TOTALLY GEEKED!

There is a big difference in a 10 month old yelling and a toddler/child. I can see if he was screaming nonstop yes the parents should have taken him out to quiet down. A happy squeal is just a normal 10 month old. They were at a age appropriate restaurant, it was already loud and they were correcting him in the best way you can correct a baby. I bet the lady who said her child/grandchild never acted that way in a restaurant is either lying or has never gone out to dinner with them.

I don't believe in letting kids run around, jumping on chairs or booths, or yelling and spitting spit wads, but a child who is laughing, playful squealing and enjoying him/herself is cute.

Lindley wrote:

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There is a big difference in a 10 month old yelling and a toddler/child. I can see if he was screaming nonstop yes the parents should have taken him out to quiet down. A happy squeal is just a normal 10 month old. They were at a age appropriate restaurant, it was already loud and they were correcting him in the best way you can correct a baby. I bet the lady who said her child/grandchild never acted that way in a restaurant is either lying or has never gone out to dinner with them.

I don't believe in letting kids run around, jumping on chairs or booths, or yelling and spitting spit wads, but a child who is laughing, playful squealing and enjoying him/herself is cute.

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 But none of us were there, so we don't know how the child sounded.

The mom has plenty of time to introduce the child to "restaurant manners."

flan

I don't like those noisy places. I'll be honest, I can't hear anything but a roar. I like conversation with dinner.

But. A baby's happy squeal can pierce your ears even in such a noisy place. And if it is on going, then it gets annoying.

I gotta say, I like the idea of kid free dinning hours at some restaurants.

I don't think kids should never go out.

But there are times when I just don't want the disturbance.

I also hate hearing adults being obnoxiously loud.

I think I'm becoming a female version of the Gumpy Old Men.

lilyofcourse wrote:

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I don't like those noisy places. I'll be honest, I can't hear anything but a roar. I like conversation with dinner.

But. A baby's happy squeal can pierce your ears even in such a noisy place. And if it is on going, then it gets annoying.

I gotta say, I like the idea of kid free dinning hours at some restaurants.

I don't think kids should never go out.

But there are times when I just don't want the disturbance.

I also hate hearing adults being obnoxiously loud.

I think I'm becoming a female version of the Gumpy Old Men.

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Dude, you've been that for years. 

FNW wrote:

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I hate noisy restaurants. But apparently, there's a trend for that now. We went to a very nice steakhouse for our anniversary and it was so loud I couldn't hear DH across the table. Apparently restaurants are going for a "party" atmosphere, and design their restaurants to be noisy by removing carpet, etc. I hate it.

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 I hate noisy restaurants too.  I enjoy music but not the kind that is blaring  so loud that you have to scream to be heard.   

flan327 wrote:

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Nobody Just Nobody wrote:

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I love kids. I do. But DH and I rarely go out to dinner together. It's a special treat when we do. I hate it when our one night out is filled with screaming.

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 This.

And maybe those "mean old women" are on a fixed income & this was a big treat for them.

flan

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Oh brother!

I admit it - it WAS me and flan who left the note.

 

Hateful old bitties! 

I think babies should be banned, since they are the the issue.

Personally, I think old titties...er bitties should be banned.

just Czech wrote:

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Personally, I think old titties...er bitties should be banned.

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 Ban both! 

To me, screaming - as in the shrill little-kid-type screaming this child was apparently doing - is like an ice pick to the brain. I physically cringe every time I hear it. I might have just quietly asked the server if it would be possible to move further away from the screamer. Yes, I get that it's a loud restaurant, but their kind of loud is just a constant noise type of loud. Sudden, shrill screams are physically painful to me.

Were the other ladies rude? Yes. But the child's mother ventured into rude territory also when she called out their rudeness.

I don't blame the women for being a little put out by the screaming, but they could have handled it without being rude. Say something to the server and ask to be moved if it's a problem.

I have to wonder if the sourpusses in the OP would've delivered the same note to someone laughing too loudly for their tastes. Much as some would like it to be the case, babies are not robots. They do not have an 'off' switch that parents can flip when they scream. It takes time to quiet them down.

Frankly, those sourpusses are no better than people who shoot evil eyes to parents every time their kid makes a sound, especially when the parents are actively trying to do something to quiet the kid. I can totally understand not wanting to hear a kid cry nonstop. I don't like to hear DS cry nonstop and he's my kid. However, I will never understand people who expect a child to never make even the slightest sound. When DS was an infant, we went to a fast food place for dinner. DS was sound asleep in his car seat the entire time. This old witch sitting kitty corner from us kept looking over and glaring daggers at his car seat.

