I'm not a kid person in general. No, I don't want to hold your babies. I'll wait until they can hold conversation until I engage them thank you.
But I don't mind children being around me, unless... they're on a plane or in a restaurant.
As a consumer, children drive me crazy, especially with parents who seem to be oblivious to their child's insanity. And don't get me started about my days in restaurant services. The things I have seen with families.
I support a ban. There are plenty of places for all of us to dine.
Redditor u/woodsexy wanted everyone to share our thoughts on kids and dining... yeah or nay... by aksing:
What is your opinion of restaurants that ban children?
Some spaces are just meant for humans who are old enough to be there. I get that families need to get out, especially parents, but there are already plenty of places to go. Let's discuss...
Adult Time
Driving Billie Eilish GIF by Apple Music
Giphy
"Adults should be able to go out and enjoy a quiet dinner. There are plenty of family restaurants that allow children... should be nothing wrong with having a few for adults."
A Disney No
"Where can I find such a restaurant?"
- ttyy2000
"Disney World's Victoria & Alberta's restaurant requires all diners be at least 10. Partially this is because they expect dinner to take about 3 hours. That's way too long for 99% of kids to sit."
Thumbs Up
"As a parent I'm ok with it. You've got family restaurants, casual restaurants, smart restaurants that ban people in trainers, fast food restaurants, fine dining restaurants, seafood restaurants, steak restaurants, nose to tail restaurants, vegetarian and vegan restaurants, home-cooking style restaurant, hip and trendy restaurants, any number of restaurants that cater to a single cuisine. Different people want, and like, different things so if a restaurant wants to be adult only then I don't really care."
A Police State
"I'm the oldest of five kids. I remember numerous occasions when waitstaff would say things like "Wow, your children are so well-behaved!" because we weren't throwing fits. The thing is, we were self-policing. If one kid threw a fit, then everyone had to leave, and we knew it. So I think each sibling acted up once or twice in public, and then the rest of us made said sibling's life a living hell, so it wasn't repeated."
Taking Liberties...
United We Dream Statue Of Liberty GIF by INTO ACTION
Giphy
"It's their right. Kids can be real nuisance. Bars that ban kids are the absolute best though."
So much truth here. Private businesses have every right to say who may or may not come in. And there are other people in world beside your family unit. Continue...
Family is Covered
Hungry Cat GIF by Garfield
Giphy
"There's already enough family restaurants everywhere you look, if you're looking to take a date out for a romantic evening you don't exactly want kids hanging around. If it's a high class sort of establishment that's sort of a given, let me enjoy my overpriced alcohol in peace."
Fools
"I usually don't mind kids at restaurants, but I think there should be more that are child free. Most of the time they're okay, but it's really annoying when you're trying to have a nice dinner and conversation and some kids are running around/screaming and the parents just sit there and ignore them."
"I'll ignore it for awhile, because sometimes kids just act a fool, but if it gets to the point it becomes ridiculous or if they start to play around my table/invade my space, I'm going to ask for a different table without caring whether the parents overhear me say it's because of their poorly behaved kids."
Window Cleaners Share The Best Things They've Ever Seen | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
No Tolerating Allowed
"Strongly agree. During all my uni life I've worked in several type of restaurants, from silver service ones to right out fast foods. Some restaurants are simply put not child friendly, as often children can be a problem for the custumers (they can ruin your experience) and for the staff (especially when they're poorly managed by their parents). Additionally (it's not an absolute but it does happen) some parents tend to second the poor behavior of their kids."
"I had a case of kids jumping around the seats in the waiting area of the restaurant, shouting, while the restaurant was quite busy. When I asked politely to the parents if they could recall their kids their answer was "but this is an Italian restaurants, you should tolerate those things. No Karen, we shouldn't."
Ban Everyone!
