Businesses banning children?

[MNNHFLTX]

We have had two recent stories in the news here in Houston about businesses putting restrictions on children in their establishments. In one, a well-known restaurant is no longer allowing children younger than eight to dine there with their parents after 7 p.m. In the other, a home design store is outright banning children under age 12 from the store. This has caused a bit of an outcry from local parents. I was wondering what everyone's thoughts are?

Let me say, first of all, that I am a parent and while my son is grown up now, we did frequently bring him to restaurants and stores with us when he was little. However, I really don't have a problem with what the restaurant and store are doing; in fact, I support their right to do so. Many parents do not supervise their children adequately, especially in stores, and why should the store have to suffer losses because of this? As far as the restaurant, they are family-friendly up until 7 p.m. After that they want to allow adult diners to have a more peaceful atmosphere to dine in. I appreciate this. I mean, do very young children need to be out eating supper at 7 or 8 p.m.?

Parents who don't agree with these policies won't give their business to these establishments, which is their right. If the restaurant or store doesn't mind taking the hit for that, isn't that their right also?

[DizneyRox]

Disney Cruise Line has similar rules for their exclusive restaurants, i hear no outcry...

Doesn't bother me... On RCCL, they allow children before a certain time, so that's when we ate there. I know I wouldn't want my meal ruined by some ill behaving kids, and while mine may not be that kid, the restaurant doesn't know that. So, to be fair to their guests, they have these rules...

Hakuna Matata

[GAN]

Unfortunately, it's a situation where some ruin it for all. If you own a business you should be able to allow any restrictions you want -my personal view. However, I see the situations you describe as a GREAT business opportunity for restaurants and furniture stores who encourage children to take part!

[VWL Mom]

I have no problem at all with the idea. Mine are older now but when they were little we did take them to restaurants but we went at their dinner time. I wish some of the signatures at Disney would do something similar (maybe after 8P).

The home decor store is interesting. Is it an upscale store? I wonder if they were tired of kids jumping on the furniture and running around.

Although most parents are responsible I've seen one to many sets that are not. Unfortunately, as GAN said, the bad ones ruin it for the good.

[buzznwoodysmom]

Yep, agree with other posters who said the bad ruin it for the good. I don't know why but in recent years I can't even count the number of times we have had a meal "ruined" by screaming, misbehaving children when we are out to eat. And the worst of it are the parents who act oblivious to fact their their little darling is bothering other people.

What's frustrating is that when my kids were young they did the very same thing, except we promptly removed them from the restaurant. We went about a whole year of not eating out much with both of our children around the time they were 1-2 years of age. They did not belong in a restaurant among other people trying to enjoy a meal so we either got a sitter or didn't eat out. Not sure when this "rule of thumb" went out the window?????

Therefor I can't blame establishments setting forth this rule if they have had complaints from other patrons more often than they'd like.

[BrerGnat]

I fully support businesses making rules like this.

My kids are no angels, but we do dine out and take them to stores. However, I absolutely remove them if necessary, and I do it faster than they can even get one nasty look from anyone else. We also eat out at their normal meal time. Always have. I had being out later at night without the kids and seeing tired kids having tantrums while their parents look the other way.

[Scar]

A business that pays taxes, and does not receive any government subsidies, has the right to do whatever they want, so long as they don't break the law. Period.

To answer the question... great idea.

[Kenny1113]

I agree with PP. a business can do this if they wish and those who are offended can choose to not do business with them.

I would not be offended by it, I am like others posted. My kids know there are consequences if they even think about misbehaving.

Funny that design stores are mentioned, we were in several yesterday. Some of that stuff is very expensive and fragile.I heard several "crashes" in the varies stores. I knew it wasn't my kids because I made them stay right on my heels.

[disneymom15]

My father owns a motorcycle dealership, I can't tell you how many times kids are let loose to run amok in the showroom. They jump and climb on everything, tip smaller bikes over, hop on a $20,000 and up motorcycle and pretend ride it like a horse. The parents say nothing..

[Mrs Bus Driver]

Now if they would only do this in movie theaters. I can't tell you the number of times I've had a movie ruined by a screaming child who shouldn't have been there. I am not talking about kids movies either, to many times parents take children to movies they want to see and everyone else in the theater has to suffer. When mine were little the only movies I took them to were kids movies, usually over in about 45 minutes which is the right amount of time for a small child. I remember seeing the 2 towers when a couple came in with 6 small children. It was a 3 and half hour movie so naturally the kids wound up fidgeting, talking and crying. I don't know what these people were thinking.

[John]

I agree with PP. a business can do this if they wish and those who are offended can choose to not do business with them.

And there is the key - it's a free market. If the policy starts to effect the bottom line of the business, they likely will change the policy - or if it helps them, they'll stick with it.

Likewise, some stores may go out of their way to court the disenfranchised folks and decide that's how THEY will make money.

That's the beauty of capitalism!

[1DisneyNut]

I have no problem with the policy. In fact, I wish more had it and enforced it. The problem is so many parents these days just let their children do whatever they want, act however they want, and have whatever they want. They then act like we are the a-holes for saying something to them about their kids running around and around the table screaming and fighting with each other in a restaurant.

Suits me just fine if they tell parents with children they have to leave by 7:00 PM so the rest of us can have a quiet peaceful meal for a change. We used to take our kids out to eat with us when they were small and when they started acting up, we would ask for to go boxes and get out of there so we wouldn't bother anyone any longer. We actually stopped taking them out to eat from around the age 2 to 5 or 6 range because we didn't want them bothering others. Unfortunately, we are in the minority on this one; most parents just take them and ignore them.

