Should screaming children be banned from restaurants?

It's all about common courtesy.  Eating out is an option, however, children do need to be taught how to behave appropriately in a setting such as this.  However, applying common courtesy is a must.  If your child is screaming, take them to the restroom or out to the car.  The child needs to know that screaming or throwing a fit is unacceptable and once they can control themselves they can finish their meal.  Worst case scenario, hale the waitress and ask her to package up your meal to go and head home.  Tough lesson for kiddos, but if you follow through once, it likely will not have to be done a second time.  And yes, just ask my six year old if I have followed through on this before.  Now, I only have to remind her and she straightens up, or we go home.....and she knows I will follow through and take her home!

I definately think they should be asked to leave.  It is expensive to go out to eat and if you are able to go out and enjoy, the last thing you want is to hear other people's children scream!  I for one do not even like to be seated next to any children in a nicer resturant for fear that the screaming may begin at anytime. Get a sitter or take them to a noisy resturant that you wouldn't notice the screaming.   Yes, I do have a child, but I never tolerated the kind of behavior in public that is seen much too often.

Both the parents and the children should stay at home until the children are taught how to act in public.

I believe that people who own restaraunts have to cater to all kinds of people and if a hardworking mom wants to eat out with her children then she should definitely be allowed to do so.  Kids screaming to the top of their lungs is one thing but I have rarely seen that happen where the parents did not attempt to calm the child.  I think it could lead to discrimination action, because in my case I have a special needs child that does scream out but that is her way of dealing with the stimulation and also her means of communication at this time.  So think about it before you judge a person's child!!

Personally, being the oldest of five children, I don't blame them. It's nice to go somewhere for it to be quiet when you've got screaming kids at home. However, I still think they need to make acceptions for babies.

I think if a restaurant experience too many uncontrolled screaming children, and as a result, they brought other customers bad experiences while dining there - they're certainly entitled to refuse service to people who allowed their children to behave disruptly on their property.

Tail-tail signs...if there is no changing tables in the bathroom they would rather you leave the kids at home.
I would hope people would have respect when I have a date with my husband and we leave the kids at home I don’t want to hear a screaming kid. (My kids 12 and 15 never screamed in public they just knew better.)  I was at a restraint that the cheep plate was $22 and there was a table of two small kids that screamed the whole time.  I told management when I left I would tell everyone I know about what happened and not recommend them as a place to eat. (We had a table of eight adults.)

It's amazing the people have lost common sense and/or the golden rule.  It comes down to RESPECT.  Respecting others.  Why should one person be allowed to disrupt or ruin 20 or 50+ others while they are trying to enjoy a meal.  I have two children myself and it would never occur to me to be that rude or inconsiderate of so many others.  The fact that we are having this conversation this day and age is sad to me.  Parents seem so confused on how to teach children common courtisy for others.  I always ask my children how do their actions affect others?  For better or worse.  Are they being a blessing?  Even a 2 or 3 yr old can be taught.  Children are very smart, very early.  The worst thing I ever saw I a child screaming and crying @ a wedding for 15-20 minutes and the parent would not remove the child.  The Pastor had to stop the ceremony and address them to please, out of courtesy for their special day, take the child outside. The bride was almost in tears.  Amazing!  Love, love others more than yourself.  Teach them early and they will be a blessing to others.  

I don't think they need to go as far as to ban, but if the parents do their job and help the child calm down then all the fuss would cease. A little story, when our son Justin was 3yrs. old out to dinner we were at a family resturant.We are parents who did not spare the rod, anyway he was misbehaving and I proceeded to take him to the restroom. Well I thought i would turn on the hand blower to drown out his cries and my instructions, to my dismay  that made the matter worse and he screamed and cried even louder. Finally after he calmed down we returned to the table and as we made our way from the restroom every eye was on us and loud applaude came from the other patrons not sure if they were for me or him but we all learned a lesson.

No i dont think they should be. If i see a parent ignoring it it does make me mad but if a parent is trying to calm the child i understand. I think its a parents thing too. You mind the screaming child on the airplaine or the store or eating dinner untill its yours. After that you understand!

