SmackDown: Should a Kid Be Allowed to Scream at a Restaurant?

Why would anyone take a small child to a restaurant anyway? Unless it's one for kids, like McDonalds. Jeez, how can anyone think it's OK for people to have to hear this over dinner?

Yes, get up and leave if your child is screaming. I have three teens....while at any restaurant, church, movie, store or stinking WALMART we told them to stop and if they didn't we left and handled whatever the issue was. Common Courtesy.......lost on America today!

The sign certainly doesn't say - No kids allowed, just not screaming children. I had my meal at a restaurant just yesterday interupted by a constantly squealing child. Did the parents try to hush him or tell him squealing was not allowed? NO. In response to a woman who said you can't quiet a very young child - What?
Try comforting, feeding, or changing diaper, and if you can't get the child to calm (whatever age) go out to the car until the child quiets.
So far there is 92% of respondents who would greatly appreciate it.

To Shawn----since newborns to 2 yrs old are prone to screaming and crying then hire a sitter and go out! We had six children and I would never have taken them to an eating establishment at those young ages and risk ruining someones elses meal! That's just rude and inconsiderate. Can't afford a sitter for a night out? Stay home! Parents of older children who misbehave while out--- get your kids under control. It's rude, disruptive and bad manners to subject other people to out of control kids.

Screaming kids, loud talkers and people talking on their cell phones should be banned from any public place where one has to pay to try to enjoy themselves or just wants a little peace and quiet!!!

It appears that (so far) at least 92% of the readers agree with me: if your child is uncontrollable-- WHATEVER the cause, DON´T take them into a public restaurant!!! For many of us, meal time is the only ¨quiet time¨ we have in our busy days. For YOU to be so selfish as to deprive everyone else in the restaurant of that right is despicable. I can remember one particular instance to illustrate this. We had old college friends with a young (nearly newborn) child visit us in San Francisco, and we went to a very nice restaurant. Shortly after being seated, the child began to cry-- we´re talking ¨banshee¨ here. After about 30 seconds, the wife got up, and took the child OUTSIDE to see if she could calm the tantrum. She couldn´t. At this point, all 4 of the involved adults took turns holding the baby OUTSIDE for 10 minute spells. We were able to finish our meals WITHOUT assaulting the ears of perhaps another 100 diners in the restaurant. We would no more have considered sitting there and letting the child whoop inside the restaurant than the man in the moon! It´s just plain RUDE. Knock off the ¨discrimination¨ crap, and give some consideration for those around you! (Nota bene: it´s somewhat different onboard an aircraft-- but YOU are the ones that decided to haul your squaller onto a tightly-squeezed cigar wrapper in the sky. I know Grandma simply MUST see her new darling immediately-- but she has the option to drag HER butt onto an airplane and visit at YOUR home. Just a suggestion...)

What an idiot father. It doesn't say screaming kids prohibited. It said screaming kids will not be tolerated. What's the matter dad, having a hard time digesting your food with people staring at you? Nobody has to tolerate your kids screaming in a restaurant. Get an outdoor table at McDonalds. I hope your indigestion burns for days. By the way restaurants have the right to refuse service to anybody, including you and your screaming meemee. Beat it dead beat. If my kids screamed, I took them outside. It goes with the territory of being a father. Try being a father.

I work in a restaraunt, needless to say i have to deal with screaming children EVERYDAY. and the sign doesnt say, children will not be tolerated. only screaming children wont be tolerated. So if your child starts to throw a tantrum simply romove him or her from the restaraunt until he or she stops and then go back to enjoy your meal. Its just being aware that there are others in the restaraunt that most likely didnt come to the restaraunt to hear the high pitched screaming of an infant.

Unfortunately, traditional rules for pleasant social interaction (that used to be called "manners") have been replaced by ethnic and cultural expectations. Where I live, in Boston, there are still ethnic neighborhoods. The snobs from Beacon Hill murmur, the Irish from Southie and Dot overtalk eachother in a never ending fight to the death for their individual conclusions. Puerto Ricans, but not Cubans instinctively yell at each other - everywhere. Making lots of noise in public is also a opwerful way to draw attention to some ethnicities

I totally agree. As a parent, I refuse to allow my child to disrupt someone's evening like that let alone my own. Sadly, it starts from home and the sad fact is a lot of these "modern" parents are not teaching children limits and social behavior. So when they come to restaurants they lack the basic socialization skills on how to conduct themselves in a restaurant. I've seen parents allow their children to run in restaurants while the family is sitting eating. I've also seen parents bring electronic devices in a restaurant and fight with the kid to stop watching the DVD or play the PSP to eat. Why did they bring it in the first place? When it is dinner time, it is dinner time...I thought that was a simple concept. As for children with disabilities, I don't think the owner is discriminating against them. Just like you wouldn't take a child to an elegant restaurant, there are certain places that unfortunately you wouldn't take your child with a disability. Yes, you would like them to be included in as many things of society but I'm sure that isn't the only restaurant you visit. Children should not be included in EVERY adult activity.

