As long as the restaurants post their child policy noticably, somewhere you can see before you enter the restaurant, I support them. If they want to have an atmosphere that doesn’t involve kids, then that’s their choice. If they want to discourage bringing kids by adding a fee, then that’s their choice. It’s also your choice whether you want to frequent such establishments. Personally, if I’m with my child, I wouldn’t go there. But, if I am going out without my child, it would be the first place I’d head to.

Plenty of children do “act out”, and it’s not up to you to decide when you kid has acted out too much. Parent get used to their children, and even if you do do something about your kid acting up, and stop it, your kid has still disrupted other patrons.

Whenever I go to a restaurant with my child, I make sure it’s a place where kids are welcome. I don’t want to disrupt the owners, workers, or other patrons. Just like I wouldn’t go to quiet restaurants if myself or my partner had vocal tourette syndrome.

You say “While they may have gotten used to fellow patrons complaining about their crying babies……”. Yeah – because it’s all about you and your poor feelings when you’re complained to about your crying baby. You don’t even think for a second about the other patrons and their legitimate right to complain.

Shame it’s come to this. Unfortunately, you can thank those parents who inflicted misbehaved and uncontrolled children on the public at large. You know the ones. The ones who let the kids screech, scream or cry without taking them out. The ones who let them run or amble around causing risk of burns from food or drink to not only themselves but the other patrons, Or the ones who let their kids walk over with sticky fingers and bug other people. And god forbid you ask nicely, or even give a look. Most of these parents feel “entitled” to their time and hell and be damned those around them. So it is THOSE parents who have ruined it for others. Shame. Since they latter manners and courtesy maybe this will be the t4aching tool they need. Too bad for those of us whose kids were taught to sit nicely, converse and respond to others with manners.

Oddly, whether it’s a cranky toddler or an asshole on his cellphone, discrimination is discrimination. And that shit’s illegal!

@FED UP – exactly. Where I live there are way too many kids whose parents permit them to do whatever they want and don’t even seem to be trying to teach them manners. And if you tell their kid not to do something (like, say, don’t run into the street when there’s a car coming) they freak out and tell you it’s not your job to parent their kid. I know that, but I just kept your kid from getting run over because you weren’t paying attention. Maybe you should have been doing that.
These same parents are the ones who let their kids run around a restaurant and annoy other people. I don’t mind your kids being there – mine’s there, too. But keep them at your table and don’t let them run loose like they’re at the playground or something. If they act up, correct them. If they won’t stop, take them outside. I’m sorry, but it’s one thing for kids to be a little loud and entirely another for you to ignore when they go from loud to obnoxious. Kids are great, and we should let them be kids, but part of being a kid is learning what behavior is appropriate where. Parents need to be teaching their children these things. If I see a kid who is just being a kid with a parent who is actually TRYING to teach them the proper way to behave, I can deal with that – they have to learn by doing, right? It’s when the parents ignore the behavior or act like it’s okay (some even encourage it) that I have a real problem.

So the fee was for toddlers who are eating the restaurant’s food? And that’s ok? Don’t they already charge for the meal? that may be the restaurants choice and my choice is to not be a patron. Children are a part of society. Those that don’t like that should crawl back into their caves and stay there. Where are all these misbehaving children anyway? My family eats out alot, we travel by plane alot both business and personal, and frankly I just have never seen behavior that would result in such a revolt by society as a whole. What is wrong with people!

@ Goddess – its called tolerance and I have lots of it for children who are still learning as should others. All the complainers will be relying on these kids when their old and gray. They deserve more respect than they are getting. I have no tolerance for mis-behaving, rude adults – they should know better. Where’s the tax/discussion for the yahoo who’s yelling on the phone in public, who cuts you off in traffic, who doesn’t hold the door for you, etc?

They do not have a charge for a non-child coming into the restaurant, so it’s discriminatory, just as a $5 “old person” or “black person” or “ugly person” fee would be illegal. you have public accomodations, you open yourself up to this and I’d venture to guess that British law and E.U. law might even be stronger than U.S. law in that regard (although without the right to bring a multi-billion $ lawsuit if you’re unhappy) are pretty clear about this.

I’d have to say that I’m with Michelle and LS on this one. How about when you head to a restaurant and the only booth that’s available looks like a couple of cattle have been foraging through it, becuase the kids have trashed it and the floor and the staff haven’t cleaned it up yet. Maybe it’s going too far to charge a fee just to bring a kid in, but even those of us with kids have had a meal ruined by screaming or over active toddlers….

For those that think its appropriate to have child bans, what about disabled people who can cause commotions? Should they be banned also because they cannot mentally understand that they are in a public place and should have manners? I understand outrage against children who are disobedient and their parents aren’t doing anything about it, but as far as banning children in general (especially infants), thats certainly discriminatory to families, just like it would be to families with members who are mentally handicapped.
On the flip side, yes, people need to be more courteous when they do bring children out in public places. I have seen many moms/dads who are inconsiderate of waitstaff or other patrons and let their kids do whatever they want. If a child is unruly and will not settle down, I think it would be appropriate for that parent to leave with their child, at least until the child can be settled down. But not all children act that way in public and not all parents let their children do whatever they want. The rest of parents should not be punished for the few that do not properly handle their children.