Restaurants do have the "refuse the right to refuse service" protection.  If this were a housing community making htis statement, they would be in kinds of trouble as that is considered a discriminary statement because of the word "children".  They should have a sign that states "Screaming individuals could be banned from the restaurant."  That is less descriminatory and just asking for common courtesy.

I believe we all have the right to dine in a peaceful environment. If a child or for that matter an adult is disturbing the peace of the restaurant, they should leave until a time when they can return peacefully. There are plenty of kiddie type restaurants that allow children and adults to be loud.

I am the mother of a very strongly willed 18 month old little girl, but luckily and thankfully she has never put me in the position to have to take her out of a restaraunt. I do however get very frustrated with other parents who let their children throw a fit, and wish so badly that I could do something about it. Some parents just ignore the child like they arent even there and that's very frustrating to me. I just heard the lady that called in and said she has a child that is autistic, and in those instances I understand, but the children that are throwing a fit just to throw a fit and get attention should be taken out of the room. I think it is uncalled for for a restaraunt to put up a sign like that because all people have a right to eat.

Oh my goodness!!!! Discrimination is discrimination!!! Leave your child at home, with who???? If I kept my special child at home everytime I wanted to go somewhere then she would never experience the world!!!  There are people who just absolutely can not control their child, but I have never heard a child who has not been consoled soon after being held or even disiplined.  Stay at home if you are that afraid to hear a child cry!!! Children are God's most precious gift!! So the next thing will be that I won't be able to take my child to church or any other public place if she happens to cry because others will be offended or miss a word or two... If you are that afraid of children crying then go to the expensive "more grown up" places and stay out of my neighborhood Applebee's or O'Charlies!!!

What next?  last week it was a seperate section for families on airplanes.  I live alone and sometimes when I go out I do not necessarly want to hear children but eating out is eating out.  Find a placeto go that you know that that will not be a problem.  Penalizing people for wanting to eat out and take their children.  Family time! We keep dividing up things and we will not be living in FREEDOM

It is a matter of respect & atmosphere. For Instance I own a icecream parlor and kids will get excited about the flavors, and they get a little loud. But not for very long... as soon as they get the icecream it mysteriously gets quite...and its just not the kids. Adults do the same thing. I guess its as the old saying goes...I scream you scream we all scream for Icecream. I also am located in Nc, so come on in and scream.... for icecream of course.

The person who wrote that sign was once a screaming child at a restaurant themselves!

I wish this question was a cut and dried as many people think it is. But there are several underlying issues with our culture that effect this situation.

The first is definitely a lack of child training. Parents today do not understand that they regularly train children to be selfish and disobedient. Throwing a fit in a public place is a selfish and disobedient behavior. Now, don't get me wrong, most parents do intentionally teach these behaviors, but it still happens. For instance, when a parent tells a child they have till the count of three to obey the parent is actually teaching the child that they can disobey for two counts.

But that is only one of the problems. Another is that "the rest of us" no longer take responsibility to training children and coaching the parents. Instead we look down on the parents assuming they know the right thing to do and are refusing to do it. That is rarely true. Parents today try what the "experts" say, even when it doesn't work. This whole debate could end if more experienced parents (any of us who don't have screaming children) would invest our time in their families. But, of course, it is much easier to condemn than help.

Of course, another issue is that people today do not accept such help. We see it as an intrusion into "our" business.

I could keep going, but I don't want to leave out one important factor. Training children requires addressing errant situations and the most effective training is usually "on the job". In this case that would in the restaurant. Now, a parent with this problem could definitely benefit from practicing sitting quietly at the dinner table at home, but being in a restaurant and dealing with the screaming is probably best. After all, many kids scream because they don't want to be there in the first place. If you take them out then they have already won - no further training is possible!

So, the ultimate solution? LOVE ONE ANOTHER. If a kid is screaming, love the family enough to invest your life in theirs and help them solve the problem. And if YOUR kids are screaming, accept the help!