It strikes me here that Ms. Chambliss is, in this instance, attempting to hijack the Americans With Disabilities Act to force a privately owned enterprise to bend the world to her own desires.

Knowing that her son is prone to these outbursts, would Ms. Chambliss argue that she should have the unfettered right to bring him to a movie theater where his outbursts will prevent those around them from enjoying the movie that they've paid to see? Should she have the right to bring him to the New York Philharmonic for a performance of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony? How about the ballet?

Common sense dictates that while these facilities should be as broadly accessible to all Americans, regardless of handicap, to bring her son to these venues would be rude, inappropriate, and insensitive to the rest of the public.

It's obvious to any moderately intelligent person that the restaurant in question didn't create this policy in order to punish autistic children (or their parents). The policy is clearly designed for the majority of those badly behaved children who's parents are simply guilty of poorly rearing their children to not behave in a manner appropriate for the venue. This undesirable behavior includes not respecting the rights of other diners to enjoy an evening meal, prepared and served in a comfortable, welcoming environment. Restaurant industry studies have shown that to most people, the ambiance of a restaurant is nearly as important to them as is the quality of the food and service.

When parents choose to bring young, screaming children to restaurants that are not specifically aimed at families with young, noisy children, these parents have a duty and an obligation to minimize the disruption that their children cause to other members of the public. If one has children are not well enough behaved that they cannot be quiet when it's appropriate for them to be quiet, it's incumbent upon one to take them outside of the restaurant until they can behave.

The right of Ms. Chambliss to bring her uncontrollably screaming autistic child wherever she pleases ends at my right to enjoy my meal at a privately owned enterprise that I probably selected because I want to *enjoy* my dining experience. There are appropriate venues (as others have pointed out, such as Chuck E. Cheeses), where that behavior is tolerated and even encouraged. If Ms. Chambliss' child is unable to control his screaming, then it's appropriate for her to select venues where his behavior does not adversely affect other paying patrons of a privately owned enterprise. If her child starts to scream and she's unwilling to bring him outside until his screaming stops, then she's guilty of gross incivility and rudeness.

In the rush to be politically 'correct', and fear to tread on the feelings of any minority, we've lost our common sense. The ADA was intended to broaden our society and ensure that as many people who have various disabilities can participate in as much of our society as is reasonably possible.

The ADA was *not* intended to sacrifice the quality of life for the rest of us in the process.

As a society, we experience, sometimes, inadvertent discrimination. In order to be an effective fire-fighter, for example, one must prove that one can physically lift a heavy pack of equipment up a ladder in an emergency. This physical requirement has the unintended discriminatory effect that there are very few Asian, female fire-fighters. Does that mean that this unintentional discrimination needs to be legislatively remedied? Should Asian women band together to denounce the discrimination inherent in this hiring policy? Should fire departments around the country be sued until the rectify this unfair situation? Are we so eager to be politically correct that we're willing to completely flush our common sense down the drain?

Seriously, think about it...

Michael

For the mother of the autistic child -- you truly have a challenge in your life. However, the "screaming child in the restaurant" issue is NOT about discrimination. It is about common courtesy and recognizing that certain behaviours are not acceptable in certain circumstances. Children are not adults and they are not entitled to be treated as adults. They are learning and just as one must go through grades in school -- so must children be restricted to social events and circumstances that are appropriate for their level of maturity/behavior. Just as in the restaurant -- parents that insist on bringing small children to movies -- should be prepared to remove the screaming child and themselves if the noise doesn't abate in five minutes or less. Yes, even in the case of the show being geared towards Children. Children need to learn how to behave and understand that poor behavior will have consequences -- i.e.they are removed from the scene of the screaming. If you the parent know a child cannot control him or herself or that child cannot be controlled to behavior that is reasonable for the circumstances -- don't bring that child to those events. If it means that you, the parent, don't get to do something or that you have to give up on something geared towards adults or a better behaved group because of a child's behaviour-- well then Parenthood sometimes requires sacrifices.

