The Today Show reported this week that more and more restaurants are jumping on the bandwagon to ban children from their restaurants...citing recent restaurants that have established "child free policies". This follows similar reports on major news networks and newspapers in the past few months about restaurants across the country banning children up to the age of 18. In a poll on facebook, the Today Show asked "Would you be likely to frequent a restaurant in an evening that banned kids?" (http://on.today.com/14CsRQF). Comments to this poll spanned both sides of the issue from people who eagerly welcome a restaurant environment that is free of "crying, whining and loud" children to those who stand in support of children's rights and remind others that on occasion parents need to eat something other than fastfood. But there is a much bigger issue behind this report. Is this another instance of discrimination in our country? Are children just the latest on the list of groups to feel the rejection of institutionalized discrimination? The old saying "Children should be seen and not heard"...echoed through my mind as I read this story.
My reaction: The parent of two young children and an Early Childhood Professional, I feel that I must advocate for children and families in this instance. I have taken my children to many restaurants at all times of the day and sometimes later than 7 pm because of family outings. I can remember one instance when we were eating at the Olive Garden in Altoona, PA. We were seated close to a couple who was obviously on a "date". The couple quietly talked with each other, and held hands as they ate. After they finished eating they walked up to our table and expressed how they enjoyed watching our family eat. The couple was very nice and we took it as a compliment, but it also reminded me of how our family, in particular our children, are watched and judged by others when we are eating out. As working parents, my husband and I enjoy spending our free time with our kids and that includes eating out on Friday evening, Saturday or Sunday. I can't imagine going to a restaurant on a regular basis without them. At other times, I've noticed that in some restaurants we have visited that all of the families with kids are seated in the same area of the restaurant all together and away from other patrons.
Do we forget in our society that children are people too? They have rights just the same as any other person. As Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa, stated
"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." The question I would pose is...what does banning children from restaurants say about our society?
Another quote, one by Dr Suess, reminds us ""A person's a person, no matter how small."
So until we as a society recognize that children have certain rights, and understand more about child development, then children will not receive equitable treatment.
Hi Terri,
ReplyDeleteI would not patronize a restaurant that excluded children. Many families have children and those children are a part of the family. I tell you what; there are more families with children, than without, and once restaurants began to lose money, they may change their policy!