Also, something I would've never considered before becoming a parent ... That the parent may have asked for a box to take their food to go and the server is dragging butt on bringing it. DH and I had that happen. We told the server "We have to go. Our son is not behaving. Please bring boxes and the check." It took 10 minutes for her to bring the boxes and the check. It took another 5 minutes for her bring back our card. DH took him out while I waited but had I been there alone, the diners around me would've been subjected to a tantruming child for 15 minutes because one of the items I was waiting on was the bill.

Nobody Just Nobody wrote:

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Charles Katt wrote:

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To me, screaming - as in the shrill little-kid-type screaming this child was apparently doing - is like an ice pick to the brain. I physically cringe every time I hear it. I might have just quietly asked the server if it would be possible to move further away from the screamer. Yes, I get that it's a loud restaurant, but their kind of loud is just a constant noise type of loud. Sudden, shrill screams are physically painful to me.

Were the other ladies rude? Yes. But the child's mother ventured into rude territory also when she called out their rudeness.

I don't blame the women for being a little put out by the screaming, but they could have handled it without being rude. Say something to the server and ask to be moved if it's a problem.

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 This part.  But really the whole response is good.

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 Yes, this is NOT "happy baby laughing" sounds.

flan

Tinydancer wrote:

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Some people are just cranky.

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 Seriously.  How do they go about life?  Grumpy ass old women.

My mother always said, "if it makes you feel good to say it, don't say it."

FNW wrote:

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My mother always said, "if it makes you feel good to say it, don't say it."

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 I've never heard that before. It makes me feel good to tell my kids that I love them.

flan

FNW wrote:

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I believe this pertains more to cruel or hurtful comments.  

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 Yeah, I understand, but I've never heard that before. It just sounded a bit silly.

flan

 

FNW, you're going to be bald.

We have all been out when there are rude people. And, yes, people should NOT be bringing their screaming kids or acting in obnoxious ways. Honestly, I find that if I focus on that, then it truly does ruin my dinner. So, personally, for the most part, I just ignore that stuff or laugh about it. I really don't want to sit thru dinner feeling pissy. I can do that here, lol. (just kidding!). But, really focusing on it makes me more miserable than just ignoring it. However if it is something is really going to piss me off, then I will just get the check and leave.

Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:

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We have all been out when there are rude people. And, yes, people should NOT be bringing their screaming kids or acting in obnoxious ways. Honestly, I find that if I focus on that, then it truly does ruin my dinner. So, personally, for the most part, I just ignore that stuff or laugh about it. I really don't want to sit thru dinner feeling pissy. I can do that here, lol. (just kidding!). But, really focusing on it makes me more miserable than just ignoring it. However if it is something is really going to piss me off, then I will just get the check and leave.

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 Well, it depends on a lot of things gaga.  If the people are on the other side of the restaurant it's easier to ignore them.  If they are sitting next to you not so much.

And my SIL has kids like this lady.  It's embarrassing to be in public with her.  Her kids are out of control. 

Nobody Just Nobody wrote:

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If you notice in my first statement I said the two old women were rude. I stand by that. They handled it poorly. They should have asked to be moved. They were rude and tactless and nasty. There was no reason for it.

But honestly, everyone thinks their kid is just the cutest little thing. "Oh look, he's screeching again! He's just finding his voice!" Sorry, it goes both ways. This mother admits that her child screeches loudly at the top of his lungs. Not everyone thinks that's cute. And before one more person says I'm being mean to kids go back and reread the above paragraph.

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 Yes, I've seen far too many of these.

flan

My SIL's kids are like these kids. It's disgusting and embarrassing. She sits on her phone and texts and if you say anything she gives you a flip answer about how she's tired all the time because she's a SAHM and it exhausts her. My MIL just talks about her precious bundles of miracles from god. DH told her one day "Could you tell god to ask them to get off the table over there?" She got pissed off.

Also, it's easy to say just get your check and take a to go plate. On the few instances DH and I go out together ALONE it's so that we can have some us time. Away from our kids. So we can sit and talk and reconnect as a couple. Not because we absolutely have to have a steak from that certain restaurant. We want time to preserve our relationship. Date night. So getting our food to go kind of defeats the whole purpose of that.