How should restaurants handle misbehaving children?

Question

How should restaurants handle misbehaving children? What's your opinion?

Answer 1

It's not their job, it's the parent's job!!!!

Answer 2

make them wash dishes. ha ha ha just kidding :)

Answer 3

just live with it children are children sooner or later their gonna have to deal with children like themselves.....(what goes around comes around)

Answer 4

I think that the manager should politely but firmly tell the parents that their child is being too disruptive to dine there. I have seen parents completely ignore their children, while they run and scream around the restaurant unattended. What happens when a server with a tray of hot dishes trips over the kid and spills the contents of the tray on the child? Yeah, kids will be kids, but there's a time and a place. Get a babysitter and leave them home!

Answer 5

Duct tape them to their seats and cover their mouths.

Or ask them to leave unless they can behave

Answer 6

If their parents won't control them, kick the whole family out.  Other guests should not be made to suffer from their irresponsibility.

Answer 7

I'm a waitress in a family locally owned restaurant. What a question!!! We don't do anything until another table complains. IT IS THE PARENTS WHO DO NOT KNOW THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. If another table complains, then we will say something to the table such as "please take care of the children, other tables are complaining".

If we see children when we seat them, we give them crayons and a placemat with games on it. But a lot of times that is not enough.

People just do not know how to handle their children. When we took our kids out, they were well behaved. When my husband spoke, they knew to listen. And my husband never hit our kids, but they were fearful of him!!

My opinion is that if your kids are not well behaved to take to a restaurant, then hire a babysitter. Don't ruin it for the others. If they decide to misbehave in a restaurant, take them outside and sit with them in a car until they calm down.

For the ones who hate kids, then go to a formal restaurant and eat, or stay home.

Answer 8

ask the parents to control the children or they will have to leave . This is no playground. I hate rude people.

Answer 9

put them in a corner- the quite corner

Answer 10

A restaurant shouldn't tell the parents what to do unless the children are endangering themselves or bothering other patrons.  

Answer 11

If they annoy other customers  then talk to their parents as they should teach them how to behave if they refuse and they are annoying customers and destroying things then let them leave.

Answer 12

It's really up to the parents to keep the children in line.  If other patrons are complaining I guess it's up to the manager to ask the parents to control their children.  Otherwise there is nothing else they really can do, unfortunately.  

Answer 13

they shouldnt their parents should..

Answer 14

Well first. Tell them you have candy in your office. Then take them to the office. Then slap em a hard one. Then take out your handcuffs. but then say jk lol! that should shut em up.

Answer 15

personally, i think if  a child is misbehaving and causing a scene the manager or waitor/waitress should ask the parent or guardian of the child to settle them down. if they continue to act up and not settle down ask them to leave.

although,depends what age you cant help it when your kid acts up it sometimes cant be controlled,if its a family restraunt let them there if its a fancy classy expensive one then they shouldnt of brought there children. if the restraunt has such a problem with acting up children they should have a age limit.

Answer 16

it depends on how old or young the kids are.parents should bring something to distract the kids to keep them busy if they are not into the food that is in front of them.the waiter should ask the parents to calm down the kids,or if after 3 times your out of there,give them a doggy bag and proceed to eat in your car or take it home.

Answer 17

It depends on what the parents are doing about it.

NOTHING is more annoying than a kid being a prick and the parents doing nothing! In that case, I think they should mention something like "Why don't you do some parenting or something?"

But if they are trying to handle this situation, I think the restaurant should just let it be.  

Also, If the kid is really little, i figure there should be a tad more leniency than if the child was, say, 8.  

Answer 18

ask the parents to calm the child down

Answer 19

I think they should notify their parents or whoever there with and tell them to shut their kids up, and if not make them leave.

Answer 20

i dont think they can. i work at carl's jr. and one time there were these guests that had like 3 kids. they would not behave at all and once they left, they left this huge mess at their table. napkins all over the place, the salt was all over the table, ketchup was all over the table and there were french fries all over the floor. i had to clean it up, it sucked.

Answer 21

From a former servers point of view, annoying kids were the worst. However, it is not up to the server to discipline the kids, or tell the parents how to raise the children. It is not their place. The server can go to the manager on duty and get him or her involved if the kids are truly out of hand.

But, in the long run, it is really the parents responsibility. If they can't control them at home, they won't be able to control them in public either.

I personality think it's very rude of parents to take young kids out when there is a wait. Either go earlier so your kids don't get restless or find a sitter. Kids don't have patience to wait over an hour for a table and then eat and do more sitting.

Answer 22

I think that if the parents aren't doing their job of teaching/raising children that can behave in public that the restaurant should have the right to ask the parents to pay their bill, give them to go boxes and ask them to leave. I have two children of my own and I can assure everyone that I do my job raising my children, they know how to behave and how to treat others with respect. If not they have "mommy" to answer to.  

Answer 23

not let them in... i hate annoying little kids

Answer 24

how about the parents have to pay 20 extra to have their kid 2-10 removed to a room where there is tv ? only for one hour-but if the child is under 2 the family has to leave !

Answer 25

send them to the airforce. lmao just kidding. The restaurant shouldnt be responsible and the mother that didnt teach them manners is also a part of the misbehavior.

Answer 26

I know that this sounds odd but it worked with my son and it really worked we got up and just left the restaurant took him outside and talk to him about acting in public and that if he could not behave we would leave and eat at home  

Answer 27

My opinion is the parents should handle it.=)

Answer 28

I've worked in restaurants for years& This would be a job for the mgr. to handle,if the parents are not doing anything about it. But usually the parent's will get their stuff to go if it gets too bad,& they leave because they are really embarresed.