy restaurants, on planes, in libraries, and anywhere else you might find yourself annoyed by kids. They will be better people for it.
I allow my 2 year old to walk around the restaurant with me following her, or sometimes my husband, when she gets squirmy. I figure she’s only 2, exploring her world which I encourage, and she’s not being loud. I’m not going to keep my kids inside all winter or make them eat their dinner in the car based on what anybody else thinks.
There are many venues that are not designed for children per se…. flower shops, gift shops, jewellery stores, libraries, doctor offices, airports, places of worship, etc., but it does society no good to decide that children cannot go there. Every one of these places — restaurants included — can become terrorized by mis-behaved children with relaxed parents.
And I don’t say this as a smug parent…. my first child was easy-peasy. With very little prompting and preparation, she could go anywhere. The second one? A little menace who took a hell of a lot of work to get her to settle down in public. Does that mean I was the lady with the nutty toddler? Yup. Did I let her go off and ignore it? Never. It’s all a learning process but that’s what parenting is. By the time my kids were 6 & 3 they were fine with restaurants. As well as all those other places they needed “training” to cope in.
If we decide kids cannot go to places they don’t yet have the skills for, the list will be very long and the likelihood of those skills developing will be non-existent.
Wrong spot
Bold move, Cotton.
Yeah LAK let’s have kids and then keep ourselves locked away for the next ten years. Or better yet, lets factor in the cost of a baby sitter every time we’d like something to eat. Or maybe we should just stay in “our kind of restaurant.”
Wow I guess we should all hide inside with our children until they reach some age where you believe it is appropriate for them to go out into social situations. I wonder how that would actually turn out? A bunch of teenagers that really have no clue how to behave in restaurants?
When we were little (3 of us) out parents use to take us to some “fancy” places. I was 10 when i had my first sparkling mineral water (didn’t like it BUT i had to drink it all as it was costing them money 😜). Let me tell you, our parents didn’t even need to talk to us, just a glare and we stayed still. We knew. But usually they kept it short; an icecream, cake not a long meal. Those were reserved for more friendly places or for pic nics at the beach. Our father used to say: let this devils play like beasts They will sleep sooner tonight. (Bad translation from the original)
Anyway those were the days when hitting a child in public was a common practice let alone screaming. We tried to avoid that by being good behaved little monsters. Once back home……
I think parents should know their children and their limits beforehand. It’s better for all. Once i had to feed a small child who refused to eat with his family at their table, only not to hear him scream and cry hysterically. ( he ate all my pasta by the way and drank my cola). It was nothing really but not what should happen.
I dont mind kids at restaurants, just as I dont mind kids at the theater or on a plane. I dont blame the kids if they get fussy/restless/cry. I honestly understand that its bound to happen. Its the parents who dont do anything who bug me.
Eh. There are adults who are assholes and I wish they could stay at home but yet they’re out and about. At least with kids, parents should be able to gauge their behavior and where they will fit in or not. It’s too wide a generalization to say ALL kids are horrible monster with no table manners. So really, it’s up to the parent who hopefully is logical and smart enough to factor in their kid’s behavior.
What really bothers me about American diners and restaurants is the whole “kids menu”. What, my children have immature taste buds and adult food isn’t to their palette’s liking? It’s a joke that our society deems mac and cheese and chicken tenders what our kids should eat and enjoy. True, my son LOVES mac and cheese but he’s also a huge fan of sushi, especially salmon roe.
And yes, I am that parent who will bring out her kids to all sorts of restaurants, as long as it’s not something super fancy. Though I am lucky that my son is SUPER well behaved and my girl just really really likes to eat.
OK, I’m a little touchy on this because I have a kid with autism who will do some weird and unpredictable $%^# sometimes. We don’t go to “fancy” restaurants, but once in a while we want to take the kids to NOT-Mc-Donald’s. We do our best, and a pox on your house to those who want us to stay home.
I think this restaurant sounds like a great idea, and wish her luck.
Come sit by me. Your kid deserves good experiences, and I’m sure is better-behaved than a lot of adults.
I’ve been there too. It’s no fun.
Good for you! I love your attitude! My brother in law has 4 kids under the age of 6, but his attitude is “Kids cry and need to run around and are generally disruptive, get over it” and THAT’S what I have a problem with. I just think not even trying is so inconsiderate to others! They don’t have any health trouble, or development disorders, they’re just brats because they’re parents have taught them that others will accommodate them. They once tripped a waiter at a really nice, intimate steakhouse who was carrying a tray of food, and my brother in law just offered a disingenuous “sorry pal”, it made all of us parents look bad!
