Just to in front of our long table sat a family sitting at two large round tables. One table was obliviously the kid’s table. There were eight children from the age of four to about nine sitting there. I was amazed at how quietly the children sat the table. They got up to visit their parents and grandparents at their table from time to time, but for the most part they stayed at their table. The joked around a little, but not too much. The friend sitting next to me commented that they must have a lot of practice in sitting nicely at the dinner table of nice restaurants. JDaniel doesn’t have a lot of practice. I think he might have forgotten to use an indoor voice from time to time.
Behind us were three rows long tables. They remained empty for about 45 minutes. Then they filled with a large group of fraternity brothers and their date. The guys wore ties and their dates wore pretty cocktail dresses. I wish I could say that they acted like the grown up version of the children sitting at the children’s table in front of me.
They were loud. Two guys shouted back and forth down the table the most up to date sport scores as they read off their smart phones. Loud teasing was tossed from table to table. Not everyone was loud and rude, but they ones that were out shined the quiet ones.
As dinner went on the children sat quietly and visited more with the adults in their family. The college students remained loud and after a while started stumbling to the bathroom. I was told not to go near the bathroom by one of my friends. The floor near the bathroom stalls was awash with sticky and slimy substances.
Somewhere near the end of the evening I bent my head in prayer. I sent praise for the parents that had done such a good job getting their children restaurant ready. I sent petitions for the college students from a very good private college needed to work on their restaurant manners. I prayed that my husband and I would help JDaniel be restaurant ready as a child and later as an adult.
How fitting that you saw a “kid’s table” eating so nicely and then college kids who behaved abominably. Ugh. I’m with you. I know kids will experiment, but it’s every mom’s (and dad’s) hope that their teachings will mean something when the rubber hits the road and the parents aren’t around. –Lisa
I hope their behavior didn’t ruin your evening. That’s gross about the bathroom. Hopefully our kids will all make good choices, for the most part.
I LOVE reading about well-behaved children out in restaurants – or anywhere, for that matter! The college students, on the other hand? Ugh. 🙁
I hope YOU enjoyed your evening out and had a lovely time despite what was going on around you!
You were sweet to send up prayers for both tables. 🙂
When I was little, we often practiced restaurant manners. Unfortunately, I haven’t been as diligent with my own children. It might be time to pick things up, because I don’t want my boys to be those loud, obnoxious college boys.
What an interesting contrast – to see the children being restaurant-ready and to see the adults not at all acting that way. My parents said the five of us were often very ill-behaved at home but we were always angels at restaurants. I think it’s because we wanted repeat experiences! And if we were good, my dad would take us for ice cream after. However selfish our intentions were, we did get it. Being nice meant going out more often.
My children were always so good in restaurants, and I was glad because it would have been so embarrassing otherwise. As for the college kids, par for the course, but that doesn’t make it acceptable. I hope your son shows more sense at that stage of the game than they did!
I never understand the loud adults. Or the ones who have LOUD conversations on their cell phones.
Glad to hear the younger children behaved ~ I think ‘manners’ has skipped a generation sometimes ~ You have given your children the basic good values ~ am sure he will do well ~ thanks, carol, xxx
J Daniel won’t do any of those things, he has a strong foundation and children don’t forget that even as they grow older…
This is so true…love it!!! i kitchenfunwithziggy.blogspot.com
You have invested so much in your son that I’m sure he will not disappoint you when he gets to college!
We can only hope and do what we can. I wonder if any of those college students was once a child with good restaurant manners, but thinks that it’s cool to be “unrestrained”.
As a gathering of 7 adults we can be politely loud when out but not rude and disruptively.
My children used to go to McDonalds as a treat when my Dad came over and once a lady commented how polite they were , but its ok they dont need to be polite her. My reply was if my children can be polite here they can be taken any where and indeed they can
I would take my son and twin nephews (six weeks apart in age) to restaurants, and I would always get compliments on how well-behaved they were. I don’t know how, but something we did must have been right. I’m sure JDaniel will be fine with such caring and responsible parents.
Amen to your prayer and I pray to do the same for my son!
awesome that the kids behaved well… i get so frustrated when broxton acts up.. i tell him to act like he has been in public before, working in a restaurant for so long, he needs to be better..
We have been in restaurants with noisy college kids. Frequently, they are asked to tone it down, but it falls on deaf ears. My children learned early on that they were to behave at a restaurant just the way they did at our own dinner table. No monkey business!!
About a year ago, Rod and I were in a restaurant, seated near a group of students. One of them was wearing a ball cap. It seems that parents these days never teach their children to take off their hats when they eat. Even adults are wearing ball caps in restaurants. This night, one of the young adults had on a cap. He really looked like he was hiding under it. While we were waiting for our meal, I went over to the young man and whispered in his ear, “You are such a good looking guy, but no one will ever know that if you keep hiding behind your cap.” He looked up at me and smiled. After I sat back down, I glanced over, and they young man had taken off his cap. He saw me looking and he smiled again.
Your story is such a good reminder to work on manners. My husband and I have talked about taking our kids to nicer restaurants so they feel comfortable there and know how to behave. I think you are motivating us to do this sooner than later! Mia of PragmaticMom
I am confident that JDaniel will be well-mannered at restaurants…
How could he not be when he has a super cool Mom?
Charming post for the letter “C”!
Thanks for linking.
A+