My 5.5 cents... Thanks for listening

I am a teacher and have my own 18-month-old.  I've seen really good kids, and I have seen kids that scream because another child didn't like the color blue.  I think that parents should know thier kids and take them out when it's going to be a positive experience for everyone-the kids, the parents, and everyone else.  Setting specific expectations and consequences before leaving the house and then reviewing them right before going in will help with most behavior problems. Worse comes to worse, take the food to-go, but this should be a parent decision, not a company policy.  I would understand that if a kid is screaming for five minutes, a manager could tactfully suggest taking the food to go.  

Putting a "We don't cater to screaming kids" sign just seems like bad business for most restaurants.  Hoity-toity restaurants probably stand more to gain, but most restaurants need to cater to the general public-including kids.

Addressing to the mom with a special need child that called in earlier. My heart goes out to her, but it is not fair to make a restaurant service screaming people (and lose their source of income). Simply vote with your dollar and dont take any screaming person there.

i don't think kids should be banned or asked to leave just because they are screaming or acting like a toddler should act. it not easy to get a child to sit still and be quiet. my child is not always quiet its because she is TODDLER! we are in the process of teaching her calm down and eat and no screaming or yelling. it doesnt make any sense to banned a child from eating at certain places for being who they are.

Screaming children in public places...hmmm. I was blessed with a son who very rarely threw a screaming temper tantrum for any reason. I never hesitated to take him with me to even the finest of restaurants and public places. And if the occasion arose, as a parent, I promptly put a stop to it if it was unreasonable.

However, there are so many parents who are not as lucky as I was. Some have children with disabilities that may ask a little more tolerance from the rest of us. Other parents, however, have allowed their children to be unruly and I have trouble faulting the child for that.

Regardless, I do enjoy a nice time out every now and again and am very grateful for the parents who at least attempt to expect proper behavior from their children.

As a parent now of an adult child, I cannot tell you how many times I have been complimented on my son's respectful behavior and common manners. Personally, I think the Lord gave him most of it, I only had a little to do with it I am sure.

Every type of restaurant caters to a specific population. One cannot cater to all needs. If there's an upscale restaurant that seeks to provide the best dining experience possible to all their customers, they should be entitled to do business with their choice of customers (the ones that cares about ambience noice). Family with children should be wanting to dine in family-friendly places instead of insisting on having certain restaurants cater to their needs. I am sure there are plenty of restaurants that would be more than happy to cater to family needs. If a restaurant want to be all "uptight" about this, it should be their freedom to refuse service.

It's common courtesy.  My husband and I go out to eat and enjoy our meal and leave our kids at home with a sitter to do so. I understand that a child will get fussy but they and their parents need to learn to respect others in the room.  The bottom line is we wouldn't expect the resteraunt to tolerate a screaming adult ditto screaming children.

Yes, the family should all be able to go out together to enjoy dinner at a restaurant, but the parent's should be able to have their kids under- control, respectfuly, and well behaved. That should go for everything too! It's important that we teach our kids Godly values, standards, morals, and manners all starting as children and throughout growing up. Just yesterday me and my family were at a movie, and this mother was not paying attention to her daughter. Before the movie started showing previews of other movies, the girl would be running up and down the isles and in the rows. She was loud at times as well. We all just thought that it was ok because we figured she would get that extra energy out before the movie starts so she will settle down after the movie started. She did not settle down completely. She would still be loud at times, and would walk through the isles etc. We had to "shh" her a couple times. The mom did not do anything. It was so irritating and distracting. I find that very disrespectful and inconsiderate. That should not be the way kids are raised. I think parents like that need to step up, and raise their kids better! That is not acceptable!

I have a 4 year old that has a rare genetic disorder which causes autism, he also has cerebal palsy. I have a problem with that. He can only communicate through sign and making certain sounds which may be louder at times. If people can not understand that when you go out to eat maybe you should go.... You have no idea what it's like to take of someone as special as my child. Special needs children that don't talk but communicate a certain ways should be able to go where they please. The last time I checked we live in a FREE country. I don't think it is fair to banned a child from a restaurant because of his or her special behavior...

