[quote=CA renter][quote=FlyerInHi]We went to the old spaghetti factory last night (bad food, never go there, but cheap and family oriented). Some kids running around In the restaurant were playing peek a boo with the guys. The mom didn’t mind but the dad clearly didn’t like it.[/quote]

I’m all for kids having freedoms, but they should have to earn their freedom by showing a sense of responsibility. Knowing how to behave in various venues is a big part of that. Personally, I hate it when kids run around screaming in restaurants. We started bringing our kids to restaurants when they were a few weeks old and taught them from day one how to behave. Not saying they are always perfect, but we’ve always gotten compliments from other patrons and servers/managers regarding their behavior, even at a very young age. We’ve never had any complaints or even gotten the evil stare from others, and we have two kids who had a difficult time with sitting still/managing different environments. If they acted up, we took them outside immediately. It was tough for awhile, but worked out well in the end.

It is NEVER acceptable to let one’s kid ruin another person’s night out. It might be that person’s only chance to get out in a month or so. It might be a very special occasion for them. Not okay to ruin that under any circumstances. We’ve been out with other families who never discipline their kids or teach them to be considerate of others. Not fun. This is a huge pet peeve of ours.[/quote]

So glad to hear that, CAr, because the way many parents today allow their kids to behave in public today astounds us.

Like you, we taught our kids to be respectful of others–wherever we went–including restaurants. My Dad used to say it wasn’t proper to “impose” on others–regardless of the circumstances–and, although he was probably overly strict with us, we all had genuine manners and concern for others, as our kids do.

I think, perhaps, the lack of manners today in people of all ages, stems from the way people were brought up, along with a false sense of entitlement that it’s OK to do whatever you want to do, regardless of how it effects others. IMO, if you don’t have respect for others–you really don’t have much respect for yourself–and that’s a sad way to live.