Does your restaurant have a kid's section?

by Kristin Darguzas (Subscribe to Kristin Darguzas's posts) Mar 19th 2007 10:05AM

Categories: Just For Moms, Places To Go, Development

Last night Nolan and I had a rare evening out. We made plans to meet my girlfriend Emily at a restaurant near her house for pre-dinner snacks.

The restaurant was a chain, chosen for its varied menu and relatively kid-friendly vibe. Or at least, I thought it was kid-friendly -- I used to work at this restaurant in my early twenties and I remembered cleaning up a lot of pitched plum sauces and soggy toddler napkins back then.

Nolan and I arrived before Emily, and the hostess, clutching yellow and purple crayons and a colouring page, led us into a totally separate little area of the restaurant. It was a bright, solarium like room with a crackling fireplace and a loud din. As we walked to the table in the corner, I noticed something peculiar about this separate room: every table had a child.

Emily arrived 5 minutes later, 8 months pregnant and beaming like a cherub. "I am sitting in the kids section!" she said,"I cannot wait to have my kid and sit in the kid section all the time."
"This is a kid's section?" I asked, suddenly realizing that we were indeed, in a discreetly sectioned area of the restaurant," There was never a kid's section when I worked here."

Although I understand the theory, I felt a little...odd. Just like smokers back in the day where smoking in restaurants was permitted, we were led into a special, separate area.

Is this a common practice at restaurants? I guess I don't get out often enough to know.

Comments (17)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

SKL 3-19-2007 @ 10:59AM

I haven't noticed that around here, but I think it's a good idea. As much as I love kids, it can spoil a dinner if someone's baby screeches in your ear long enough, or if the kid in the booth behind you keeps invading your personal space. Most of us are going out to get away from it all and pamper ourselves a bit.

I would also think this makes it a little less stressful for the parents, since they don't have to stress as much about whether their kids are being considerate of all the other patrons.

Leian 3-19-2007 @ 12:46PM

It does seem a little odd, but it's one of those things where it may feel weird when you first notice it and then as the evening progresses you actually feel comfortable with it. I know in traveling with my daughter I have noticed that we are sometimes seated away from other patrons and after an initial flareup of resentment that I acknowledge to myself may be completely irrational, I am fine with it. She is well-behaved so we've never had a problem with her and I try to go to early seatings, but the restaurant people have an obligation to make sure their other patrons are happy with their experience too. I've never actually been in a separate ROOM, though, but it might not be a bad policy as long as it doesn't feel like it's some sort of banishment...

Leian
http://www.childofleisure.com
The Luxury Travel Blog for Parents

Groovymarlin 3-19-2007 @ 10:58AM

I agree, I think it's a great idea. I remember before I had kids, sometimes they really annoyed me in restaurants. Now that I have a baby of my own I'm a lot more understanding (isn't that how it always goes?) but I'm almost afraid to take her to restaurants because I don't want to be the family annoying other, childless people. If I knew a restaurant had a section where families with children were specifically seated, I'd definitely make a point to go there!

Ann Adams 3-19-2007 @ 11:22AM

Mine have always been reasonably well behaved in restaurants but being kids they chatter and giggle.

I wouldn't have minded a section where I could be sure we weren't annoying anyone. I still wouldn't let them run amok but I wouldn't feel that I had to keep "shushing" them.

Lisa J. 3-19-2007 @ 11:37AM

Ditto to above comments! When I go on a date my with the husband or out with friends, I want to be in grown-up land and not be disturbed by kids. As a parent, I know how hard it can be to get small children to be still and quiet, so in the interest of reducing parental stress and making sure ALL diners have a peaceful dinner, I'm in favor of the kids sections!

ashley 3-19-2007 @ 12:42PM

ok, i hate to be the one to disagree, but i do. i understand why there are smoking sections. those people who choose to smoke are making that choice for theselves. second hand smoke has proven to to be harmful, and i know i don't want to be sitting in a cloud of smoke while i'm eating. but a kid's section? because having a child or 2 with you is harmful for others? i don't think so. i consider this along the lines of places not wanting mothers to breastfeed in their place of business. it is not child friendly. its child discrimination. why should i have to be grouped together with everyone else's screaming kids? mine are enough for me. if people are so desperate to eat away from children, go somewhere where they aren't likely to be. family resturants are just that.

