I've got a better sign for this business owner to use:
Posted on 11/14/2005 5:51:48 AM PST by Cagey
Parent Says Restaurant Offers Kid Food, So It Should Cater To Kids
"We were surprised at how many times we would see children really out of control," McCauley said. "And we actually had people leaving the bakery because the children were so out of control."
So, he put a sign on the door at kids' eye-level, asking children of all ages to use their "indoor voices."
"We thought it was just a friendly reminder to people that when they come here, just be considerate of the people around them. We had no idea the kind of controversy that was going to explode out of this," McCauley said.
But some parents who spoke with NBC5's Natalie Martinez took immediate offense to the sign. The angry mothers said there are plenty of places in the Andersonville neighborhood where they can take their kids, even if they're acting out.
"I've e-mailed friends and said, 'Just so you know, this man has a sign up. I know there are lots of other options, and I'd encourage you not to go there,'" parent Kate Bremmer said.
When she spoke with Martinez, Bremmer and her kids were picking out goodies at a Swedish bakery, where all kids are welcome.
"Our custom has been to offer a cookie to every child that comes into the store for as long as I can remember," said Kathy Stanton-Cromwell, the co-owner of the bakery, which is just a few doors down from A Taste of Heaven.
Stanton-Cromwell said the cookie serves as "a good calmer" for kids who are acting up.
Bremmer said A Taste of Heaven "is not a five-star restaurant," so she thinks it should cater to kids, not the other way around.
"They offer ice cream cones and cookies and lots things that kids love, and therefore, I don't think that they should make such an issue of it," Bremmer said.
Other parents enjoying lunch with their kids at A Taste of Heaven were more diplomatic.
"I have mixed feelings about it. It's a little off-putting," one mother said.
Linda Wallace, also a mother who eats at A Taste of Heaven, said she thought McCauley was "sort of brave" for putting up the sign.
"It did cross my mind that he might offend some people," she said.
McCauley said he loves kids, although he has none of his own. He said he has no immediate plans to take the sign down.
Some people just need to chill out.
I think the sign is just right. If any of those kids are in pre-school or kindergarten, which I suspect they are, they already know about 'inside voices'.
Follow the NBC link and check the survey on this...97% to 3% agree with the restaurant. Probably going to be one of the hottest eateries in the area.
My kids were misbehaving and we did everything we could to get them to act like adults, but they are kids, and kids who act like kids is normal!!
"Either you have no kids or you got lucky and have kids without personality."
There is a marked difference between "personality" and being obnoxious.
My mother was an under-the-table pincher. We behaved! My son behaved! But I once had to tell my cousin that not everyone thought her kid was as cute as she did and to stop the kid from leaning over the booth onto the couple behind us and stop her from running up and down the aisle. It worked - and I was actually thanked by the poor woman sitting behind us where she'd felt this breath going down her back for 15 minutes.
This woman just aired her dirt laundry, Nation-wide. Wow.
I have a friend who pinches the sh-t out of her 5-yr. old when he acts up. She pleasantly smiles and reaches out to him while he's running wild. It stops him in his tracks!
Another attention grabber is cold water in the face.
That will stop a hellion in her tracks.
"I actually told some woman that she was the worst mother I had ever seen after a grocery store encounter."
How'd the mom react?
My husband used that method very successfully when dealing with our sons' Cub Scout troopmates. He said all he had to do was put his hand on the young man's shoulder and press down ever so slightly while explaining matters to him. It established just who the 'big dog' was. ;o)
I've got a better sign for this business owner to use:
Reminds me of one of "Manda's" complaint letters:
CHUCKY CHEESES RUNES MY KIDS BIRTHDAY
To: Chuck E Cheese Entertainment, Inc.
I'm writing to bring your attention to a problem I had with the employees at your restaurant. I hope you will take this complaint seriously and come up with a quick resolution. This happened at your restaurant located at ON 92ND AND POWEL . My specific complaint is about the management. I'm particularly upset with the employee's lack of politeness.
