Eating with children
 

Hi everyone
I have read quite a few posts recently about eating in restaurants with children/buggies. I feel I must share with you what happened to us when we were in PP in August with our 2 children.

Our favourite place to eat is the Hostal Bahia. I think the view from their terrace is just wonderful. We booked a table one Saturday evening and I was really looking forward to it. When we arrived I notice that quite a few 'reserved' tables had been pushed together into two very long tables, one of which was next to where we were sitting. The rest of the terrace soon filled up and we ordered our food and sat chatting with our children enjoying absolutely everything.

Then a huge group of adults (around 14 of them) arrived - each couple seemed to have at least 2 children each - the youngest was in a buggy and the oldest looked younger than our children who are 7 and 8. It was clear that they were heading for the reserved tables, one of which was next to us. I couldn't believe it when they all sat down. Adults on one long table (half of whom had their backs to the children) and all the children (including the one in the buggy) at the other table next to us. I have never seen such a terrible scene in a restaurant. The adults completely ignored the children who were behaving just as you might expect about 15 unaccompanied children to behave. The terrace looked like a bombsite in minutes. I have no idea how the waiters kept so cool. Needless to say our evening was somewhat spoilt and we didn't bother with coffees etc afterwards. We couldn't wait to get away!

PP is of course a family place and in summer it is full of families and groups. However, I think it was rude, thoughtless and selfish for all those adults to enjoy a lovely grown up meal, whilst we looked after (or should I say, suffered) their children.

I have often been out with family groups where the children sit at one end of the table or maybe the older ones sit at their own table but I would never, ever leave a huge group of pre-schoolers to fend for themselves and annoy everyone else in the restaurant.

Rant over!!!

You are so right - unhappily I think this is a growing trend, both on holiday and at home. Some adults do seem to feel they are entitled to have a good time at everyone else's expense... So many times in restaurants I've seen children left to their own devices - shovelling food in with their hands rather than using cutlery, shouting, climbing under and on the table etc... Small wonder that primary schools are reporting that many six and seven year olds don't know how to use a knife and fork. Anyway, don't get me started on this one!

Exactly the types I was aluding to in my little italy post

Thoughtless and irresponsible

Also, how are the children ever going to learn how to behave in polite surroundings if left to fend for themselves ?

One of the benefits of family holidays is it provides a fantastic relaxed atmosphere in which to reinforce table manners and standards of behaviour on your kids ........... not from being a victorian dragon but from having nice relaxing family meals in great surroundings and demonstrating to your children the type of behaviour that is expected ................ not leaving them to behave as though they were in the local macdonalds

Thank you for your replies. I feel better having got my rant off my chest. On the night in question I almost felt ashamed to be English! The children in the restaurant were actually quite lovely - it wasn't their fault that their parents weren't taking a blind bit of notice of them and didn't stop the fighting/squabbling/accidents and food throwing. Any large group of tiny tots would have been just the same if they had been left to their own devices. It was the parents that were at fault. Far too busy trying to outdo each other.

We have always enjoyed taking our children to as many different restaurants as we can. On the whole they are well behaved and well supervised! BUT if for some reason one of them seems to be in a 'difficult' mood or perhaps tired then we would choose a restaurant accordingly. Maybe just go for a quick bite at the Joker or something similar (or just stay in the villa) and go out the next day instead. I do think that it's not children that are the problem it is ignorant parents.

We witnessed a similar incident when we went to La Victoria. There was a large group of English people at the next table. Children running riot, parents completely ignoring them, too busy being pushy and obnoxious towards the waiter. They even critisized the waiter for not being able to speak 'decent' English!!!! It takes all sorts I suppose. We can't all be perfect!!!!;)

ps. Just realised on reading this post that you think I'm just nosey and spend my time listening to other people's conversations. That's not the case. They were VERY loud!

