Woman kicked out of restaurant because of crying children: justified or not?

It remains a hotly debated issue in the hospitality industry: should children be allowed to go everywhere, or should they stay home when they scream, cry and cause a disturbance? The internet regularly explodes over stories about screaming toddlers in upscale restaurants — this restaurant refuses to allow children in after 5:30 p.m. and that causes quite a stir. And this time, Rozemarijn is the subject of debate. She and her family were kicked out of a restaurant because her children would not stop crying. What do you think: justified action or wildly excessive?

Dining out with children: a great idea, until things go wrong

Rozemarijn and her husband Pieter-Paul love dining out. Think: beautiful restaurant, good wines, multi-course menu. They usually leave their three- and five-year-old children with a babysitter. “We’re not ready to take children that age to a Michelin-starred restaurant yet, but we’re taking them out for lunch more and more often.” And that usually goes fine. In fact, they once even received a compliment about how well-behaved the children were while eating. But recently, things went wrong — and how.

Disapproving looks before you’ve even sat down: not a warm welcome

When the family entered a small bistro, the trouble began immediately. Rozemarijn: “Armed with toys and iPads, we walked in. While getting the children settled, I noticed right away that we were being given some really nasty looks. ‘Why is that lady looking so angry?’, our oldest asked us a little too loudly, as an older woman next to us took in our group with disapproval. I ignored the question and smiled politely at the woman. She turned her head away and started whispering to her table companion. What a grump, I thought.”

Ouch. Not exactly the welcoming feeling you hope to get when you go out for lunch. But still, take a deep breath, toys on the table, iPad on, wine alongside — fingers crossed.

“They can order a dish from the menu”

Unfortunately, the atmosphere did not improve when the staff arrived. Even though Rozemarijn and her husband ordered a €95 bottle of wine (the classic ‘we’re-paying-for-peace-and-quiet’ move), the restaurant refused to prepare a children’s portion.

Rozemarijn continues: “The staff clearly weren’t interested in our children either. Even after we ordered a €95 bottle of wine, they couldn’t bring themselves to make a little dish for the children. ‘No, we don’t do that here. They can order a regular dish from the menu.’ In the end, we did that, but the girls didn’t like it at all and started crying.”

Maybe check the menu beforehand?

Well, we do have to give our opinion here; even if you order a €1,000 bottle, you still have to behave yourself in a restaurant — in our opinion. The other guests, whose afternoon you’re now somewhat ruining, are also simply paying for their food and wine. Just like you. And we don’t think it’s particularly strange to refuse to prepare a special off-menu dish for children either — could you not have checked that beforehand? Assuming that people will just make an exception for you is rather arrogant, isn’t it? Maybe check the menu online first too, to see whether there’s anything suitable on it?

From crying to screaming — and then things went wrong

The crying turned into screaming, and the screaming turned into rolling around on the floor. Almost every parent knows this scenario, but in a small bistro there is simply no escaping it. “I really did everything I could to get them to be quiet, but it was no use.” Pieter-Paul stood in the hallway with the children. Rozemarijn even asked for a portion of fries. But then came the blow: “Ma’am, your unruly children are bothering the other guests a great deal. We’ll bring you the bill.”

The staff offered to pack the food and wine to go. Rozemarijn: “I threw the money on the table, put the wine in my bag and left angrily.”

And then: the owner calls

Still, there was another surprising twist. The owner called. Rozemarijn: “He said that many people had complained, but that we should never have been sent home just like that.” He offered to refund the money and invited them to dinner for two. For two. Not four. Perhaps a subtle hint?

‘Children just have to learn’

According to Rozemarijn, going out for lunch as a family is now ruined for her, Pieter-Paul and the kids. “Children just have to learn, and the only way to do that is by doing it. Everyone has been young, and I don’t understand why other guests can be so narrow-minded and cold. I wouldn’t take them to a Michelin-starred restaurant yet, but surely a casual restaurant should be possible?”

Selfish or not?

We’re very curious to hear what others think about this, because once again: this is truly a subject that divides people. Whether you have children or not. As our colleague Wieke puts it: “I don’t have children myself, so I think you see it differently then too. But honestly… I wouldn’t be happy sitting next to a table where two children were screaming and crying about everything while I was hoping to enjoy an extended lunch. On the other hand, perhaps the parents can’t really do anything about it at that moment either. Purely from a selfish perspective, I’d be annoyed, but what do you all think?”

Also read:

• 11 ridiculous restaurant orders that actually happened
• Do you follow this wine etiquette?
• Real life: I’d rather date a miser than a vegan

Source: Damespraatjes.nl