Isn't a reasonable compromise for the parent to bring the kid to a restaurant, but simply go outside with him when he screams? People are choosing to spend their money in a particular place, so they are entitled to get some value for it, which doesn't include having to listen to screaming, which is more intrusive than loud talking or any of the other distractions that some readers compare to screaming. There's got to be someplace where the child can be taken to reduce the disturbance to others. Stops screaming,. bring him back in.

You know why it is wrong. Because we were all kids like that once. Why punish our kids for the same thing we used to do. As soon as you say it is wrong, you should smack yourself, cause you used to do it do, stop being mean to the kids of today and give them the same treatment. It gets worse with each generation of parents, like you have to raise your kids different than you were raised, and you always say growing up, i'll never be like my parents, and you all end up being more strict than they ever were. And as Walt Disney said, "You're dead if you only aim for kids. Adults are only kids, grown up." Same things works backwards, you're dead if you only aim for adults, because kids will be adults one day.

I agree...it use to be that parents would be considerate and take their children to the bathroom or away to calm them down. Now, you have kids screaming at the top of their lungs..and were all suppose to just take it? When I go out to a restuarant, I am paying for good food, good service and for good atmosphere. Especially, after a long day at work..I want to relax, enjoy a meal - and then you have these irresponsible adults come in with screaming kids and they just sit there and let it go on...I didnt pay for that...if I wanted that atmosphere..I would go to McDonalds and sit in the play area. What happened to people being responsible for their kids behavior. As far as the autism child, I know people who have children like this..and they dont act up to screaming in the restaurants. What happened to curtesy?? I did actually confront a women who just sat there and let her kid scream at the top of their lungs...I said..do you mind?? People come here to eat in a pleasent atmosphere. I have six children and would never let any of my kids act up like that in a restaurant disturbing others. The only reason a restaurant has to put that sign up..is because of parents who do not teach their kids how to respect others..

I agree with the owner's and sympathizer's, it says no SCREAMING children, not children in general, which is totally fair, if an adult was to sit there yelling at the top of their lungs would these parents not want the adult removed from the restaurant. Noise is noise and a dining place is not appropriate, I see mother's pushing or dragging screaming kids in stores all the time and no attempts to shush them like it is o.k for other shoppers to be subjected to that racket, SHUT YOUR KIDS UP OR GET THEM OUT that would be my sign.

Come on people don't try to be stupid. Ok, kids being kids will sometimes be obnoxious. And you know what?? Adults then are obligated to wak them outside until the melt down is over. You see how easy that is?? The objection is to parents who allow their kids to run and scream at a nice restaurant just like they are at Chuck E. Cheese. NO NO NO If you want your child to act like he's on the playground take him to McDonalds or Chuck E Cheese. Otherwise, start teaching your kids proper manners an how to behave in public like a good parent should. If your child is unable to control his behaviour due to autism or otherwise then I feel for you I really do and I know that there are therapy classes and many other things you do to help your child LEARN.. Autism does give you a free pass to distrub my peace, unless you are walking the screaming angel out the door. Then I offer you all the best.,

common courtesy is now an uncommon practice... and parents that let their children (no matter what age) just sit and scream are just ill mannered... everyone knows that babies cry for some reason, and it's not that hard to narrow it down... like wise with older children... If an establishment has to put up a sign for something that is common sense, then there must have been a real problem . just my 2 cents

great idea to ban screaming or loud kids. hey i didnt decide to have or bring my screaming kid to the resturaunt you did, dont invade my ears right to peace. oh and before you comment back, think about what your gonna say, try, oh please try to not make yourself look like a jackass.

Honestly people, let's act like dignified human beings. I've been around kids before and yes, their yelling is a pain. But that sign does say that screaming's not TOLERATED. That doesn't necessarily mean it's banned or it'd read: ''Children under 12 prohibited'' or something like that. The best way to calm a screaming child is take it outside until they're okay. Change the diaper if need be. Do whatever it takes. They don't know what they're doing you know. They're children. What do you expect? If they said ''Flying dentures are not tolerated'' would you jump to the conclusion that they're ''hating'' on the old people? NO! You would just say ''if they don't want to see dentures fly, don't make me mad'' or something. Seriously guys, let's act like dignified humans, not idiots jumping to conclusions.