Maybe it is just the lack of sleep...

So, I was on my way to work this morning and I heard it again...an argument about banning children from restaurants.

Now, don't get me wrong, I understand the desire to have a nice quiet meal and that SOME children mess that up. But when I tell you this whole "kid free" thing pisses me off, it is the understatement of the year. We take our son to restaurants to teach him how to act. And he acts well or we go. It is as simple as that. But people seem to want to punish good families for what bad kids have done. And that is not acceptable and not fair.

When we go to a restaurant, we bring baby food, milk, and something for him to play with. When we walk in it always happens... we get a dirty look from someone in the restaurant. A look that says "how dare you bring your child here?" We ignore it and sit down and our son happily eats his puffs and plays with his toys. Occasionally he will look around and flirt with the table behind us. He is good as gold and if the dirty look people leave before us, I will shoot them a dirty look of my own.

I also don't appreciate going to a restaurant and being seated as far away from everyone as possible. We don't have a disease, we have a kid. Kids happen. If they didn't then there would be no one to leave the world to when we go. Exposure to social situations need to happen; otherwise we will potentially be left with a generation of socially awkward kids.

I am going to go on the record here. If a restaurant we go to EVER institutes a kid free rule, then it is the last time we step foot there ever. I shouldn't have to call a babysitter last minute or have to plan when we want to go to a restaurant instead of cooking.

Sorry, just the entitlement of people sometimes really gets to me. It is a PUBLIC place, and like it or not, my family is part of said public. Institute your kid free policies if you don't like it, I guarantee you that there are many parents like us who won't give your restaurant our hard earned money anymore.