As a mother of 3 boys and grandma to 2 boys, there is NO WAY I would tolerate screaming at my own table let alone a meal I was paying for.  I wasn't tolerated at church or anywhere.  Young mom's your child does not have to go EVERYWHERE with you.  You need a break and so does the child.  I work with the public and am an awanna teacher, I love kids.  But PLEASE time your outings. Don't go anywhere while they are hungry.  Give them a light lunch before you leave even if you are going out to eat.  It keeps them from whining (which is just as bad) that they are hungry over and over again. Take a couple of games or toys it keeps them focused.  As good manners are, if your child starts fussing GET HIM OUT OF THE RESTAURANT. Everyone in there is paying for their meal. Why spoil it for them?  Its downright RUDE. I am one that I will tap you on the shoulder and ask that you go outside until your child calms down.  Afew minutes of quite time and everyone is happy.  Same thing in church, how can I hear what preacher is saying and he has a microphone,with your screaming child in my ear.  It is a courtesy that parents have forgotten how to use because they see nothing wrong with disrupting an entire assembly.  Heres a closing thought....how would YOU feel if someone stood up and loudly cursed and yelled? It is disruptive and you don't want to hear it.  Imagine if someone did that to you because of your screaming child.  People are wierd now a days.

Before my daughter and son-in-law had kids of their own, whenever they went to a restaurant instead of asking for "non-smoking" section, he would ask for the "no-kids" section!!

It is so annoying when you are at a resturant and there are screaming children.  I alsolutely think that resturants should band families with screaming children. Besides the parents should be tring to calm the child down anyways instead of ignorring it.  I just cannot stand it wherever I go.  I think that the resturant did the right thing.  One more point to add is it really annoying if they are right next to you and you are in a conversation with the person next to you.

I dont think it's right for them to ask a family to leave if the kids are loud!  I was a little upset that some people are saying its ok, apparently those people dont have kids!  I do have kids, 4 of them as matter of fact, ages from 6 all the way down to 2!  I do admit that my kids get loud when we go out to eat and we try to quiet them down, but I am a paying customer just like anyoine else in that restaurant.  I do dread taking them out sometimes, but I also want to take them in to a public scene so they dont have to stay trapped at home all the time.  So again, I think that restaurant shouldnt be able to kick a family out!  thank you.

Yes they should be asked to leave but more than that, the parents shouldn't have to be asked. If they can't control their children, they should automatically leave. Kids will soon learn that if they want to eat out...they are to behave. Whether it's an upscale restaurant or a regular family restaurant, people shouldn't be forced to hear screaming kids through their whole meal. Why should others be forced to hold their ears just to enjoy a meal out? Especially those who don't have kids or their kids are grown. If the child can't be controlled, they shouldn't take them out to eat. There is a difference in a toddler being a toddler and those who are extremely loud or screaming, or allowed to run around all over the place, etc.

I dont think it's right for them to ask a family to leave if the kids are loud!  I was a little upset that some people are saying its ok, apparently those people dont have kids!  I do have kids, 4 of them as matter of fact, ages from 6 all the way down to 2!  I do admit that my kids get loud when we go out to eat and we try to quiet them down, but I am a paying customer just like anyoine else in that restaurant.  I do dread taking them out sometimes, but I also want to take them in to a public scene so they dont have to stay trapped at home all the time.  So again, I think that restaurant shouldnt be able to kick a family out!  thank you.

No, children and their families should not be asked to leave a restaraunt because of a screaming child. The waiter/waiteress or steward/stewardess can ask a family to quiet down if they're being rowdy, however children do scream, especially the ones who cannot talk yet. Screaming is the only way they know how to communicate with the people they are with. If my son begins to scream uncontrollably and I cannot calm him, however I will take him into the restroom or outside until he has calmed down. There are such things as courtesy and respect, but it is a two way street. If it is a fine dining restaurant that is not family oriented then children should be left in the care of a trusted person. Couples need time away from their children and children need time away from their parents. If couples want to have a romantic evening at a fancy restaurant then there should be places for them to enjoy that without worrying about children whether theirs or someone else's. Basically families need to use common sense when bringing children to a restaraunt and other people should not expect a family oriented restaraunt to remove the screaming children and their families.