@Anon: Your BIL and his kids sound like a nightmare… The kind my 5yo would side-eye and say, “mommy, those kids are making bad decisions.” My little guy is NOT perfect, and neither am I. However we both know we need to behave well around others and expect the same in return. On the fairly rare occasions one of us is acting out, we know we’ll be called on it 🙂
I have an autistic child as well. He loves Chick-fil-A but sometimes I just want some place different. He can’t learn appropriate behavior without practicing it, so I just come prepared with things for him to do at the table while waiting. With the prevalence of autism in our society, a lot more parents are tolerant and recognize when a kid exhibits those types of behaviors. When I see a kid acting out impulsively or in a socially immature manner, my first thought is that they may be autistic. The parents of autistic kids I know are generally embarrassed about and sensitive to how disruptive their kids are so they aren’t the ones creating problems in restaurants usually. They go out of their way to keep their kid’s issues from affecting others, to the point of sheltering them too much probably.
I’m cautiously optimistic that LAK was referring to fancy adult restaurants (that for example, don’t have a children’s menu), not Panera or Olive Garden. Im going to give her the benefit of the doubt despite the offense that was rendered.
But for what it’s worth, I’ve seen and had adults ruin my dinner experiences nearby just as much as kids! An obnoxious adult can be just as bad, sometimes worse! Lighten up
Well said, Susan 😄
@justacowboy Depending on the age of your child and the level of impairment, there are ways to make the experience enjoyable for your child. Children on the autism spectrum can be very easily overstimulated. So you may consider dining out during non peak hours, when there are less customers (less noise). You may also want to arrange to sit in a more isolated area, where the doors are not visible. Some children with on the spectrum have issues with incongruity – that is to say – when there is disruption. A door opening and closing over and over could create anxiety. Again, not knowing the age of your child or the diagnosis in full, it is difficult to make suggestions. But I promise you need not be a hermit. As for what you call “strange” behavior, that is not something that you should worry about. If other adults are not comfortable with a child who rocks back and forth – for example (which is not interrupting their meal in any way) – then that is their problem. Not yours. 🙂
you can sit next to us too – we understand
I honestly think that a restaurant with only kids /toddlers and their parents is too much even for people with kids.
It sounds like a nightmare to me.
Also, restaurants aren’t a baby’s territory and as much as you try the environment itself is not child friendly. cutlery, sharp edges, slippery surfaces, hot food, glasses or dishes are dangerous for kids at any age and you need a million eyes in a restaurant with one kid, imagine with 50 or so.
Oh I know. I would never go. Unless they serve alcohol with a side of excedrin for the headache that undoubtedly will occur!
Chucks Cheese. You couldn’t drag me to one of those.
You couldn’t drag my ten year old niece to one either!
Horrible. My son was 3 or 4 and begged me to leave when we were there once for a birthday party. I asked him why and he said someone had peed inside the slide/tunnel thing. Apparently it didn’t bother the million other toddlers who continued to use it obliviously. *shudders*
Chuckie Cheese is the worst. Mostly because people don’t think they have to watch their children. You still have to keep an eye on the kiddos there and sometimes more so. I’ve encountered rude adults there also.
Oh my God, Esmom, I feel bad for laughing. How gross!
OMG Esmom. LOL.
Me neither and I’m a parent. My children hate Chuck E Cheese and fast food places because of the mess and screaming babies. Some parents think their children are well behaved when really they aren’t. Some parents think family friendly means the same as play time at the park. Even other children aren’t enjoying themselves. Mrs Timberlake can keep her place because I already know it will be full of precious fragile snowflake monsters and their enabling parents.
Because kids never encounter cutlery, hot food, glasses, or dishes at home.
Staff is also responsible for what happens to people in arestaurant. Try and put 50 children in a restaurant while their parents are trying to enjoy their food and maybe make a phone call or just be distracted for like 5 seconds. it would be madness and staffers would need to have a billion eyes to keep everything under control.
You have never had to work in a restaurant I guess.
I don’t understand this impression that parents, when presented with a plate of food, will focus exclusively on eating andutterly ignore their children, leaving them free to run amok through the restaurant, wielding shivs made out of glasses and knocking other children unconscious with boiling hot plates.