Jeff 3-19-2007 @ 12:07PM

Never seen a kid-separate section, but I've been to restaurants where kids are specifically not allowed.

http://365parents.com

Stephanie 3-19-2007 @ 12:30PM

It's a great idea to have a kids section. I'd be happy to bring my son there and like previous commenters, would feel more comfortable and relaxed.

I think the only drawback is if other parents thought since it was a kids section, their children could dispense with manners and scream inside or run around the table. As long as all kids are seated and well behaved, I'm there!

SKL 3-19-2007 @ 12:48PM

I agree with the comment about other people's kids being less inhibited. Hopefully all parents would try to teach their children to use the best manners they can muster every time they go to any eating establishment, including McDonalds and Chuck E Cheese.

Also, I would assume that if parents specifically requested not to be seated in the kids' section, their wish would be respected. However, out of consideration for the rest of us, I hope their children would not act like they were in the children's section.

I've seen every kind of kid behavior in restaurants, and some kids behave beautifully and I'd be happy to sit next to them for an hour. But others have made me consider leaving. If my kids happen to be in the first category, I think I would prefer to sit in the adult section, just so they would not get the idea that kids are expected to misbehave in restaurants. But I think the option to sit in a kids' section would be nice for those who are still trying to convince their children to sit in their seats and not throw their food.

Mary 3-19-2007 @ 1:55PM

I don't like this idea at all. My son is perfectly behaved in restaurants (and if he were not I would remove him from the situation immediately). The reason is that he has observed how other people behave in restaurants. If kids are relegated to a "kids section" they will never learn how to behave in a decent restaurant.

This is nothing but telling people accompanied by children to "go to the back of the bus".

SKL 3-19-2007 @ 1:30PM

OK, I have to chime in one more time.

When I was a kid, almost nobody ever took their kids to a restaurant other than the Ground Round (a sort of Chuck E Cheese lite) and fast food joints. The reason is that when people go out for dinner, whether they are parents or not, they want to eat in a pleasant, relaxing atmosphere. Otherwise they would eat at home. Parents whose children had any remaining tendencies to disturb others while eating were left home with babysitters if their parents went out to eat.

Today we are much less inhibited about taking our kids out. And some parents are much less inhibited about letting their kids disturb others while they eat. They have this idea that since my kid is a human being, he has a right to do and say anything he wants anywhere he wants, and everyone else can just put up with it. I have a big problem with this.

If people are going to bring their kids to a restaurant and expect to be treated like others who have not brought their kids, they must be committed to making their kids follow rules that are considerate to other diners. Or, as someone suggested above, leave immediately if their kids start acting up. Some parents do this and some do not. That's the reality. The kids' sections would not exist otherwise.

I don't agree that you can't teach your kids manners if they sit with other kids. Table manners are learned gradually, and the opportunity to teach the basics in a less-sophisticated setting can be less stressful. Furthermore, parents can demand that their kids behave well, regardless of others' behavior. This is frequently necessary - on the playground, in the doctor's office, etc. - anywhere in public.

Sharon 3-19-2007 @ 6:57PM

I've never had anyone tell me we were in a kids' section, but my husband & I have noticed many times that we tend to get seated with other families. We've got a running joke about now, that we now have to sit in the section we used to avoid!

We do avoid restaurants that are not family-oriented. I don't really mind being in the kid section, since as someone said above, it is a little more relaxing because you don't have to worry as much about every little thing your kids do.

At this point, since my kids are not the most patient people in the world (1 & 2 year olds), we pretty much only go to buffet-style places anyway, where we can get instant food. They're usually noisy & casual already!