As a server, I've encountered this WAY more often than I like.  Not only is it annoying to other customers, it is distracting and dangerous to the servers.  Often a screaming child has flailing extremeties!  So in addition to trying our hardest to hear the elderly order their meal, we also have to survive the obsticle course between our location and the kitchen.  The pot of coffee we often carry with us is a danger to everyone when "the child" is having a fit.  It has been my experience that the parents who allow the child to continue to scream and throw a fit are the same parents who don't stop their child from doing ANYTHING.  Therefore, the screaming child has become the flailing child, who then becomes the out of the chair and running around child.  Now not only am I in danger of spilling coffee on myself or someone else, all the servers are in danger of tripping over, or being run into by "the child".  A comedy of errors?  Not really.

I would have to say that if the parents would actually "parent" their children, and be considerate of ALL others (even the lowly servers), then it wouldn't be necessary for restaurants to take the role of adult.

Absolutely.  People go to restaurants to enjoy themselves and have a nice time, they don't go there to hear kids screaming, besides, who likes to hear a screaming child???  The parent needs to be considerate to the other people in the restaurant and take the child out of the restaurant and work out the situation.  Either calm the child down so he/she is not screaming anymore or just go home if the child is not cooperating.  Having to deal with screaming children in a restaurant is not pleasant!

It is unacceptable for someone to bring children to a restaurant if the child/children haven't been properly trained to behave appropriately in a restaurant; they shouldn't even be there in the first place.

If the restaurant has to kick out a family that is not: being considerate by just letting there child scream, not dealing with the child in a isolated place, or the child won't stop screaming/trowing tantrum, is acceptable.  So I just say, KICK 'EM OUT IF NECESSARY.  


Besides, the other people in the restaurant with be thankful for it.

I believe the problem with this rule is interpretation.  I would like for someone to define “screaming children”.  Is it one who screams constantly, one who screams now and then, is it one who screams just once?  What age are we talking about?  Is it a two year old that screams 4.632 times? Is it a 5 year old that screams just once?  It is not so easy to define is it?  Here is a question: at what point would Jesus be in favor of banning the family from the restaurant?  I venture to say not as fast as you or I would!  I have five children under the age of 9.  My family and I have had people pay for our meal and say it was because our children are so well behaved.  I am a firm believer in disciplining a child at an early age.  I have no sympathy for people who “don’t want to be bothered by screaming children”.  It is difficult for me to understand how anyone who has a servant spirit could even discuss banning families from restaurants because they have children with them.  That is what this comes down to unless you are willing to legalistically define the scream limit!

I heard this question on my way home from work today and listened to a response from a mom with a special needs child. My heart was touched because I too have a special needs child, but I have to stand behind the business asking families with screaming children to leave.
My children are now 25,23,21 and 18. As you can see at one time I had my hands full with small children who were not always as quiet as they should have been. But when they were little if I took them to a restaurant it was McDonald's or chuck-e-cheese where noise was not an issue.
At this point in my life, to be VERY frank...I have done my time. I have raised my children. We skipped the meals out at restaurants when my children were small because it was not appropriate to take them somewhere where their noise would disturb the other patrons. I like being able to enjoy a nice QUIET meal out with my husband and find myself being more than a little annoyed when people take poorly behaved children to restaurants.