From what I can gather from the photos of Biel’s place, there’s a designated play area which is supervised by ‘au pairs’ and then the dining area, where the parents naturally supervise children as they eat together. It’s not some pit you hurl children into and abandon to fight for their lives, Hunger Games style, whilst waiters look on helplessly. Places like McDonalds have long since done the adjoining play area; this is just a more upmarket version.
@Rachel – so are the Au Pairs supposed to discipline kids? Because any time you get kids into a scenario where they may possibly argue over toys/turns/things, most of the parents’ job is to make sure your kid is well behaved. How much would the babysitters (because really, tthat’s what they are in this instance) do? And how will parents react to a stranger intervening when their child behaves badly?
There are places like that around here already, and inevitably they’re gross (because kids are hard on stuff) the food is expensive (the insurance on these places is crazy) and I couldn’t imagine going in a scenario that encourages the caregivers to relax and not watch their kids that carefully
We had cafe up the hill called Twirl. It was too long and narrow so always hard to navigate. And the play area wasn’t supervised. I never really liked going there.
Playdate Seattle works a bit better: not as hard to navigate; staff monitor the area and bring the child to its parents if they get out of hand. Also my son is older now, so everything is a little easier.
This! I actually wanted to comment this exact thing before I became distracted by the other comments. I think a restaurant of this nature is only capable of catering to one age group – toddlers. And really, parents already split their time during a meal – with one chasing a toddler around outside, while the other eats. I’m not really sure who this benefits. But hey, it’s for the rich.
@ LAK
I just can’t with your comment. Life doesn’t stop when you have kids. I don’t see what the big deal is. At all. Of course I wouldn’t bring my kid to a fancy restaurant, but casual dining? Sure, why the heck not?
Where did I say that life ends when you have kids? That’s reading WAY TOO MUCH into my comment.
LAK, perhaps you need to clarify what you mean by “restaurants”? Because it sounds like you believe parents shouldn’t bring children to any establishment besides fast food. Is that really what you meant? If so, the fierce response seems warranted. That kind of attitude is naive at best and prejudice at worst. We can’t keep an entire subset of our population from eating out. Can you even imagine what that would do to the economy? Moreover, eating out is a long-time tradition for families to spend time together. I imagine your parents took you out on occasion, did they not?
Now, if you meant high-end, hoity-toity, restaurants, then you have a point that most agree with. But obviously circumstances and children may vary, so children may show up at an elite restaurant sometimes. And sometimes they may behave inappropriately, just like a drunk diner or loud dinner party. But it seems to me like many here are conflating inappropriate behavior with childish behavior, and I do think there’s a difference. An unruly child is different than a wiggly child. A screaming baby is different than a babbling baby. If the latter sights and sounds destroy your dining experience than you may just dislike children, but that’s your problem to deal with. Part of being human is being around different ages of people, including children. And the way children become good adults is through experience and practice.
First of all: nobody is saying that you should never bring your kid to any restaurant ever. Family-style restaurants exist for a reason.
That being said, I don’t understand how ANYONE can argue that it’s not selfish as hell to bring an infant or a toddler to a fancy adult restaurant. I mean, it’s not like the kid is going to enjoy or remember the meal. It’s really just the parents wanting what they want, without considering how it affects others.
Sure, life doesn’t stop when you have a kid but sacrifices have to be made.
This isn’t directed specifically towards you, LifeAquatic (love your name and the movie BTW) but just a general statement: nobody made you have a kid, but you did, and along with the normal parental responsibilities you might have to accept that you can’t do every frickin thing that a childfree adult can.
Nobody made you go out to eat, but you did.
Let these kids experience their world- even the fancy parts. It’s one meal out of thousands you’ll eat in your lifetime, and likely out of three you’ll eat today- something much of the world does not experience. Let’s all have some perspective here.
@Kitten: so much THIS!
@Babyjane +1000
@BabyJane-One meal out of thousands? I don’t know how much money you have but a fancy restaurant is a rare treat for me.
Saying “nobody made you go out to eat” doesn’t eradicate the fact that as an adult and a parent, you are responsible for those kids. In other words, I’m an adult consumer, paying a LOT of money for a certain kind of experience in an upscale restaurant. You may be an adult who wishes to experience the same, but your kids are NOT. Babies and toddlers don’t have the ability to drive to a restaurant on their own and pay by credit card. They are there because of YOUR decision as a parent. Do you see the difference? The kids aren’t at fault here–they’re just being kids. Parents should know better.
@Kitten: and parents pay good money to take themselves and their kids out to eat. You can deposit it in the bank and everything. Now do you see the similarity?