Here's what happened: MONDAY IT WAS MY 5 YEAR OLDS BIRTHDAY SO ME MY 5 KIDS MY SISTER AND HER 3 KIDS AND A BUNCH OF THERE FRENDS AND MY BOYFREND WENT TO CHUCKY CHEESES TO CELBRATE. FROM THE START THEY WERE RUDE THEY ROLED THERE EYES AND SAID LET ME SEE IF I CAN FIND A TABLE FOR YOU, AND THEY SEATED OTHER PEOPLE IN FRONT OF US. IM ALL EXUSE ME REMBER US? I THINK THERE BIENG RACIAL BECASUE SOME OF THE KIDS WERE MEXICAN AND PART BLACK. SO WE HAVE TO WAIT ALMOST 20 MINUTES FOR TO BE SEATED AND THEN THE KIDS OF CORSE WANT TO PLAY ON THE GAMES, AND THEY WERE A RIP OFF, THEY GOT ALL KINDS OF TIKETS AND ALL THEY COULD BUY WERE CRAPY PLASTIC FOOTBALLS AND BON JOVI KEYCHANES. PLUS THE MANGER CAME UP TO ME, HE WAS THIS RUDE UPITY KID NAMED RICHARD. HE ACUSED MY 9 YEAR OLD NEPHEW JAYSON OF STEALING TIKETS FROM LITTLE KIDS. EXUSE ME BUT THATS RACIAL, JUST BECAUSE HES PART AFRECAN AMERCAN THEY ATOMATCALLY THINK HES STEELING. SO WE ORDER PIZZAS AND PICTURES OF BEER FOR THE ADULTS AND POP FOR THE KIDS. AND THE KIDS ARE RUNNING AROUND BEING BRATS BECASUE THEY WERE KIKED OUT OF THE GAME ROOM, THEY SHOLD HAVE A SIGN THAT SAYS NO CLIMING ON THE VIDEO GAMES THEY WERE JUST BEING KIDS. SO THE PIZZA COMES AND ITS ALRIGHT AND THEN MY 2 AND A HALF YEAR OLD THROWS A PIZZA ON THE FLOOR, AND CHUCKY CHEESE WAS WALKING BY AND HE SAYS TO ME PICK THAT UP!!! IM ALL EXUSE ME WHAT??? AND CHUCKY CHEESE SAYS AGAIN PICK IT UP, AND SOME STUPID CRAP ABOUT TEECHING MY KIDS MANERS. EXUSE ME BUT YOUR JUST A STUFED MOUSE YOU DONT TELL ME HOW TO RASE MY KIDS. THEN MY BOYFREND TELLS HIM HOW RUDE HE IS AND HE TAKES OFF THE MOUSE HEAD AND SAID ILL KICK YOUR ASS TO MY BOYFREND. EXUSE ME BUT CHUCKY CHEESE IS SUPOSED TO BE POLITE AND FRENDLY NOT ACT LIKE THE FRIGEN TALLABAN. SO RICHARD THE MANGER COMES UP TO SEE THE RUCKIS, AND ANOTHER EMPLOYE HER NAME WAS SUMMER AND I RECOGNIZED HER RIGT AWAY, SHE WAS SLEEPING WITH THE FATHER OF MY UNBORN GIRL WICH I AM BY THE WAY 7 AND A HAF MONTHS PREGNANT WITH WHEN WE WERE STILL GOING OUT. I THOGHT CHUCKY CHEESE WAS A RESPECTICLE COMPANY AND THEY WOLD HIRE NICE POLITE PEOPLE, NOT STUPID HORES LIKE SUMMER OR RUDE TERRIST MOUSES. SO I TELL THIS TO RICHARD AND HE DOESNT HERE A WORD I SAY HE JUST SAYS FINISH YOUR PIZZA AND GET OUT AND DONT COME BACK UNTIL YOU LERN MANNERS. EXUSE ME BUT YOUR THE ONE WHO NEEDS TO LERN MANNERS. AND IM ALL OK COULD WE GET ANOTHER PICTURE OF BEER? AND THERE ALL NO YOUR CUT OFF YOUDONT NEED MORE. EXUSE ME BUT THIS IS AMERCA WE HAVE A RIGHT TO DRINK BEER. AND THERE ALL JUST HURRY UP AND LEAVE. AND THEN SUMMER MAKES SOME RUDE COMENT ABOUT HOW I DONT EVEN KNOW THE BABYS HIS ANYWAY. THATS WHEN I REALY GOT MAD AND I JUMP UP AND GET IN HER FACE ABOUT IT, AND EVERYBODY TRYS TO STOP ME BUT NOBODY TRYS TO STOP HER, THE STUPID MANPULATING HORE. I THOUGHT CHUCKY CHEESE HAD STANDARDS NOT TO HIRE RUDE PEOPLE LIKE THAT. THAN THEY KICK US OUT AND NOT LET US FINISH OUR PIZZA SO THERE ALL HERE WANT THE PIZZA AND DUMP IT IN MY DIPER BAG. BY NOW IM ALL BAWLING, IM 7 AND A HALF MONTHS PREGNANT I DONT NEED THIS KIND OF STRESS IN MY LIFE, SO WE ROUND UP MY KIDS, AND IM SO UPSET I GET THE RONG KIDS, AND I CAN BARELY DRIVE AND ALMOST GET IN AN ACCIDENT BECASE I WAS BAWLING SO HARD. I THOUGHT CHUCKY CHEESE WAS SUPOSED TO BE A FAMILY PLACE.
