More often than not, young children and restaurants are not a compatible mix. The idea of sitting in the same place for over an hour without the freedom to run around and play with their toys isn’t appealing to many kids.
As a result of their boredom or discomfort, they may start to misbehave, creating chaos for both their family and nearby customers.
- A NY restaurant rewards parents of well-behaved kids with a discount.
- Some praised the initiative for promoting good parenting, while others called it unrealistic.
- Critics argue that the idea could create challenges for waitstaff in determining what constitutes "good behavior."
A restaurant in New York has devised a possible solution to this common issue by rewarding parents of “well-behaved” children with a special discount.
A viral picture of the establishment’s bill lists a $6.72 discount off the total amount, thanks to the polite young customers.
A restaurant in New York has devised a plan to incentivize good behavior among their youngest customers
Image credits: Pexels/Vanessa Loring
The idea sparked debate on social media. While some argued that it’s an efficient way to incentivize good parenting, others highlighted the inherently unpredictable behavior of children.
A fan of the initiative said, “I like the idea. We’ve made sure our daughter is well-behaved, but there are some parents that let their kids run feral in restaurants, and everyone else has to put up with their screaming, throwing things, and running around people’s tables.”
“And a 10 per cent surcharge if they’re poorly behaved. We need the carrot and the stick on this one,” someone suggested.
“It really means ‘well-behaved parents.’ I used to take my kids out of the restaurant and let the rest of the family and customers eat in peace whenever one of my kids acted up,” a mother wrote.
“Most parents did at the time. I don’t see that happen very often nowadays.”
Another person shared, “I would absolutely 100 percent give a massive discount to well-behaved children at my job… I work at a toy store.”
The establishment provides a special discount to parents of “well-behaved” children as a gesture of appreciation for keeping a calm environment
Image credits: Pexels/ALINA MATVEYCHEVA
Other parents, however, insisted that customers should be more understanding towards young children, recognizing that it’s unrealistic to expect perfect behavior all the time.
“As someone who has what people continue to refer to as a ‘well-behaved’ baby, I think this is really stupid. Kids are people, they’re human beings, and not all of them are going to be ‘well behaved’ all the time, and that’s life,” a separate parent said.
“This is insane and dumb for a restaurant. Having someone make a judgment call on every single table with kids (unless it’s a literal guarantee to make them come back) is ridiculous,” another person complained.
Many parents loved the idea, while others argued that people should be more understanding towards young children
Image credits: Pexels/Anna Shvets
This family received a $6.72 discount for their well-mannered children
Image credits: BlackBurnerr
Then, some people pointed to the ambiguity of the term “well-behaved,” which could turn into a constant headache for the waitstaff when parents disagree with their definition.
“Now I want to see some lady demanding the discount because she thinks her brats are well-behaved,” a social media user commented, while another agreed, writing, “I can see this causing problems.”
Another person said, “I love this, but it’s also begging to set the worst kinds of people off (having such a discount kind of is, already). No one gets paid enough to deal with that s***.”
“What is sad is parents need incentive to make sure their children behave,” a separate social media user wrote.
The controversial idea sparked varying opinions among parents
Poll Question
Thanks! Check out the results:
Subscribe to Access
Exclusive Polls
By entering your email and clicking Subscribe, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Privacy Policy.
Thank you! You've successfully subscribed to newsletters!
You May Also Like
Woman Refuses To Chip In For Babysitting Because She Doesn’t Even Have Kids, Asks If She’s A Jerk
Do you think childless individuals should be expected to chip in for group babysitting costs during friend gatherings?
17 Y.O. Is Done Sharing Her Birthday With Her Late Twin, Parents Are Not Having It
Do you think the girl should be allowed to celebrate her birthday without the remembrance of her deceased twin?
I've heard way too many times from parents, "They won't listen to me," and this includes my best friend. Unfortunately, "most" parents have allowed their children to be in charge, and the adults are now the lowly servants, having to accommodate every demand, even if it breaks them.
Load More Replies...
There's a restaurant in New Jersey, Nettie's House of Spaghetti, that has banned children under the age of 10. It's been just over a year since they enacted this practice, and they are still open. This isn't a Chuck E. Cheese like place designed for kids, it's a nice Italian restaurant that costs $50-$100 per person. I definitely wouldn't want to hear a temper tantrum going on or get smacked by flying spaghetti if I was paying that much. At that cost, you're paying for the ambiance as well as good food.
Once, a long time ago, my husband and I splashed out on a very fancy dinner while on holiday in France. We came in and saw to our, well, not dismay but surprise, a family of four. Mind you, this was a restaurant with damask napkins, a battery of cutlery and a number of varying glasses. The children were perfectly well-behaved. I had a little chat with the mom and she told me they take the children out, first to something like a mcdonalds, then to slightly more 'difficult' restaurants. She told me the children felt special because they were dressed in all their finery and that made them behave very differently.
Wow. Great training! I worked with someone who was good about getting his three-year-old used to restaurants. He proudly told us, "Yesterday, he ordered for the first time. It was a muffin."