I’m not at all saying that parents shouldn’t exercise discretion and discipline, but do you really need to be so condescending? Do you think that we think toddlers drive cars and have credit cards? Is that the litmus test for experiencing things?
Again, this conversation is helped by more specifics. I think most people on this board agree that parents should be attentive and considerate of other patrons and that their children aren’t perfect snowflakes to be adored and embraced by all, regardless of whatever mayhem the little beasts are engaged in. But all this rhetoric about what entitles one to merely be *present* in a restaurant? Um, no thanks.
I wonder why so many celebrities open restaurants. Don’t they have such a low profit margin?
Good question. I’d always heard opening and running restaurants was more of a “labor of love” than deep pocket profit maker.
I am actually kind of excited for this, because now that I have a baby, I do feel the anxiety around ruining other diners’ meals, and also stress about the logistics of eating out with my tiny overlord. Do I keep him in the car seat? If so, does he sit on the floor? He’s still too small for a booster seat. He grabs for everything he sees, which makes tablecloths a problem. And is there a place to change him?
Having said that…the restaurant doesn’t look like some kind of innovation in child-friendly dining except for acknowledging that it’s ok to be loud, slow, and messy. Which is still a relief.
http://la.eater.com/2016/3/2/11148956/au-fudge-jessica-biel-opening-photos
Some restaurants have a special chair that the car seat fits in so that you don’t have to put them on the floor. Also, I have found that most of the high chairs they have for the toddlers also hold car seats.
SWAK I love you for sharing that 💋 That’s great to know, thank you!
Neat trick I learned was that you can often flip the high chair (if it’s a wooden one) upside down and sit the car seat in the wider part of the legs. We did this numerous times at Olive Garden, for example. Now my little overlord (love the term!) is a toddler and we are no longer really eating out because he can’t be reasoned with right now.
It looks as though the restaurant has basically incorporated the idea of reasonable childcare with real food the adults will enjoy. This way they can bring the kids but not go beyond a particular child’s ability to sit still in a chair for a given amount of time. Toddlers need to move but they need a safe place to do it in, and the supervised play area seems to provide for that.
Terrible name.
Au Fudge sounds like a candy store. It’s a terrible name for a restaurant.
It is very odd for a restaurant. I’m surprised she didn’t go for some name that has to do with natural or organic.
I saw photos of the place this morning, it looks very nice.
To me “AuFudge” is a euphemism for swearing, it’s what mommies say in front of their kids when they have the urge to say something else. Which makes it an especially weird name for a kid-friendly restaurant, though!
Lmao I think of poop. I’m THAT Girl. Lol
Susan, you’re not alone! Poop was also the first thing that came to mind for me…
Our family of three went out to eat Super Tuesday night to a local hole in the wall diner-doesn’t look pretty but has great food and service-the waitress sent us to a booth and immediately I got a little nervous-the booth was right next to a booth with three adults and a child about six years old in it and they were talking very loudly-turns out it wasn’t a good experience for me-I was closest to them and they talked loudly enough to be heard across the restaurant and their child kept moving and climbing on the booth seat hitting me three times-once in the back of the head and twice on my shoulder-the kid said “Sorry” once to me. Then they had more family show up and take the booth across the aisle and it just got louder and even more obnoxious-other diners were staring at them including my son and the children in the booth across from us (and you know that is really telling you how bad it was!) As I paid my bill I told the manager what I put up with and got 10% off my total-I honestly wanted to tell the parents off but didn’t want an ugly confrontation-Lord help me if I ever act that way in public
This “no kids in restaurants!” nonsense is new. I’m glad it wasn’t around when I and my friends were kids. I mean jeez, of course you don’t take a newborn to a bar, but people seem to be under the impression that children are some kind of rabid creatures who cannot be controlled. Rather than human beings who NEED public socialization to grow, and who deserve a meal out sometimes as much as adults do.
I wonder if all the many, many rude adults in restaurants are people who, as kids, were never taken out by their parents, and so never learned how to behave in public.
Lol thanks you! I’ve had far more worse experiences with ride adults in restaurants then children.
Exactly! Unless your family is privileged enough to have hired help at home, like a cleaner, taking your child out to eat is a good way of teaching them to be polite and courteous to those providing a service to them, like waiters, as well as being considerate of their behaviour with regard to others (e.g. not shouting, not running in the aisles, etc.).