Yes Hannah. Sometimes people make it difficult not to overhear their conversations. I sometimes think that when some people go away on holiday they leave their brains at home! Seriously I do believe that being in a different country seems to give some people permission to behave like idiots! I have been in situations too where you just wish the floor to open. Certainly not to be associated with being just another ignorant Brit! The joke is that it is usually these Brits which have something to say about other nationalities! A hidden video to be played on return to Britain would be an eye opener to some! ----- A good tv programme perhaps?? lol

I agree with all that's been said here... and love children, just cant manage a whole one ! ;)

But being on holiday with Norwegian friends, they were saying exactly the same about peoples lack of volume control... except they were blaming all the Norwegians for being loud !.... So either the Norwegians AND the Brits are particularly loud.......... or we tune in to our mother language. Or maybe its just the sangria :)

Miriam

Do you not think that the Spanish are a very noisy race. They drive around with car stereos blaring, when they drive up to pick someone up (and this includes taxi drivers) they don't get out and ring the doorbell, they just blast the horn, as does the Butano man.
They only know one way to close doors, shutters and window and that is to slam them.
I guess that i am saying, none of us are perfect.....whatever nationality we are.;)

Dead on Sparky!

Even the tinies have voices like foghorns!:eek:

Yes, the Spanish LOVE to talk! I do think Spanish children are better behaved on the whole in restaurants though... I have noticed that they tend to sit together with the family - none of this separate tables/chimps' tea party attitude mentioned in the original post of this thread. It's not just in restaurants either - in shops I've seen kids running amok, allowed to pull stuff off shelves and on to the floor, with parents making no attempt to stop them. It's just a lack of respect for other people and other people's property - if their parents don't teach them that, and from a very young age, how can they know how to behave? Sorry - am going a bit off thread here...

As you said Kate, it all comes down to lack of respect when children are allowed to run riot. But again it is my experience that all nationalities can be guilty of this behaviour not just the Brits. ;)

True, but it becomes more obvious and more embarrassing if its in a foreign country and its your countrymen / children that are causing the problems.

I've been thinking about children's behaviour and lack of manners and general social skills alot over the past year, because I have a 6 year old son, who is half Spanish and have always had problems getting him to sit down and behave at the table. I've come to the conclusion that much of it is down to personality of the child. I'm quite a strict parent and I watch him like a hawk when we're out and about, but he's very boisterous, interested in everything going on and extremely sociable, so it's nigh on impossible getting him to sit still and keep quiet for a minute! When we're having a meal out I sometime see people raising their eyebrows at me as if to say 'take control of your boy' - they are always British. The Mallorquins/Spanish will always tell me to just let him do what he wants 'because he's a boy'.

What I can't stand though is the lack of respect that some children have, both for other people and things. I think this is why the Spanish children may appear to be better behaved, because, on the whole they do respect their elders. I'm hoping that my little man adopts the good sides from both cultures! (Can't stand it when he shouts though - sparky's right....they're so loud!)

Well done on your posting Lilliana, as a mother of 5 boys ranging from age 4 to 15 it is sometimes hard to control their excitement especially on holiday. I for one do not want to spend every night of my holiday in Burger King. I have always brought my boys up to have respect for people and to not certainly run around tables in a restaurant. But like you I've had people look down their noses at me. (normally british) Some people have no tolerance levels. I've had people tut as me as my 2 little ones as they have made their way to the ice cream fridge. I would rather see happy children than a table containing a couple who are eating in silence because they ran out of things to say 20 years previous....
It is these children that will carry on the love for PP long after we have gone. And I for one would like to enjoy my trips to PP without being on tenderhooks about which place to eat with my children.
I'm sorry to rant but I work hard to bring up respectfull boys.

And they certainly do carry on the love! Two of my "boys" are now in their mid twenties, progressed from Alcudia when babies to PP in their teens, and still love going now, what ever the season and love the island even more.
They used to finish eating - usually on Pine Walk somewhere - and play in sight while we finished a drink or two, along the pedestrianed walk or beach, and even chat to the blanket holders - there were no stalls were there! Ah, memories.

Thanks Belladona. After years of my own childhood holidays spent in CSV I'm enjoying the experience with my boys. Hopefully 1 of the 5 will carry on the tradition...