Load More Replies...
As someone who spent more than a decade in food service as all levels/positions. Absolutely love this. Its a win on every single level.
In the comments, someone said, "Kids and restaurants don't go together." Yes, they do. But the parents need to be teaching appropriate behaviour from a very young age. Parents also have to ensure they are not taking young children out when the child is too tired - that's just going to lead to disaster.
If your child behaves at home during mealtime, great. If your child doesn't behave during meals, keep the child at home.
this isn’t saying that kids aren’t allowed to be fussy or a bit “bad”, rather it’s rewarding kids who show maturity and are well-behaved. this is great!
When my son would act up in a restaurant, I would remove him. Parents now think it's just fine
I don't see the difference with the café that has a different price for "a coffee!" And "goodmorning, can I have a coffee please?"
Teach your kids how to behave when dining in public! Start at fast food places or diners. Just because the atmosphere is causal and the food "inexpensive," doesn't mean it's a free-for-all. At the risk of sounding like an aging a-hole, I remember walking around a city with my parents trying to find a restaurant that would allow children under the age of 12 in after 7PM! This needs to be brought back in some capacity. I say this after recently watching a posh couple bring their crabby, tired small children into a relatively expensive restaurant at 8PM. I can't imagine those kids didn't whine or cry throughout whatever meal or event they were dragged to making things miserable for their parents, the party, and anyone else within earshot!
"There are many kids out there with disabilities and can't always control their behavior much less expect parents to force kids into conforming to what some restaurant thinks is ideal behavior." Then you can't go to restaurants with those kids unless you get a caregiver. I'm sorry, but that's truth. The rest of the public is under no obligation to put up with your kids meltdowns. And I say this while having autistic family members. There were things we just had to accept we couldn't do with them. And restaurants, where people intend to relax and enjoy conversation, was one of those things.
Load More Replies...
I've heard way too many times from parents, "They won't listen to me," and this includes my best friend. Unfortunately, "most" parents have allowed their children to be in charge, and the adults are now the lowly servants, having to accommodate every demand, even if it breaks them.
Load More Replies... There's a restaurant in New Jersey, Nettie's House of Spaghetti, that has banned children under the age of 10. It's been just over a year since they enacted this practice, and they are still open. This isn't a Chuck E. Cheese like place designed for kids, it's a nice Italian restaurant that costs $50-$100 per person. I definitely wouldn't want to hear a temper tantrum going on or get smacked by flying spaghetti if I was paying that much. At that cost, you're paying for the ambiance as well as good food.
Once, a long time ago, my husband and I splashed out on a very fancy dinner while on holiday in France. We came in and saw to our, well, not dismay but surprise, a family of four. Mind you, this was a restaurant with damask napkins, a battery of cutlery and a number of varying glasses. The children were perfectly well-behaved. I had a little chat with the mom and she told me they take the children out, first to something like a mcdonalds, then to slightly more 'difficult' restaurants. She told me the children felt special because they were dressed in all their finery and that made them behave very differently.
Wow. Great training! I worked with someone who was good about getting his three-year-old used to restaurants. He proudly told us, "Yesterday, he ordered for the first time. It was a muffin."
Load More Replies... As someone who spent more than a decade in food service as all levels/positions. Absolutely love this. Its a win on every single level.
In the comments, someone said, "Kids and restaurants don't go together." Yes, they do. But the parents need to be teaching appropriate behaviour from a very young age. Parents also have to ensure they are not taking young children out when the child is too tired - that's just going to lead to disaster.
If your child behaves at home during mealtime, great. If your child doesn't behave during meals, keep the child at home.
this isn’t saying that kids aren’t allowed to be fussy or a bit “bad”, rather it’s rewarding kids who show maturity and are well-behaved. this is great!
When my son would act up in a restaurant, I would remove him. Parents now think it's just fine
I don't see the difference with the café that has a different price for "a coffee!" And "goodmorning, can I have a coffee please?"
Teach your kids how to behave when dining in public! Start at fast food places or diners. Just because the atmosphere is causal and the food "inexpensive," doesn't mean it's a free-for-all. At the risk of sounding like an aging a-hole, I remember walking around a city with my parents trying to find a restaurant that would allow children under the age of 12 in after 7PM! This needs to be brought back in some capacity. I say this after recently watching a posh couple bring their crabby, tired small children into a relatively expensive restaurant at 8PM. I can't imagine those kids didn't whine or cry throughout whatever meal or event they were dragged to making things miserable for their parents, the party, and anyone else within earshot!
"There are many kids out there with disabilities and can't always control their behavior much less expect parents to force kids into conforming to what some restaurant thinks is ideal behavior." Then you can't go to restaurants with those kids unless you get a caregiver. I'm sorry, but that's truth. The rest of the public is under no obligation to put up with your kids meltdowns. And I say this while having autistic family members. There were things we just had to accept we couldn't do with them. And restaurants, where people intend to relax and enjoy conversation, was one of those things.
Load More Replies...
52
34