"I'm cool with it. If I go to a family restaurant, I expect families, some with loud kids. If I go to a bar, I expect adults, some of whom will be drunk. If I got to a quiet, fancy restaurant, I expect other quiet, respectful diners. A family restaurant won't allow drunks. A bar won't allow kids. A quiet restaurant should be able to ban noisy, misbehaving guests."
My Time
restaurant GIF
Giphy
"Most of my working life was spent dealing with other people's children, and most places I go people are there with their children. It's nice to have a place outside my home where I can leave them behind, and enjoy myself."
Welcome to All
"As long as there's somewhere suitable for most average folks to pick, what does it matter? I wouldn't want to go for a romantic dinner and be surrounded by screaming kids, and equally I wouldn't want to take my kids to a place where they felt uncomfortable because it was ultra sophisticated and they weren't allowed to move or speak without being shushed every two seconds. Sometimes I like to take my dog with me, but appreciate others may not want to eat surrounded by animals. Everyone likes different stuff."
Brats
"Mother was a waitress and this woulda been the dream for her. Think I remember her telling me one time there was an incident where the kid basically b lined into someone's legs spilling a massive tray of waters onto some people. Thankfully nothing hot to burn anyone and the kid didn't get any glass coming down on them. But of course the parents didn't really seem to care that their little brat was running around like that."
Bravo
Happy Simon Cowell GIF by America's Got Talent
Giphy
"I think they're great. I have had many meals ruined by screaming kids, or parents lecturing or threatening their kids with some kind of punishment. I breathe a sigh of relief when I walk into a restaurant, and I don't see kids."
- lj6877
Be Considerate Parents
"Freaking crying children should be taken outside regardless of restaurant policy. It's a courtesy to the people in the restaurant who aren't obnoxious."
"Totally agree! I have 2 kids myself and anytime they have cried or gotten loud I take them outside to calm down. I don't get parents who just let them carry on. On top of this can we talk about parents who let their kids watch iPads or phones at full blast at restaurants."
"Wtf is that even. My kids are 6 and 2 and Ive never gave them devices while out to eat because it's family time. And if I did I'd give them headphones so no one had to hear it instead of blasting that at full volume. Honestly annoys me more then kids crying."
- Poctah
No Babysitters Here!
"As a father, I'm okay with it. We don't really go out to eat much anyway. I've read about parents that treat the waitstaff as impromptu babysitters. Some mom groups on Facebook even had the nerve to put out a guide to waiters on how to keep their little ones happy. Hello! It's your damn job! Waiters get paid to bring you food and extra napkins. If you want a babysitter, hire one. I respect parents who have the guts to tell the kids that if they don't call down they'll go home and then go through with it."
Nobody
"Can confirm: Am parent to two under-five children. ;P. Seriously, my 4 year old is generally excellent in a restaurant, but I also know he's an exception and he often receives compliments from the staff for his behavior. My 2 year old? Forget it. I learned long ago nobody enjoys that ordeal. Nobody."
- Bwe0empo
To the Chains
"If I'm paying a lot of money for my dinner I do not want your kids to ruin it for me. Even if they aren't crying, they are being loud or running around and just being annoying. I know it isn't the case with every family but I am absolutely for banning kids under the age of 10. On a different note, I don't expect this to be the case when I'm at Perkins or Texas Roadhouse, but I don't visit chains anyway."
HUSH!
"Awesome. Because not everyone wants to go out to eat and be seated next to someone with a screaming child. I know that sounds harsh, and yes, parents do deserve a night out and sometimes cannot get a babysitter. And there are plenty of places that will accommodate you and your kids."
"Also, some places are designed for it. But if a place is upfront on that policy and designed themselves for it, I'm good with that too. Sometimes you want to be in a loud sportsbar type place, others it is nice to have a quiet sit down meal in a nice place."
Spending in Peace
"If I'm paying a lot of money I don't want my kids ruining it for me! I live my kids but I can't expect a 3 year old to pontificate about a veg puree and a nice sauce can I? We almost exclusively eat at chains or local family restaurants with the kids as they cater to them better too. We can have the best of both worlds and I want to sit and enjoy my nice wine with a nice meal!"
