As any parent knows, eating out in a restaurant with children can be a bit of a dicey game. Sometimes your kids are angels, and other times you just want to crawl under the table ... if it wasn't such a horrific mess from all the food they'd thrown down there. But what if your bill depended on how well-behaved your children were?
A Reddit user recently posted a picture of a receipt from an Italian restaurant in Washington named Sogno Di Vino with a title "If only all restaurants did this for people with kids ..." On it there was a $4 discount for "well-behaved kids". A sweet gesture, and I bet those parents were pretty proud.
But the whole thing makes me kind of nervous.
Can you imagine if you were charged more for those times when your children aren't quite so good (as plenty of commenters suggested should be standard)? Or if the next time you didn't get a discount?
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Eating out with children is already filled with plenty of pressure for parents. Every raised voice, every dropped spoon can make a mom feel like all eyes in the joint are searing into her. And yes, sometimes children are out of control and should be removed from a restaurant. No one deserves for their meal to be interrupted by kids gone wild, but there also needs to be a certain amount of tolerance for families dining out without parents feeling like they're being judged even more. Most children just aren't going to be seen and not heard, and as long as mom and dad are making sure they're not heard too loudly, they deserve a little bit of a break. Having a random waitress decide what "well-behaved" is could be all sorts of problematic. I also can't imagine that restaurants really want to get into a battle over the bill with "those" parents who always deny their precious little ones ever do anything wrong.
Would it be nice to be rewarded when the planets align and you all make it through dinner delightfully? Absolutely. But I'm not sure it's worth the price you'd pay for the days when your kids act more ... like kids.
Would you welcome a policy in which your restaurant bill was adjusted according to your children's behavior?
Image via Reddit
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Comments 68
I love it. If you are a parent who has raised your children to behave like respectful little human beings in public places, then you will love this too. Of course, there are the off times when all children may or may not act up, but overall, if you are a good parent and teach your children about respect for themselves and others from the beginning, this is great.
When you ask my 8 year old daughter why we don't behave like selfish, spoiled brats, she will respond simply, every time, "because we are classy ladies". That's how I've raised her from the beginning. We go camping and get muddy and ride dirt bikes and have fun, but when it comes to having class, self respect, and being a lady, there are no compromises. She loves being respectful of herself and others just as much as I love it for her to be that way. It makes her proud of herself.
I'm all for this!
There's a small restaurant chain in Atlanta called J. Christopher's. On their menu it says "Kid's Meals $3.95 ; Rowdy Messy kids $29.95" I'm pretty sure they're joking and wouldn't really charge that, but then again my kids behave, so I couldn't say for sure.
Parents are (supposed to be) raising their kids to be functioning members of society, functioning members of society aren't assholes in public. If you wouldn't be okay with behavior your child is exhibiting coming from a teenager (or an adult) it's time to nip it. I'm not expecting a kid to be perfect, but sitting on your butt, being polite, and eating nicely is not too much to ask, and if it is, hit up the drive thru.
its a good idea the parent can offer the children the money saved if they behave.
I think It might be a good incentive for some parents to step up and BE parents. I love when I go out to a restaurant and my kids are sitting in their seats eating their food and behaving, while other peoples children are running all over the restaurant, screaming and throwing things. Meanwhile the parents sit there and do nothing at all or worse, laugh or encourage their horrid behavior. That may maybe acceptable in restaurants with play lands but not at a sit down restaurant.
I think it's a great idea!