Haha – I’ve taken my newborn to bars and got dirty looks from other patrons & staff. It’s interesting that even people who say it’s okay to take kids out to restaurants, many draw the line at nice restaurants and bars.
I wonder if my job was different, and it didn’t require me to be at bars, clubs, and nice restaurants, I’d feel differently? When my son was an infant, I’d strap him in my Ergo carrier, put noise-canceling earmuffs on him and go to my work events at night. I learned to nurse him in the carrier and change his diaper in my lap and later standing him up.
Ha! I imagine u as a globetrotter rock star mama, Mean Hannah. I took my baby to our local McMenamins because he always liked looking at people anyway, and it was loud enough, if he cried, it just blended in with the noise. Also our neighborhood Mecca, which is kind of the neighborhood’s ancient living room away from home, with beer and food.
Sorry, but BRINGING children to expensive restaurants is new, not the opposite. It happened with my entitled baby boomer generation. My parents would never have been so inconsiderate.
It depends where you draw the line with ‘expensive restaurants’. Here in the UK I have no problem seeing children of all ages at somewhere like Bill’s, which is a reasonably inexpensive but nice kind of brasserie, but I’d hope parents would wait until their children were at least eleven or twelve before taking them somewhere like le Gavroche.
I think part of the problem of this debate is where people draw the line of ‘restaurant’; although, that being said, I would have no problem with older children and teenagers going to fancy, Michelin-starred restaurants.
So true, GNAT! Years ago, parents used to actually hire babysitters when going to a nice restaurant. Seems like they enjoyed a night out alone with fine dining. Sorry to all the parents, but when I go into a nice (fine dining) restaurant and they try to seat me near a family with kids, I ask to be seated elsewhere. I have had too many evenings ruined by screaming toddlers and boisterous kids.
“I wonder if all the many, many rude adults in restaurants are people who, as kids, were never taken out by their parents, and so never learned how to behave in public.” THIS.
Of course you don’t take a baby to a star restaurant (but really when do we ever go to star restaurants????). But as a foodie I wouldn’t go to the “family friendly” restaurants mentioned above.
We have taken our child to restaurants from day 1. She is 5 and is super well behaved. In Europe we never get compliments, because kids are used to restaurants and restaurants are used to kids. But in the US, we get lots of compliments,
LAK mentioned above that it’s not geared to kid’s tastes. That’s how you create fussy eaters. Read “French kids eat everything”, if you educate them on good food, they will recognize it. Not saying my kid doesn’t love fries, but she’ll also gladly eat any veggie in front of her.
Not always. We’ve introduced both of our children to a variety of foods at a young age, and guess what? They still have their own palates. Kid #2 has sensory issues and is extremely picky about food because of that. Children can control 2 things: what goes into them and what goes out of them. Some parents luck out and have kids that will eat anything, but it’s not like the rest of us don’t try.
Oh @magpie how I wish this was true! My daughter ate everything I put in front of her, and I assumed my son would do the same. But he is beyond picky. But then again they have wildly different temperaments. I’m hoping as he gets older that changes and he will like more foods
I would say never stop offering, even foods they “hate”. My daughter has been through fazes where she wouldn’t eat for example brussel sprouts; but we continued to make them anyway (because we love them) and now she loves them too. At 5 she really does eat everything now. But yes, it is true you can have 2 kids in the same family who won’t be the same.
We all know that even the most well-behaved kid can have a meltdown at any time. I’m just saying that kids can be really unpredictable so why take a chance?
Because you have the right to go out and have a life too? Sorry, but I’m not gonna be all “well let’s just never go out!”. Also we live in a city where we have tons of places we can walk to..sometimes it’s about just getting out on a rainy day. Plus she loves it. I always bring a coloring book and she gets to drink an Orangina.
+1 magpie. Why take a chance??? Going out to eat is a normal human activity that is not for adults only.
Sigh. I was referring to fancy restaurants only, guys. I wasn’t making a statement that parents should never take their kids out in public in case they have a tantrum.
I don’t have kids but I love kids.
…and I also love my Orangina, magpie lol
I like going to the theater. And sometimes those tickets can be expensive. And sometimes there are kids there who happen to talk or yes….have a meltdown. However, Im not complaining that my experience gets ruined. I find that the parents are pretty reasonable and will take their kids out to the lobby if they get too fussy.
Im not gonna lie, I am human and sometimes a little one going “im hungry” in the middle of a play can be distracting, but its not the end of the world. I can still enjoy myself. I wouldn’t want children to be barred from experiencing new things.