Just in case...
food fight family GIF by The Jerry Springer Show
Giphy
"Should be more of them tbh, imagine wanting to have a conversation with someone but there's toddlers screaming, running around, having tantrums and crying. I once was in a plane flight where a baby decided to throw his food on me, so I try to avoid kids that are eating. Just in case."
There has to be a way for all of us to dine out. Let's look at it less like a ban and liken it to an age limit. It's about establishing who can and cannot enter for the right reasons. Mangia everyone!
Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
But we should also be prepared and ready to ask the right questions to have a leg up on the competition.
"What is THE best question to ask on a job interview?"
A company's history or information about a past employee were suggested subjects appropriate for questioning.
Prior Knowledge
"When you were interviewing here, what would you have liked to know before you joined?"
"This worked for me. I asked my interviewer a question about how she had personally dealt with a company policy she had just explained. She bragged about her stellar adherence to the policy. I nodded my approval. I got the job."
A Previous Employee
"One that has always gone over well for me:"
"What were some qualities that the previous employee in this role brought to the job that you would like to see carried forward?"
"Another good thing to do is research the company you are interviewing with and you can ask things about what they may be involved in or you could drop that while reading about the company, you wondered this."
Hypothetical questions were suggested as helpful examples of inquiry.
Indicators Of How Companies Treat Employees
"A question that landed me a job once was: 'If I asked your direct reports about your management style, what do you think they'd tell me?' Stumped a hiring manager and he emailed me personally to tell me about it, no one ever asked him that question but got the job.
"In my current interviews I'm asking 'what did your company do for its employees during [the virus] to improve their day to day, work life balance, etc.' and I ask 'Is there anything your company adopted during [the virus] that they plan to keep post [the virus]?"
"These questions give a lot of insight into whether a company treated their employees well."
Past Performance & Adjustments
"If we were currently sitting in my 1 year review, what would I have done in this year for you to say I excelled in my role?"
"If I could snap my finger right now and change anything about your job or the company, what would it be and why?"
The following questions about a prospective company may not be answered from initial digging on their website.
Measure Of Success & Career Trajectories
"How is success measured in this role?"
"What are some possible career trajectories within the company that could stem from this position?"
Being A Solution
"Ask them what is the biggest problem you can solve for them in your first six months with the company. Similar to 'don't think of a purple hippo,' this forces them to imagine you succeeding in the position."
Simply The Best
"Who is your best employee and why is he/she the best?"
"You will then face 2 situations mostly:"
"panicking CEO who can't answer you 'Bob who works 17 hours a day for a slice of bread' so the fear in their faces must be a big nono for you"
"entusiast CEO who actually follow their business and can tell you who is an added value for the company and why."
– ThePiz91
My experiences with job interviews are different than others seeking work in office environments.
Having had a years-long career as a dancer, my "interview" was the dance audition, where hopefuls dance in small groups of people at a time after learning a routine and then awaiting their fate after the panel evaluates their performances.
The question I may or may not have asked in such a scenario earlier in my career was: "Did I make the cut?"
I did not make the cut. And I learned never to ask that again.
I remember the worst date I ever had. My biggest regret is that I stayed for the entire thing. I should've left as soon as I realized this was not going well, which was basically at hello. But he was paying so I drank, a lot. I'll keep names and dates to myself to protect the innocent.
0/10
Big Brother Reaction GIF by Big Brother After DarkGiphy"Went to brewery, date said I had hairy arms and that meant I was horny, said "you look really awful in this light" and then tried to dig out of that hole by saying in his native language that was a term of endearment long term couples said to each other. 0/10 did not date again."
Lucky 13?
"My wife wanted to plan our 13th wedding anniversary. I was excited because usually, I plan it. She bought us some new disc golf discs and after a quick supper, we went to play. We hadn't played in forever. We were laughing and I had a great time. She served me with divorce papers and told me that the date was a test to see if she still had feelings for me. I also learned that she was having an affair that started well before our anniversary."
