Many years ago when my older daughter was about 2/3, we went to Sarasota, Florida. It was a business trip for my husband. One night the man he went to see and his wife invited us to go out to a really nice restaurant. We took our daughter with us. They could not get over how well behaved she was. We had been taking her to nice places for months. Kids today are an entirely different story. Some do not know what no means. It seems like they have never heard the word. It is a shame.
We had many similar experiences with ours. My mother was a gracious Southern lady and Christian and I married the same. My wife worked hard to instill proper manners in our daughters. I worked to teach them the Scriptures and the great life virtues that will stand them in good stead throughout life. We took our daughters to musesums, art galleries, and fine restaurants. We taught them to enjoy great books, orchestras, and theater. We sought to teach them and elevate their minds every day. We didn’t rely on television to parent, we didn’t indulge their every whim, nor did we turn them over to the public school. From the day they were born we parented with intention. I played my part, but the truth is I was blessed with a wife who cared greatly about the hearts and minds of our children and it shows. She deserves all the credit.
Is that age or size wise ? :)
I have three children all in early to late teens and all but one behaved well in restaurants except for one event. The youngest son about age five tried an Olive Taylor lay down in the floor kicking and screaming he wasn’t eating his food tantrum. I physically dragged him out the door flung him in our van and drove around back of the restaurant and wailed on his little behind but good. When I drove up front my wife had paid the bill and was waiting with our two other kids. We went home and I wore his butt out again, sat him on couch in my office and made him watch Fox News the rest of the day. He never crossed me or my wife again.
A month or two later we were at a Pizza Hut eating, we are regulars there and we were seated next to a couple with a boy and girl about 4-5-6 age range. They were screaming and throwing food and trashing area and very disruptive to whole restaurant. Finally my five year old who was watching this quietly said aloud Dad those two kids need their hinneys busted good! The couple just looked at him put their heads down and asked for check and left quickly.
Other than that one incident mine were all well behaved and we got lots of compliments in restaurants for their good behavior. One guy at a drive thru asked how come my kids never screamed and yelled when ordering and I told him if they do I’ll beat their brains out. I won’t tolerate boorish behavior.