@kitten: Thanks for the clarification; love your posts in general…LAK too, sometimes we can agree to disagree. That said, I would never go to Au Fudge or something designed “for kids”. The food does not look good.
God bless the waitstaff at that restaurant.
HA too true!
I have so many thoughts on this, but overall I love this idea. I find it incredibly stressful to take my baby out. The sheer amount of crap I have to bring is enough to make me want to stay home, let alone the effort it takes once hes there to get him situated. To me, its just more effort than its worth and creates more stress. Once he gets older I will, because I want him to understand how to behave in restaurants, but were a ways out from that.
That said, the effort makes a HUGE difference to me. I appreciate that Biel isn’t playing “MY CHILD IS A PERFECT SNOWFLAKE AND KIDS CRY SO DEAL WITH IT” card because I just think thats rude and inconsiderate. Especially when my husband and I go to the expense to get a sitter for a very rare nice night out and there’s a 4 year old brat running around bumping into chairs or a baby screeching and the parents couldn’t care less. This is ALL on the parents, but its still annoying.
I don’t get it. Is she opening a play cafe? A really kid friendly restaurant? Because realistically, unless it’s the most incredible place ever, no adult is going to want to go there unless they have kids. And play cafe’s are tough; it’s hard to keep those places clean and the insurance is sky high.
You know what, it is very stressful taking your kids out to eat at certain ages. For me the most difficult age range is about 2-3 1/2 years. The baby years really weren’t bad. The reason it’s stressful is because you *DO* care how your child acts. And you have to be ready to pack it all up at a moment’s notice because your toddler is having a tantrum. You can be an engaged parent who disciplines your child and, guess what, this will not prevent the child from having a public meltdown occasionally. Again, because you are very aware of everyone else it’s stressful. I would never take my little kids to a fancy restaurant but occasionally we do go to Applebee’s or the local Mexican Restaurant. (Mexican Restaurants usually get the food out fast, big plus.) So on these occasions we brave it to a fast casual restaurant we do our best and will take a child outside to calm down in a heartbeat. But it’s not fair to expect parents to only go to Chick Fil A and McD’s for 5 years.
Daddy’s driving-can’t Mama get a Texas Margarita on a Saturday??
Agreed! Plus, that toddler needs to learn how to act in a restaurant and the only way that happens is by going out. I’m all for removing my screaming toddler when necessary (and it has happened), but at some point he’ll need to learn the behaviors that are expected of him. I think people forget that it’s no picnic for the parent either when their kid has a meltdown, I tend to feel awful for the other patrons and humiliated, even when I remove him from the restaurant.
My personal experience: children under 3 in a restaurant: nightmare and misery. Our children are pretty average ones and they did not have overly long endurance at that age. Quarter of an hour or (when lucky) 30 min. Then they couldn’t be kept at the table. They did not use the cuttlery properly and we simply could not “socialize” or digest because of stress.
However after 4 years insistence on table manners we are finaly able to go for 1,5-2 hours and be as unobtrusive as the next couple (or nearly so).
I think that children should be introduced to social places like restaurants, cinemas, museums to help them develop their social skills (especially what “consideration” means) and generally find their place within a comunity.
I personally dislike children (and their parents) who mistake a restaurant for a playground or expect that anybody else starts cooing and talking to their children and generally act as a nanny.
Random anecdote of the day: I went to a restaurant with a friend and her 2(?)yr old once. He was mostly very well-behaved, but when the waiter brought us the bill, he snatched it away, ran half-way across the room and handed it to two elderly men. Everybody laughed. Kids can be great entertainment!
LOL!! That’s pretty cute!
And another random fact: It’s Jessica’s birthday today.
If you don’t take kids to a restaurant, how do you expect them to learn to behave in a restaurant? My kids have been going out to dinner with us since before they could eat the dinner that was served. One fit out of a combined 12 years of dining out, I don’t think I need to be embarrassed about their behavior. I also won’t apologize for teaching my kids how to behave in public, by taking them out in public.
ps – the one fit was over a play land being closed due to some other kid having an issue, so totally not my ADHD, SPD, always unpredictable kid, and yes, I still take him out and always will.
She looks pregnant again to me in that dress. Timberbiel 2.0?
” I’m still kind of learning how I do it in a very smooth and like elegant way…”
What an a$$hole.
Kids in restaurants don’t bother me nor do kids on planes. I don’t care if they make a mess in public. I do care when people bring their kids to my house and make a mess. Excuse me, but just because you are at my house doesn’t mean it’s my job to watch your kids. They are YOUR kids so you need to make sure they don’t put their dirty hands all over my freshly painted walls and new rug!