- rmorlock
Two Hours from Home
"Not necessarily a date but a person I was dating invited me to his parent's house for the afternoon. He wanted to introduce me to them and show me the house he grew up in. I thought it was super sweet and had no problems going. He was also in the middle of moving and needed to pick up a few things, so it really didn't seem that unusual."
"Yeah, we got there and it was awful. His entire family was there. They traveled from hours away too. This was not just meeting the parents, it was meeting the ENTIRE family. Even worse? At some point, this idiot told his parents that he had proposed. We had been dating TWO months. I spent the entire afternoon dumbfounded and just playing along."
"We were two hours from home and I had no cell service, no way to leave at all. We ended up spending the afternoon brainstorming wedding ideas and planning an Alaskan honeymoon that his parents planned to gift us. His brother even called to say congratulations! We drove back to his apartment in silence. When we got there, I got in my car and left, didn't even bother grabbing my stuff. Weirdest experience ever. I have no idea how he broke it to his parents that we weren't getting married."
You're Cut Off!
"Got set up on a blind date once between mutual friends. She shows up to the restaurant already a little tipsy, orders multiple appetizers and only takes like one or two bites from each one. Then she proceeds to order 3 or 4 more drinks and is visibly drunk at this point. She gets up and says she's going to the bathroom and staggers off. About 15-20 minutes go by so I try to call her several times but no answer."
"Finally I decide to pay the check and just leave. About 2 hours later I'm sitting at home and I get a call from an unknown number. It's the police department. She was picked up on a DUI on her way home after she ditched me and gave the cops my number to see if I could go bail her out!"
- mox44ah
Sorry?
Bbc Three Idk GIF by BBCGiphy"Well, I gave this answer on a different topic, but it ties in with this. We were out on a date, we had been seeing each other for a while, close to a year maybe. She gets a phone call. Suddenly she looks destroyed. Her fiancé had just died in a motorcycle accident."
What in the world? I mean how can we ever expect to pair off with the dating pool being inundated with liars and nut jobs? I'm going to delete my apps.
Girl, Bye.
Sassy Beyonce GIFGiphy"Had a girl openly flirt with the bartender in front of me. She says she wasn't. But handing him her own phone and asking for his contact info in front of her date seems like it to me."
Crazy!
"Came out from a movie, late at night, and date's Camaro was stolen. Apparently, he called his WIFE (that I did not know he had) and let her know where he was and what happened. She showed up and realized he was on a date! She started chasing ME around the parking lot telling me she was going to kill me. Saved by the cops who showed up just in time to take the auto theft report."
Hey Mom
"Met a girl at a country bar one night in my 20s. We were both pretty drunk but hit it off pretty good. Ended up getting her number and we agreed we'd go on a real date. Fast forward to the date, she gets in my vehicle and... she looks almost identical to my mom. I was mortified. I was polite and we went for lunch where I found out she also had a boyfriend she "wasn't sure if she was into". Never talked to her again."
- SgtGo
Liars...
"When I was in college many years ago, before the advancement of cell phones and social media, I was chatting with a girl I met on a BBS who lived on Long Island, NY. I was 18 at the time, but lied and said I was 22 because she said she was 25. We spent a few weeks emailing each other, as well as calling each other."
"We even exchanged pics. When we finally met up, things blew up. Turns out we both lied about our ages: She was really 33, and lied because she thought she looked younger. She admitted she sent a college photo to me. We still had dinner together, but it was awkward as hell. We never spoke again."
Doubles
Kill Me Now Season 1 GIF by FriendsGiphy"It was a double date. She was more interested talking to the other girl throughout the whole thing. Found out later from the other guy that his girl cheated on him with my date."
Ummm... I think I'm just going to stay single. That is a handful of crazy. Why can't people just be honest? I swear the search for love warps people's brains. Be careful out there people.
Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.