Restaurant Apologizes for Charging $5 Baby Tax. Moms Still Fuming

What about the parents who got baby sitters so they could get away from the crying for a quiet evening out?

Back in the day, (when people used to have respect), acting up in a restaurant or in public meant either a deranged look from the parent meaning trouble is coming, or leaving IMMEDIATELY and a slap. You got used to being respectful in your surroundings REALLY QUICK. I'm not advocating slapping a child, but I can't believe how many of these brats I see today.

The restaurant has nothing to apologize for. I wish they had kept the brat fee.

If you can't or won't control the actions of your children, don't bring them into a restaurant.

I have a toddler and an infant, and I am all for the fees (or the bans). We don't take our kids to restaurants unless they are explicitly "kid friendly", so when we go someplace for a quiet meal and adult conversation, we don't want to hear other people's kids any more than they want to hear ours.

Restaurants, at least in the United States reserve the right to refuse service to anyone. It is not the fault of kids that they are not behaved, it is the fault of their parents. If I were a restaurant owner and the kids were making a mess of the place and or disturbing other patrons, I would ask the parents to parent their child or leave promptly. Just because one chooses to have a child does not mean everyone else needs to feel the weight of their decision.

I was in a restaurant once where there was a young couple with 3 kids ranging from infant to toddler seated a few tables away. The baby cried and the two toddlers screamed the whole time they were there; what did mom and dad do? Ignored them and ate their meal. When they got up to leave, a man at the table next to me stood up, started clapping his hands, and said "Yay, they're leaving". Within seconds everybody in that section of the restaurant was clapping. Dad was clearly embarrassed and couldn't get out of there quick enough. Mom, on the other hand, gave everybody two middle fingers. And that, my friends, is why ALL restaurants this side of Jack in the Box should charge a fee to discourage people with small kids from bringing them to their restaurant; I'm a responsible parent, YOU may be a responsible parent, but it only takes one inconsiderate ash hole to ruin everybody's meal. And honestly, I think the inconsiderate ash holes have the responsible parents outnumbered.

If these people would make these little darlings sit down and behave, it probably never would have come up in the first place!!

My parents took me places when I was young. I never mis-behaved because I knew if i did my destruction would be swift and complete.

Part of the fun of having a police officer for a dad...
He has since retired and become a nature hippy!

I cannot see paying for a child that does not eat, but I would like to see more restaurants with the "Adults Only" rule (18 and over)

I'm a parent but I can easily understand an adult's desire to dine somewhere kids are few or none.

Maybe the recent trend in kid-free zones is because people don't parent their kids. Just because you made a baby doesn't mean you are a good parent raising a kid that is going to be respectful and an asset to society.

I certainly don't think there should be an extra charge for babies at restaurants, but if restaurants want to create dumb rules like it, then don't patronize them! There is a PlayPlace at McDonalds and I don't complain that they are catering to the parents.

"While they may have gotten used to fellow patrons complaining about their crying babies"...

And therein lies the problem. Fellow patrons shouldn't have to "get used" to your crying babies...you should have the common courtesy to take them outside until you can quiet them down. Sure, it's frustrating, but it's part of being a responsible parent. Do everybody a favor and get a babysitter or stick to McDonalds and Chuck E. Cheese until your kids are older. Because while you might get used to your fellow patrons complaints, your fellow patrons will never get used to your crying kids...and they shouldn't have to.

I think a finer resturant should have the right to do something like this . I have a good friend in the resturant business and he and his wife and staff absolutely hate it when people bring in their own food and proceed to allow their child to throw this food all over the floor and everywhere else. They have gone to the point of giving the parents a broom and dustpan to clean up after their own child when done- the parent gets the hint and even has success with return business with most of them

Have you ever cleaned up after a toddler in a restaurant? OMG! I would be horrified if my child left a mess like some I have seen. People are saying: We are fed up with your ill mannered destructive children! Keep them at home until you can teach them some manners. I say kudos to restaurants...they are listening to the majority of the paying customers. BTW, my child would NOT be allowed to destroy her eating area like some animal!
Solution: Charge the $5, but if the toddlers area is left neat, give it back to the parents. Not all parents allow their children to mess up other people's property.

If parents would should decency and respect to others by taking their crying toddles out of the area for some quite time, people would be tolerant enough to ignore it when it does happen, since it would occur less often. If parents would teach their older children respect for others and proper decent public behavior there would have been no movement for Kid Free Zones in the first place. If parents would dicipline their teenagers properly and instill respect for others STARTING at a young age and CONTINUING until they're adults, society wouldn't worry so much. In short, if parents would be PARENTS, this kind of thing wouldn't even be an issue. However, we live in a society where parents want to be their childrens' best friends, rather than parents. What do they expect? What RIGHT do they have to backlash? If they did their job as parents, others wouldn't have to do it for them.

finally! i'm all for having a family section in a restaurant with plastic floors and soundproofing, then the adult side where there is nicer furniture and adults only.

After working in several restaurants, I'm in support of toddler and baby fees. It's outrageous the things that most parents will let their child do! Screaming, running around, and throwing food are NOT okay to do in a restaurant, other people are trying to enjoy their meal too. If parents would keep their kids in line, restaurants wouldn't have to penalize them with fees.

I think its awesome. I work at a resteraunt and parents come in with babies and toddlers that scream and make huge messes and then the parents don't even control them of attempt to clean up the unreasonably huge and disgusting messes that the babies and little kids make, no I have to do that. So i don't feel bad for them.

When my son was about 3 or 4 I would dress him up in a little suit and tie to take him to a very nice restaurant. I would tell him that the restaurant is really meant for grown-ups and he has to be very careful to act like an adult so maybe they wouldn't notice he is only a kid. He never let me down. I guess the fine dining experience was beneficial to him because he is now an executive chef in a fine restaurant.