This reminds me of a dinner we about a year ago. We went to an Italian restaurant nearby that a lot of people have been talking about. It is located in an affluent suburb so you would think the kids would be well mannered and behaved. There were numerous families there with children ranging from babies to teenagers. It was a zoo! Babies crying, which I can understand but they should have gone outside or left. Young children fighting and yelling and every once in a while one of the parents would yell at them to settle down. The worse however were the 10-14 year olds who were running in and out the doors, putting their faces against the windows and doors from outside and making faces at the ones inside, chasing each other around, running back and forth to the restroom. It was horrible. I mentioned it to the manager and he basically said that if they ask them to leave it wouldn't be long they would be out of business because the majority of their customers have ill behaved children. I responded with "I guess I won't be back then" and we haven't stepped foot in the place since and probably never will. It is a shame because the food was actually pretty good.

[SBETigg]

My kids are grown, too, so doesn't bother me and in fact I like the idea. Not for every business, but for businesses that need to protect themselves and other patrons from unsupervised children, I think it's great. Sad that some parents refuse to actually parent, but we've all seen it. I can imagine that it's easier to say "no children" than it is to ask parents to watch their children more closely once situations arise.

[Ian]

We have had two recent stories in the news here in Houston about businesses putting restrictions on children in their establishments. In one, a well-known restaurant is no longer allowing children younger than eight to dine there with their parents after 7 p.m. In the other, a home design store is outright banning children under age 12 from the store.

It's a free country. Businesses can make any decisions they want that they think are best for their business, as long as they don't violate any laws.

Personally, I wouldn't give either one of them another red cent of my money, but that's okay because presumably others will go in my place.

[faline]

I no longer have young children. When I did, we typically went to restaurants where kids who couldn't sit still for a meal could easily be tolerated (as long as they weren't in melt-down mode or crying).

At this stage of my life, I would be far more likely to patronize a restaurant who had a rule limiting when young children could be there. On the other hand, some of my annoyances at restaurants are the adults who speak so loudly in the restaurant that their conversation can easily be heard from several tables away!

[Tekneek]

It certainly depends on the establishment/circumstances, but as a rule I see and experience far worse when families aren't around than when they are. A kid crying or being loud is preferable to adults misbehaving.

[LauraF]

I have no objections to it, as long as they indicate why they are doing so to the public. I think it's very easy for us to make assumptions about why businesses are banning children.

That said, I really don't like having to tell others' children to behave. I had to just yesterday - two preteen girls were shouting at each other at Starbucks, while their father ignored them. I finally walked up the girls and asked them to take it outside. They gave me a dirty look and I pointed out the toddler at the next table was behaving better then they were. *That* kid's parents smiled at me. They understood the unspoken rules.

Bascially, like many others, when my husband I want a quiet meal, we frequent places that are more likely to be so, and when we don't mind some childish mayhem (like the b-day party at the pizza place last week) we go there.

[MNNHFLTX]

I have no objections to it, as long as they indicate why they are doing so to the public. I think it's very easy for us to make assumptions about why businesses are banning children.

The owners of both businesses have been pretty straightforward in interviews as to why they have adopted these policies. The restaurant owner states his business is family-friendly until 7 p.m and then he wanted to give adult diners the option to have a more peaceful dinner time. (By the way, he is a father to three young children himself.) The design store owner had suffered numerous losses due to breakage, as well as the inconvenience of children tampering with displays, removing prices tags, etc.

Some parents upset with the decision have made statements such as "young children need to practice going out to eat at nice restaurants" and "I encourage my child's natural curiosity no matter where we go". Personally, I don't buy those arguments. Children can practice good manners at home at the dinner table on a daily basis and their curiosity can be piqued at lots of places other than stores--parks, zoos, museums, etc. From what I heard in the interviews, it just bugged some people that someone else was telling them them where they could or could not bring their child.

[Dulcee]

While I respect that it's their business I do find this rather ridiculous. Will they start banning twenty somethings after they have to deal with a couple rowdy groups? Or maybe adults with developmental disabilities who's actions may not be considered behaved enough for other adult diners?

As children my siblings and I always went to restaurants. By the time I was 4 I knew how to order my steak and behave in polite company. And sure there are a few stories when my father had to remove a screaming child from a dining room.my two young nephews know how to sit at a table with adults and no that doesn't include hiding behind a iphone.

And as far as stores, one of my older nephews favorite things to do when traveling is to go antiquing. He has quite a collection of WWI and WWII memorabilia. He'd be horribly upset to walk up to a store that says no children. And he feels it every time we walk into a store where the face of a store keeper indicated they don't trust him due to his young age.

Yes children need to behave in public and parents need to enforce that. But punishing everyone due to the handful who can't? No thank you.

[MNNHFLTX]

Yes children need to behave in public and parents need to enforce that. But punishing everyone due to the handful who can't? No thank you.

IMO, the opposite is is true. It seems to me that the number of well-behaved children is far out-weighed by those who are not, at least in my neck of the woods. It's the parent's fault, of course, and many parents just seem oblivious to it all. I know there are certain stores I use to love that I will no longer go into because kids are running all over the place, screaming and pulling merchandise into the aisles. Just my observation based on where I live, which might be what the store and restaurant are basing their decisions on too.

Also, when parents have younger children, I think they become temporarily immune to a certain amount of chaos and noise. Once your kids grow up, you become a lot more sensitive to it again. I know that's the case with me.