Banning children from restaurants is F'd up.

About a week ago I saw a piece on the news that really, deeply irritated me.  I was so mad that I totally wanted to blog about it if only to put it out there.  My perspective.  And let it reverberate into nothingness as do most of the posts I do. 

There's a restaurant by the name of McDain's Restaurant in Monroeville Pennsylvania that has banned any children under the age of 6 to dine on the premise.  The reason given was that they are too noisy and disrupt other patrons of the establishment.  Well here is the thing that really gets me.  I KNOW.  I mean I do really know that children are unpredictable and yes sometimes lack any sort of volume control.  This is not only embarrassing for the parents but also can lead to some uncomfortable moments for others if the parents don't act accordingly and escort the unruly child out to the car or away from other patrons.  I also know why the parents sometimes wait till the child has totally stepped out of bounds.  Because they have not eaten a meal at a restaurant for eons and soooo badly want to finish whatever delicacy they can afford before it is a cold nasty remnant of a evening gone horrific.  Heated up in a nasty melted styrofoam takeout container at 10 o'clock at night while you fight with your spouse about discipline and who needs to start "stepping up."

The other side to this is YOU...the general public that is lucky enough to be dining sans children.  There is a lot of talk about parents that don't discipline their child.  I can't tell you how many times I have heard that parents don't "PARENT" anymore.  That is total B.S.  I have no problem parenting but here is the issue, you never know who that person in the restaurant is that will think that your discipline is abuse.  You can't even look at your kid sideways without wondering who's thinking your a meany pants.  They want to see you chase them around in circles and do time outs and blah blah blah but I really think when a child knows that they could get a spanking if they misbehave they are much less apt to test their limits in a public setting.  Go ahead, call me awful but all that means is your the problem...or you don't have children.  You can't expect parents to do a half way decent job at raising their children if children are allowed to feel like they have 50/50 control of a situation.  When I was a kid getting grounded was a treat, getting a spanking was punishment.  If I knew that a spanking was going to result from my behavior I was NOT going to risk it.  If I knew a stern talking to was the outcome then bring it on.  A kid can out talk a parent any day...and the circle continues.  The child will keep on with a behavior if they are not a little afraid of you.  All I have to do is give my son a look when we are at a restaurant now and he knows that it is ON if he keeps it up. 

So be outraged if you want or  try to realize when you see some broken mother or father grab a boy or girl by the arm a little harder then you might have and lead them out of the restaurant without a big cheery OH SHUCKS smile on their face that they are going to sit in a hot boring car with a crying toddler for 45 minutes till they can get home fight with their wife/husband and eat their microwaved fillet mignon out of melted styrofoam.  LET US PARENT AND BUTT THE HELL OUT!  STOP MAKING US FEEL GUILTY FOR CORRECTING BEHAVIORS THAT ARE UNACCEPTABLE.  TRY TO UNDERSTAND HOW EMBARRASSED THE PARENTS ARE AND DON'T FREAK WHEN I SHOW MY CHILD HOW EMBARRASSING IT FEELS TO BE DISRESPECTED IN A PUBLIC PLACE.  

That is my rant for this year.  Thanks for reading and don't hate.  By the way my kids rock at restaurants and it did not come easy....oh it did not.