Screaming children should be dealt with no matter where they are. If they are overly tired, underdisciplined, hurting, whatever the cause, the parent should take them to a secluded place (the car) and calm them down. I realize it is natural for a toddler to be loud and I am not saying children should be totally quiet when out to dinner. But when the child is out of control, the parents need to do something, not only for the sake of those around them, but for their child. I have had to ask parents in restaurants to control their child when they are screaming and crawling over the divider and onto my table. the parents seem to think that because this is normal behavior for a toddler, that is it acceptable behavior. Children will not learn on their own, they must be taught.
Plus on the rare occasions when we could get a sitter and go out to dinner, the last thing I wanted was someone elses child demanding attention the entire time. If the child cannot behave, take them to McDonalds for dinner and let them play. have mercy on the rest of us who finally got a night out.

Thank goodness our Lord and Savior does not have this policy. He understands that foolishness is bound in the heart of a child (Proverbs 22:15).  Even the most well behaved children have a meltdown every now and then, that is why God tells us to train them in His wisdom precept upon precept, line upon line, (Isaiah 28:13) you do not get perfect children overnight.  ~ Julia

My son has severe ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder along with a couple of other disorders.  There are times when he can be very difficult.  We have been dealing with all of this for 11 years.  People are very quick to make a negative judgement against any child who is misbehaving and most people really don't know how to respond to a child with a disability.  We did not take our son to eat out for many years because we knew that his behavior was bothering people around us.  We made that decision out of respect for other people.  With that said, my son stays every Friday evening with my parents.  Those few hours of respite time is all we have to renew our emotional and physical health so we can manage another week with everything we have to deal with.  We go out to eat on Friday nights to let someone else wait on us for 1 hour.  The last thing I want to hear is a screaming child during my respite time.  That may sound selfish but I have given up a whole lot of my life in respect for others and I think other parents should have that same respect for me.  

Many times, parents toleratation of their screaming/misbehaving children is out of personal selfishness.  Our society has become so self centered and entitled that they feel they deserve their time out (dinner, movie, play, shopping, etc) and will maintain that path regardless of their child's behavior.  One thing I learned early on in my parenting journey is that doing the right thing isn't always easy or convenient but is always what God requires of us as we mold and shape the children He blesses us with.  With my own kids, tt didn't take many instances of being calmly carried out of a public place and immediately taken home and put to bed/rest to put an end to tantrums.  Even when it meant my husband and I missing out on a movie or a good meal.  For my family, kind and respectful behavior will never be an option.  

Children should not be banned from resturants, we were all one at one time.This is all a part of the learning process. I do think if a child is acting up the parents need to take the child outside till they are ready to behave and return.

No, screaming kids should not be banned from a restaurants.  Parents who do not have enough respect for other guests should.  It is easy enough to take your child to the restroom or to the car until they can pull it together.  People go out to enjoy a nice quiet dinner.  That being said, adults who do not have enough respect for other diners to keep their voices down should be banned from restaurants.  They are old enough to know better.  My husband and I were eating out at a nice restaurant with a nice quiet ambiance, lights dimmed, soft music etc. and the table next to ours was so loud causing the table next to them and behind us to speak louder so they could hear each other.  My husband and I could not even carry on a conversation.  It was very frustrating. So much for spending good money to have a nice romantic dinner.  

Yes, a restaurant has every right to ask a family to leave if their screaming child does not stop immediately.  People go out to eat to enjoy an evening out in peace and quiet.  I have children and I have left the restaurant with my screaming child so that others around could enjoy their meal in peace.  My hubby and I have taken turns walking out with our disruptive child until he or she can behave.  It is just common courtesy.

So what happens if the family is almost done with their meal? Do they leave without paying if ASKED to leave?
If people don't want to dine with families with screaming children, they should go to more adult-type places. Kids need to eat too. Don't embarrass the parents. They're already embarrassed enough.

Parents need to take some ownership of their children and control them.  I hate it when parents let their children run around and scream in restrants, churches, public places where a respect should be shown for the other people are gathered.   For goodness sakes, take some responsilbity and either leave the room or learn to control your children.  To me, it's a case of teaching your children how to behave in public.  If you ignore the screaming, then apparently you haven't been taught the right things to do.

Cell phone usage in a public place is another topic.  Leave the technology at home and enjoy the meal, service, activity, and nothing is so important that it can not wait.