http://www.komonews.com/news/national/Restaurant-hands-out-rule-cards-for-kids-341989531.html
your kids need to behave!
I have no issues with this. If your children are well behaved, they are already complying with the “rules”. If you don’t like it, there are many other restaurants where you can spend your dining dollars.
doschicos AMEN!
I completely agree.
I don’t understand how parents let their kids run wild and then, when they are called on it, the parents try to sue. Their kids can do no wrong!
As a parent, we are supposed to parent!
That means not being their child’s best friend!
That means learning to say no and not caving in.
That means setting up boundaries and sticking to them!
You go to a restaurant, and watch your own damn children; the wait staff are not personal babysitters. Their job is to serve hot food and heavy platters to their customers. The job does not involve dodging unruly belligerent children, while trying to put food on the table.
I’ve been enlightened on this issue by spending time with my grand nephews, ages 2 and 4. Their mother allows them to walk around the house while they are eating. This results in food being dropped all over the first floor rooms, and then she complains about having to vacuum frequently. When I babysit I want them to sit at the table to eat, but of course then I am the bad guy. But it does give me some insight into why kids can not sit in a chair for any given length of time at a restaurant.
Great idea. Staying seated and not damaging property is not too much to ask. I also like the “tantrum” wording. It’s so hard to enjoy a meal when children are crying or screaming.
As someone without kids, I’d go to a restaurant like this in a heartbeat.
I feel bad for waiters and waitresses when there are kids flying everywhere. They’re not babysitters and they don’t really know where their boundaries are.
My sister work at a large family restaurant and one of her fears is that she is going to one day spill something hot on a kid that is running around.
I used to nanny for 5 kids and I’d take them out to eat sometimes. They behaved. They knew if they didn’t all behave that we would leave immediately. I followed through on my threats and they were angels after the first few times. Their parents couldn’t figure out why they behaved with me and not them (hint: it’s because the parents were always on their phones and not paying a lick of attention.) These were generally well-behaved kids though so I had a good starting place.
At the end of the list of rules I would put free ice cream if you follow the rules. (I don’t know if that would work,)
We used to go to a diner near our house when the kids were very young. One of the things they would do was bring fries to the table right away to keep the kids happy. (Now I’m not sure I’m so happy about the healthiness of fries, but it really was very helpful.) Our kids were pretty good in restaurants and if they fussed one of us would whisk them out and take them for a walk outside until they were ready to behave. I do remember once walking into a restaurant and our two year old stopped at every table on the way to our table and pointed at the candle, and exclaimed, “Hot!” Luckily everyone seemed to think he was as adorable as we thought he was.
Mathmom–those FF for kids were a great idea. We used to bring our own treats to tide the kids over and something to amuse them (coloring or whatever). I can’t imagine that a parent would even WANT to go out to eat with unruly kids.
Here’s a trick I wish I’d known when my kds were young (although they really didn’t need this trick to be good…it just sounded fun). Each child gets a small stack of coins ( or m& ms or whatever “currency” works for that particular child), and if there is a rules transgression, one coin or treat is removed. At the end of the meal, the child keeps what is left in front of them. One variation, for competitive kids…coins confiscated are given to the others at the table who ARE being good. I’m not sure I like that rule though… Promoting competition between sibs can so easily backfire.
@gouf78: " I can’t imagine that a parent would even WANT to go out to eat with unruly kids."
Are you kidding? It’s the only way they get a break. Don’t you know that after a while, though we can hear the screaming and whirring and ticking and shenanigans going on, that parents learn to treat it as ambience?
Sometimes it’s unavoidable. I never figured out a way to avoid eating in a restaurant with kids during the 7-hour drives to visit their grandfather. Bringing food and eating it in the car would have created an appalling mess.
Our kids were always too busy prepping for the SAT at that age to bother anyone. 
And then there were parents with a 2 and 4 year sitting next to us for early dinners at an upscale, but casual place. They immediately reassured us that they were leaving soon and apologized in advance of any commotion at their table. The kids were fine; we were empathetic and encouraging. Those kids will soon be reliable restaurant goers. Their parents get it and kids learn by doing.
I know many in food services; stuns me when parents ignore not only courtesy, but safety. Tripping over a toddler with hot food should not be a risk.
Some number of years ago, a mom that was eating on the outside patio, kept putting her screaming kid in time out inside the restaurant. She was unwilling to recognize how disturbing it was to the rest of us until my son, roughly age 12, went and asked her why he had to listen to her kid. Mom turned beet red and left. Priceless.
We were in Quebec with our kids and my brother’s kids, ranging from single digits into low teens. Nice restaurant. They couldn’t put together a big table so the adults sat together and the 5 kids sat together, not ever near us. About an hour later, a man came over and said he so loved our kids’ and their behavior that he wanted to give us gift certificates for his restaurants (in other places in Quebec).
My take? It’s a lot like going to the movies these days: people are used to sitting in front of big screen tv’s making a ton of noise, getting up, talking to each other, chomping on loud stuff (because you can turn up the volume on a TV), so they act that way in theatres. At home, huge numbers of people sit with the TV on - and phones on - and, from my experience, eating directly in front of the TV (because the dining room is for guests and the table in the kitchen is next to a TV). The alternative is pretty darned easy if you actually try it: turn off the TV and talk to each other. It shouldn’t be a daily inquisition about “what did you do in school today?” but if you can’t talk to your kids …
My kids started going to “good” restaurants when they were 8 and 4. The four-year old was already a bit of a foodie, and always pleased to be there. At times, a look of concern passed over the face of the host/hostess/waits staff when we entered. But as soon as they realized the kids were not just well-behaved, but actually intrigued with the experience and the food, they relaxed and were full of praise for them, and for DH and me for teaching them about the art and privilege that is fine dining.
I applaud serious restaurants limiting their tiny patrons to only the kids who can fit in.
My kids were well formed foodies by the time they were 4 or 5. They knew how to sit through a meal and be well behaved because we always had family dinners at home. Family dinners with extended family could be quite lengthy. We always fed them what we were having so they never wanted the typical chicken finger type kids meals either - although it sure would have been cheaper on our budget.
IMO, a lot of it has to do with teaching your kids the benefits of delayed gratification. If you can teach them that early, it has SO many benefits in life.
Like others have mentioned, we also actively engaged with our kids when dining, treating our kids like people with opinions. Great times and great conversations.