Morrisons Cafe...unruly kids and shopping trolleys!

Tiddlywinks

Quenastoise wrote: »

So if it's lunch time, all are hungry, would you sit miserably on a park bench whilst little one runs around on the play equipment ?

As the parent - yep, that's the job... you know, to care for the kids - rather that than take them in a hyperactive state to annoy others.

Quenastoise wrote: »

Personally, I would take him to the cafe, try to get him to behave/distract him/occupy him, get food in all of us ASAP and get on with the rest of our day

Oh, how everyone else will thank you for sharing the experience.

no1catman

Of the nine supermarket cafes within about six miles diance from me (two Morrison, three Asda, three Tesco, and one Sainbury), Morrisons come top by every criteria.
Menu choice, quantity, quality, pricing, view & comfort.

Of Asda - only one is any good - a new store.
Tesco - staff try hard, but menu choice and pricing let them down.

Quenastoise

T, whilst I will do my utmost best to ensure that my child behave (for one thing because his behaviour fairly or unfairly will reflect on my parenting skills) and I don't see what would give our family licence to interfere with other customers' enjoyment of their meal, I only mean to point out that a degree of practicality is required in those matters.

You may have noticed that children don't usually come from the shop supplied with an on/off button. Blatant bad behaviour would in my book result in the child being removed from the environment and in no way I would I condone the behaviour described by the OP.

In return, I would expect the childless to have some tolerance of children in public places, especially when the establishment in question is not a particularly exclusive one or promotes itself as a family restaurant (Morrisons must obviously do so if they provide children's meals and activity books).

Jinx

Wouldnt it be nice if they did come with an 'off' button!

My tuppence worth is that if a child is at the table with its parent or whoever, thats fine.... Its that ones that get to run riot while Im carrying hot drinks etc (and Im a RUBBISH waitress) that I get annoyed at the parents. And my impression is that its those parents who will blame me if I burn their 'angelic' child.

Tiddlywinks

Quenastoise wrote: »

In return, I would expect the childless to have some tolerance of children in public places, especially when the establishment in question is not a particularly exclusive one or promotes itself as a family restaurant (Morrisons must obviously do so if they provide children's meals and activity books).

They may not have an on/off button but they do have a volume control - it's called parental guidance - tell 'em to pipe down and train them well.

I agree with Jinx - in restaurants children should remain seated unless on their way to / from the loo or counter and not be allowed to run or roam around. For health and safety reasons and for the basic sake of every other customer that just wants to eat without having kids running around.

Why do you think it is just 'the childless' that object to unruly behaviour? It's a bit offensive to those that may not have kids by fate rather than choice and also to those of us that can and do produce but just value good manners!

Jinx

Im not childless and I definitely object! lol My daughter was kept strictly under control - I never shouted in public, I quietly threatened LOL Shes now a very personable 19 year old

Unintentional

Quenastoise wrote: »

In return, I would expect the childless to have some tolerance of children in public places, especially when the establishment in question is not a particularly exclusive one or promotes itself as a family restaurant (Morrisons must obviously do so if they provide children's meals and activity books).

If the parent is trying to get the child under control. I have tolerance, but if the parent is just letting em run about whilst watching from a distance or just says 'Don't do that' then does nothing about it when they continue to do it I get angry.

Quenastoise

I think we all agree here that some behaviours are unacceptable and if so parental intervention is necessary, for the children themselves, out of curtesy for fellow customers and for practical reasons like health and safety. Unless I am not reading properly, nobody is advocating here letting the children run wild in public places.

I do think that sometimes - if you are not a parent yourself in particular - it's difficult to put yourself in another person's shoes. You may well be annoyed by the colicky baby, the tantrumming toddler and the lively preschooler, but don't assume that the parents are not trying to calm the children down and that the parents themselves are not mortified by the behaviour in question.

Azari

Quenastoise wrote: »

I think we all agree here that some behaviours are unacceptable and if so parental intervention is necessary, for the children themselves, out of curtesy for fellow customers and for practical reasons like health and safety. Unless I am not reading properly, nobody is advocating here letting the children run wild in public places.

I do think that sometimes - if you are not a parent yourself in particular - it's difficult to put yourself in another person's shoes. You may well be annoyed by the colicky baby, the tantrumming toddler and the lively preschooler, but don't assume that the parents are not trying to calm the children down and that the parents themselves are not mortified by the behaviour in question.

Quite.

I don't have children but I do not expect every parent to shut themselves away for years just because there is a chance that one of their brood may misbehave from time to time.

I think most people - all reasonable people - feel the same way.

What really annoys people is the parents who ignore their misbehaving children and just assume that everyone else should have to put up with unlimited amounts of noise and nuisance. There are certainly some people - a minority, to be sure - who assume having a child is a 'get out of jail free' card that exempts them from the normal rules of civilised behaviour.

Tiddlywinks

Azari wrote: »

What really annoys people is the parents who ignore their misbehaving children and just assume that everyone else should have to put up with unlimited amounts of noise and nuisance. There are certainly some people - a minority, to be sure - who assume having a child is a 'get out of jail free' card that exempts them from the normal rules of civilised behaviour.

Indeed, I was in Starbucks a couple of days ago for a quiet catch up with a friend - that is until 3 mums and a shed load of kids turned up. Pushchairs parked in the aisle (no consideration), kids running around chasing each other and making a hell of a noise and the mums looked on with a dreamy smile on their faces as if their darlings were making them so proud.

I asked two of the children to stop running around in circles around my table because we couldn't hear ourselves think let along talk and the mother then approached me to ask what my problem was - she pointed out that her son was only 7! What the hell does that mean? I replied that at that age he was old enough to be taught to sit down and have a quiet drink with friends and that the playground was only 5 minutes walk down the road (as is McDonalds)! She called me a few choice names and walked off.

Now, I am from a european family and when we were kids we were taken into restaurants and cafes all the time - our culture embraces children in those environments BUT we were taught to respect other diners and keep quiet and sit whilst eating or drinking. It IS possible to control children - I have seen it with my own eyes .