There has been quite a debate recently on the acceptability of children in restaurants. Many believe that children should not be allowed into upscale restaurants because it diminishes the enjoyment of the meal for other patrons. Others believe that children create unwanted noise, distractions, and an overall general disturbance to those around them. These patrons would have you leave your children home or go to a fast food joint and let them be screaming banshees in an acceptable place. In all of the articles that have been published, there seems to be a unheard voice of 'married single parents' or just single parents.
Living in an Army community, it is not uncommon to see mothers and fathers with two or three children in their car with tons of ‘support the troops’ magnets. This leaves one to wonder if their soldier is currently overseas, for who in their right mind would take three children on a trip to the store when leaving them with the other parent is an option? So, how do these parents feel about the current debate on children being allowed or not allowed into upscale restaurants? Is it fair to deny entrance into a well-known restaurant simply because a babysitter is not an option? How many times can a parent be expected to eat fast food before hamburgers are being equated with the plague? Don't these parents deserve a nice hot meal that will leave them well satisfied and involve no clean up? Should they be expected to go twelve or thirteen months without high quality food because their spouse is serving overseas?
Many would say that they should get a sitter if they want to go out. However, why should they have to pay a sitter and pay for a meal in order to eat at a nice restaurant? Should elderly people be asked to stay at home to eat because they tend to take an extremely long amount of time to eat? No! That is their right, just as it is the right for anyone to take their children into any establishment and enjoy to their hearts content!
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