Stephanie 3-19-2007 @ 8:06PM

Making comparisons to the world when you were a kid isn't fair. Eating out is much more common today, as is a busier lifestyle where children are driven around all day and at some point have to eat. I think that is one of the reasons that incidents of kids acting up in restaurants is more prevalent today. After a long day out and boring shopping hungry kids are at the end of their rope. Someone's kids acting up does not mean that their parents "let them run wild" or don't discipline them. As mothers we should know better than to judge. I know with 3 kids and one on the way, smaller cars don't hold 3 car seats so we have to wait to go places until their father is around with his van. Things like grocery shopping and purchases are made in one big block of time out of necesity. Eating out together is a rare treat for us, and while it is unusual for them to get wild (I've never had a child run around or yell) sometimes it is hard to wait until the food arrives. I don't have anyone to babysit my kids, and I'm certain that some of those kids that one sees acting up when eating out don't always act that way. Everyone can have a bad day. What is the point of a "family restaurant" if you can't bring your family. I had to get that off my chest, I don't mean to attack the person who commented on that, just to point out another way to look at it. That said, I think in some ways I would feel more comfortable knowing that if one kid spills something or has to be reminded to talk quietly the people around me are parents and understand. But I don't like the idea of HAVING to be seated in the kids section. That is discrimination. What if it were just an option-if you knew your kids (or you)were short tempered that day you opt for the kids section. But if they're behaving fine they eat with everyone else. Or if the people in the kid section are acting crazy you opt for the adult section. If worst came to worst you could always ask to move if your child started to act up.

Ann Adams 3-19-2007 @ 9:28PM

I think it should be a choice; otherwise whoever said it would feel like the "back of the bus" might be right. I'd probably choose the family section.

The only problem is I have a feeling that the parents with the most ill mannered kids are often the ones who think their little cherubs can do no wrong and they'd opt for the adult section.

(I'm not talking about the occasional meltdown or spilled drink/dinner. That can happen to anyone. I'm not talking about well behaved kids having a good time. I'm talking about kids who run all over the place, constantly bang their feet on the seats, throw temper tantrums (quite different from meltdowns) while their parents do nothing.)

I still don't take the girls to upscale restaurants. First, I can't afford it. Second, I know that most of the diners are enjoying and paying for a quiet evening out. They could well be paying a babysitter. I wouldn't want someone else to spoil that for me so I don't spoil it for them. My kids are good but they're still kids.

Big Grown-Up Mommy (Heather) 3-19-2007 @ 10:48PM

We don't see separate kids' sections around here, and I think overall that that's a good thing. We start taking our boys out when they're very little and they learn to behave (for the most part!) very well; if they don't, we leave. We choose family-friendly places, but that doesn't mean McDonald's. The one time we saw a special kids' area in an out-of-town restaurant we were visiting, there were many children running around seemingly unsupervised. The restaurant staff kept coming into the section and telling everyone to "use their indoor voices", but where were the parents? They seemed to feel that a kids-only area meant that they could drop-and-dine, kind of like the drop-and-shop parents who were always trying to leave their kids in the children's section of the big bookstore I worked at.

T 3-23-2007 @ 1:11PM

I agree with the bulk of the comments above. We eat out fairly often, and I'm usually relieved, especially if it is a nice place, to be seated apart. I expect my kids to behave properly at the table, both at home, at family restaurants and at nicer restaurants. And I see it as my responsibility (along with my wife) to ensure that the kids are kept entertained enough so as not to bother anyone else.

Why should a restaurant lose business in order for me to feel like I am dining out without my kids, when in fact I am out with my kids. As someone above mentioned, the owner and managers have a responsibility to ensure that everyone else has a good time, in addition to myself and my family. The reason being that the restaurant wants me, as well as everyone else, to return again in the future - that's how restaurants stay in business.

I know that if I went to a restaurant a few times, and there always seemed to be a family or families who let their kids disturb everyone else's meal, I probably would go somewhere else. And I do my best to make sure that my family isn't the one driving away business. And being set apart from the people who are on a date, a business dinner or just on a break from their kids who are home with the babysitter doesn't bother me at all - it makes it easier for me to make sure that my family doesn't bother anyone else. And while my kids are very well behaved, they are young, and they slip up sometimes, or get tired and crabby or bored...

As for the 'back of the bus' comment - you are comparing being requested to sit in a quieter section of a restaurant with being treated like a second class citizen on a public bus, which your tax dollars paid for, as you go to work, and when you (probably) had no choice BUT to ride the bus, and based upon a pervasive culture of racism in that society and the color of your skin. That's disgusting.

You chose to have children, you chose to raise them, you CHOSE to go out to a restaurant, you CHOSE the restaurant you wanted to go to, and then you were able to decide whether or not you wanted to stay or go someplace else where you could be seated with your children among the adults. And there are plenty of places like that.

You clearly have never felt true discrimination, nor understood its effects.