+1000
We have a fairly nice local restaurant that has a kids section with playground/toys/kids menus, and a kid-free quiet section if adults prefer that. It’s fairly popular, they seem to have a nice balance and manage both sections well. It reminds me of the old days when you had smoking and non-smoking sections.
I’m not ever worried about the kids. It’s the annoying as hell adults that I encounter every time I go out that bother me!! Can I eat or shop somewhere without insanely annoying, rude adults all around me?? I’ll pay double!! LOL I have never had issues with a baby or child out really, it’s the adults that make me want to stab my eye with a fork. Children are children, adults are my issue.
Me too. My issues… and they are myriad and truly my own… are loud talkers, loud laughers, whistlers, amateur drunks, boring people, know it alls, entitled assh@les, personalities-by-retailer…
Not saying unruly kids don’t annoy me, but at least they might grow out of it.
“Can I eat or shop somewhere without insanely annoying, rude adults all around me??”
It is called amazon.com, lol.
I was in the mall a few months back and went – Ah, this is why I haven’t been to the mall in 3 years. ))
Yup. Amazon Prime 4 Life, baby. I soooo do NOT miss malls or stores.
Amazon Prime is THE best!
A little stunned that someone says Restaurants Are Not For Kids. hmmm….
What about Airplanes? Kids don’t belong on airplanes, they are dangerous and the kids are always a bother. What about the swimming pool? Kids can be very annoying at the public pool.
Kids are annoying EVERYWHERE!! So are adults at times. To say children don’t belong in restaurants to me is like saying books don’t belong at the library.
My daughter LOVED going out to eat when she was little. And she was very well behaved. If not, we would take her out.
This argument really annoys me because it is demeaning a whole group of kids who do well just because of the one’s who go bananas. Since this or that person jumped off this bridge then NO ONE can go on the bridge.
Kids are people too you know.
^^^ This * 1quizillion
Exactly. What other sectors of modern life are kids deemed unfit for? My kid goes to restaurants on the regular and has been fine. The idea that parents must get a sitter or forego ever entering the sacred precincts of a restaurant (many of which are quite kid-friendly and value families as customers) is absurd.
Oh and good point—maybe kids don’t belong in libraries, right???
I think it comes down to knowing your child and his/her limitations, being considerate of others (not assuming they will love your child as much as you do), planning accordingly, and having an exit strategy. There are strong predictors of when a child is likely to be overtired/over-hungry/stressed out and most reasonable parents can agree that hot food prepared and served to you by someone else is not worth the wrath that your gremlin spawn is prepared to unleash if they don’t get home to bed/peanutbuttersandwich/cartoon pig. Then there are days that the stars align- the kid is an angel, I am feeling like I want a hipster scramble and overpriced mimosa- and we do brunch. It is awesome. I think it is fair to try to include your child in the things you enjoyed before you had children as long as you are willing to bow out if it looks like it isn’t going to work out. Also, tip your servers well because it is an extra butt in the seat that isn’t ordering drinks.
Am I losing my mind or did there used to be a mall store in the 80’s called Au Fudge (or something similar?) that sold fudge, that made it in front of you and stuff for entertainment? I remember there was one in the fancy mall where I grew up in Va. It was definitely Fudge something, really confused now! This is back in the day where every mall had a “Everything’s Purple” too! 😉
Maybe. In the Simpsons Tapped Out game, there’s a chocolate factory with a living cocoa bean mascot that’s called “Ah, Fudge!” and I imagine it’s from the show. Since the show’s been on forever, maybe the factory name was based on what you are remembering.
The world is a made up of people from all walks of life and ages. Even though children cannot defend themselves, they have just as many rights as adults. They have the right to breastfeed in public, eat at restaurants, travel (yes, by plane and not buggy) and become accustomed to all the things they will have to maneuver as they age.
We live in NY and our 2 year old is not only very well traveled, but he has eaten out with us countless times. He sleeps throughout the entire flight ( even if it is 14hrs plus w/ a Lay over) and asks to go eat inside the restaurant when we pick up takeout. Not only is he used to interacting with people who look and speak differently than he does, he is accustomed to a wide range of foods. In his mind traveling and eating out are normal things to enjoy and that is because we have made it a point to expose him to all of it.
Most people are not trying to raise basement babies. They want to raise well rounded children who can one day look at the world without prejudice and in an inclusive manner.
