Actually, it's fairly easy in Indiana, or used to be. Restaurants with large bars visible were automatically off limits to minors without either a "family room' or seating where the bar wasn't in close sight. Apparently the reasoning was that the mere sight of a bottle of alcohol would turn children into raving drunks. It used to drive my grandfather crazy.

If your kids can't sit through a meal at the family table, don't take them any place where the food doesn't instantly appear. It's like anything else--they can't use good manners if they haven't been taught any. running amok, screaming, etc should result in being taken back out to the car.but an actual ban penalizes the customers who have actually taught their children how to behave.

For the others, discreet signs and comments in the menu about the waiters and waitresses not being there to babysit your children, children under a certain age can't be permitted at a buffet or wandering around without adult supervision can be posted. One of the things that always kept my son happy was bringing pencils and letting him draw on the placemat and even mine if he needed more time.

Sep 1, 2011 -- 8:33AM, karbie wrote:

Actually, it's fairly easy in Indiana, or used to be. Restaurants with large bars visible were automatically off limits to minors without either a "family room' or seating where the bar wasn't in close sight. Apparently the reasoning was that the mere sight of a bottle of alcohol would turn children into raving drunks. It used to drive my grandfather crazy.

If your kids can't sit through a meal at the family table, don't take them any place where the food doesn't instantly appear. It's like anything else--they can't use good manners if they haven't been taught any. running amok, screaming, etc should result in being taken back out to the car.but an actual ban penalizes the customers who have actually taught their children how to behave.

For the others, discreet signs and comments in the menu about the waiters and waitresses not being there to babysit your children, children under a certain age can't be permitted at a buffet or wandering around without adult supervision can be posted. One of the things that always kept my son happy was bringing pencils and letting him draw on the placemat and even mine if he needed more time.

Absolutely.  Here's the problem:  So let's say they have a policy of "bad child behavior won't be tolerated."  This would lead to lost customers (due to public confrontation), perhaps loud arguments ("My kids are perfect, what are you talking about??"), and perhaps even lawsuits. 

I'm all for it-frankly it would make going to dinner quite amusing, like a free show.  And when kids were being obnoxious, you could get results by complaining.  I agree, the good parents should NOT be penalized for the dumb parents who have no concept of others rights, teaching their children about rule systems, mutual respect, etc.  Frankly, in the US I would argue that 2/3 to 3/4 of the children I see being raised are obnoxious little brats who are in for a rude awakening upon becoming members of society.

Sep 2, 2011 -- 6:04AM, Bob_the_Lunatic wrote:

Sep 1, 2011 -- 8:33AM, karbie wrote:

Actually, it's fairly easy in Indiana, or used to be. Restaurants with large bars visible were automatically off limits to minors without either a "family room' or seating where the bar wasn't in close sight. Apparently the reasoning was that the mere sight of a bottle of alcohol would turn children into raving drunks. It used to drive my grandfather crazy.

If your kids can't sit through a meal at the family table, don't take them any place where the food doesn't instantly appear. It's like anything else--they can't use good manners if they haven't been taught any. running amok, screaming, etc should result in being taken back out to the car.but an actual ban penalizes the customers who have actually taught their children how to behave.

For the others, discreet signs and comments in the menu about the waiters and waitresses not being there to babysit your children, children under a certain age can't be permitted at a buffet or wandering around without adult supervision can be posted. One of the things that always kept my son happy was bringing pencils and letting him draw on the placemat and even mine if he needed more time.

Absolutely.  Here's the problem:  So let's say they have a policy of "bad child behavior won't be tolerated."  This would lead to lost customers (due to public confrontation), perhaps loud arguments ("My kids are perfect, what are you talking about??"), and perhaps even lawsuits. 

I'm all for it-frankly it would make going to dinner quite amusing, like a free show.  And when kids were being obnoxious, you could get results by complaining.  I agree, the good parents should NOT be penalized for the dumb parents who have no concept of others rights, teaching their children about rule systems, mutual respect, etc.  Frankly, in the US I would argue that 2/3 to 3/4 of the children I see being raised are obnoxious little brats who are in for a rude awakening upon becoming members of society.

What society? At our current rate, we soon wont have one left.

Another problem that I thought of regarding banning children at work related to employees. While currently the employment situation in North America is not good, banning children, IMO could have an effect on employment of enough of the employees have children, and those employees eat at the restaurant (when not working, and with their children). Unless it is a
restaurant that is not really appropriate for children (such as an overly fancy place), or had the ban when the employee started working at the place, you could have employees who decide to look elsewhere for work, and only continue working at the restaurant at long as they have to (either they can’t find anything anywhere else, or they have given their two weeks’ notice and it’s not up). Not to say that a mass amount of employees will just quit or will get new jobs all at once, but you could end up with a place that is significantly short staffed if employees (who have children) become upset if children are banned from eating at the restaurant in which they work (maybe unless a lot of the employees won’t eat at the restaurant). While there is no maximum weekly number of work days where I live (Nova Scotia, Canada), after 48 hours overtime pay kicks in. That does not mean an employer can force their employees to work necessarily work more than 48 hours. But with a ban on allowing children to eat at the restaurant, it could cause employees with children who do eat at the restaurant with their children, to stop working at the restaurant if they find employment elsewhere. If enough employees did leave, that would either mean being significantly under staffed at times (not being able to serve the customers that they should be), or ending up having to pay a lot of staff for overtime. For example, if you a restaurant lost 25% of its staff due to such a ban, you
could end up with paying at least some staff for overtime.  True, probably a lot of restaurants have a good number of part time works, probably a lot of those part time workers have a
good reason to be part time (they work 2 jobs, or they are in school, effectively making it so they might not be able to pick up a lot of extra hours). Oh and I just read that for the most part, employers in Nova Scotia have to give employees at least one consecutive 24 hour rest period per 7 days. There are exceptions, but pretty much I think employees have to agree as well.

JFG

I agree, at least to an extent, and within reason that resturants should be allowed to make whatever rules they want (as long as they are all legal and so fourth). Also, I don't generally think it is a great idea to take out young kids to a restaurant, unless theya re kid friendly. The trouble is, you get all sorts of situations where an event comes up where children are welcomed, but are at such a restaurant that although it isn't anti kid, or isn't one of those restaursnts that kids shouldn't go to, its not specifically child friendly. And parents shouldn't be limited to the 'dinner out with the kids is either fast food, chuck e cheese or left home with a babysitter.' I don't believe parents should be peanalized for simply having children. But then again, there are some parents who may be offended by the ides of restaurants or whatever banning children, whether simply children a certain age and under or essentially all children (either 12 and under or all non adult children).The trouble there is when any of those parents have children who should NOT be taken out to a restaurant because their children are so poorly behaved at such a place that it ruins the experience for other restaurant goers, and could even drive business down at some restaurants if the 'badly behaved child' is too frequent a patron at the restaurant. On the flip side, what can a restaurant owner who has impoaed such a ban say to a parent who has come to the restaurant before with children, and the owner know the child was never a problem (and the child is in the banned age category)?

JFG