My overall experiences with your company have been very unpleasant. I will probably avoid your restaurant in the future. I'll probably avoid recommending you to others.
Here's how I'm hoping you will fix the problem: DONT BE RACIAL AND SEAT AS SOON AS WE GET IN AND DONT TAKE ALL WHITE PEOPLE 1ST AND DONT BE RACIAL IN THE GAME ROOM AND GIVE MY NEPHEW JAYSON 1000 FREE TOKENS FOR BEING RACIAL AND RUDE. HAVE BETTER PRIZES SO THEY WONT BE A RIP OFF. LET KIDS BE KIDS AND NOT MAKE THEM PICK UP PIZZA AND HIRE NICER PEOPLE WHO DONT GET RUDE TO BE CHUCKY CHEESE AND HIRE MORE RESPECTIBLE PEOPLE WHO DONT CHEAT ON PEOPLE AND LIE AND MANPULATE. THE COSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT AND IF THEY WANT MORE BEER THEY SHOLD HAVE IT AND $5000 EACH FOR ME MY SISTER MY BOYFREND AND ALL OF THE KIDS THAT WERE THERE PLUS ANOTHER $1000 FOR MY 5 YEAR OLD FOR RUNING MY KIDS BIRTHDAY , AND DONT DUMP PIZZA IN THE DIPER BAG AND FIRE EVERYONE WHO WORKED THAT DAY.
I appreciate your taking the time to read this. I hope you can help me with my problem. The sooner, the better.
From:
MANDA
PORTLAND, OR
Ahhh...Switches...My Grandmothers fav. I remember us grandkids playing with the chickens my Grandmother told us NOT TO BOTHER...LOL! She stood on the back porch and watched.....with a 3 foot switch...arms crossed.... Four swats a piece! I miss my Grandmother!
These kinds of signs weren't necessary when I was growing up....I never remember kids running around restaurants, yelling and screaming and playing obnoxiously. And my children KNEW BETTER than to try that.
Yes, there are consquences. Sorry you had to suffer for your parents decisions or lack of
My kids were misbehaving and we did everything we could to get them to act like adults, but they are kids, and kids who act like kids is normal!!
She just stared at me and took off in a huff. She couldn't handle a 5 year old, she certainly couldn't handle an adult.
Bass Pro Shop just opened up...couple of weeks ago or so. Steve and I went last weekend and the Tracker Boat salesman commented about how well the jedis behaved.
Apparently, sales are made right there at the boat display...there's a desk and everything. The salesman told Steve that just the day before he was in the middle of a sale with a couple who got fed up and left because of the ruckus kids were making on the boats.
Apparently they use them like a playground.
Can you imagine the commission that man lost??
The "have to behave" part is the rude part. It doesn't ask or use "please"
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