It seems like a first world mentality to me for people to think that others are less important because they are young, old, fat, or not right skin tone, or just bothersome to you.
People need to stop thinking their comfort is more important than anyone else’s. Everyone should be respectful and be ok with the fact that somebody else’s situation is not your own and that is ok. Don’t let your child think the restaurant is a playground, and don’t let your significant other and/or your friends get loud and rude and rude(cuz honestly adults can be bothersome and downright nasty even if they never seem to think so).
Perfect summation DDBEE.
Loud applause for DDbee
@DDBEE very well said. Just be a responsible parent and the rest will work out. Very well stated.
Biel doesn’t just have resting b*tch face. She has smiling b*tch face too.
I’m very entertained by her pretentious claim that they don’t use “chemicals” at her restaurant. How do they clean the place? Even if they use things like vinegar and water…guess what! Both are chemicals! Soaps are chemicals. Foods have chemicals in them. Good grief, her ignorance is astounding. But no doubt the sanctimommies will love it.
We’re a military family. By age 10, whether I liked it or not, my kid had been on countless international flights, lived on four continents, and gone to school in three countries.
She is a citizen. She is a human being.
Choosing not to have children is totally valid, and I applaud and support whatever parenting status decisions people make.
But my kid has just as much right to be here, breathe oxygen, and participate in society as anyone else. We are involved parents, and she is a very tough-headed, strong-willed child. There have been times that I wanted to just pass out and die from humiliation, and there have been times she made us proud…but all of those times were normal. We parented and disciplined every single public outburst, but you can’t always make a three year-old comply.
I have a great deal of disdain for parents who don’t get up and leave when their child is clearly not going to be cooperative on a level that will destroy an experience for all of those around them. I took my kid to movies. If she started making noise and wouldn’t stop, we left. We had a “third strike, we’re out” rule. Three disruptive noises; we get up and leave.
In restaurants, it was the same thing. To-go boxes were ordered and I would remove our child while my husband paid on the third disruptive noise.
But what really gets me is people who say things like “keep your kids at home.” Screw you. If you don’t like mixing in a natural society of human beings, which includes young people and babies…YOU stay home.
Sometimes, my husband is on another continent for a while. When that happens, I still have to go buy toilet paper and food. I’m not going to cloister myself, my child, or spend money I don’t have on babysitters so that nobody gets his/her precious sensibilities messed with should my daughter make a sound they don’t like.
So. Tone down the absolute statements…or just stay home. It’s called life, and we all have to cope the best we can.
Late to the thread but my children and steps have been eating in restaurants their whole lives because my ex traveled a lot and we usually came along or because we traveled often for pleasure. My ex had a lot of family in the restaurant business and both sets of grandparents are super foodies as are we so we frequently eat in high end restaurants with all kinds of foods from Vietnamese to French Laundry. We have never had an issue but when they were toddlers we always went for the first seating and interacted with them the whole time. My children love good food and love dining out and sometimes late because time differences made it necessary.
However, I totally see some posters points about wanting to enjoy a meal in an environment free of unruly children and parents who think the entire restaurant should empathize with them. It’s not fair to expect the other paying customers to empathize: they didn’t go out for the evening to be bothered.
We always order for the children first and we have never had a problem finding things they like or been offered an alternative. I would never take a tired or restless child out and instead usually order take out so that they are not stressed and no one else is either.
There are strategies for SOME children that work but if my children had been unable to behave I would never have taken them out to fine dining restaurants.
If a person goes to a family style pizza place or child friendly restaurant then don’t complain. These places are set up for families and are equipped to deal with all that comes with it usually and it gives families a place to eat and have fun. I personally dont enjoy them but I’m well aware of what I’m getting into if for some reason I end up in one.
Parents who split a bottle of wine while little Johnny terrorizes the entire environment make it harder for families whose children enjoy dining out and know how to behave.
I get that she wanted to build a business because the acting career is petering out, but this isn’t for real parents who live real lives – and are there enough of the rich trendy Hollywood types to keep this place in business? I’m betting it’ll be closed in a year.
It depends on what you classify as an expensive restaurant – there are many who brand themselves like that but are in reality overpriced bistro’s. On the rare occasion i go out for an expensive dining experience I make sure that they have a child age limit policy, as in no children under 16, and a dress code (smart). I live in London so luckily there are many out there that have a policy like this. Many also have a policy of allowing children in during the daytime but after 7 its then 16+.