For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for May 15, 2022

Restaurants book up quickly when they have no kids nights

It was great, because it made them realize “At least our kids don’t look like that.”

Once again, children misbehaving is supposed to be funny.

Well, at least John got a good feel of Elly’s but-tocks in the first panel.

Anymore unfortunately, you can’t go anywhere without having screaming abusive kids ruin the mood

In 1980s we splurged for a stay at the Four Seasons. As I headed to the pool while the wife got a spa treatment I paused because the pool was full of children. A hotel attendant stopped me and ask me to follow her down a path to a beautiful secluded pool with only a few adults guests. Wish I could afford to do that again.

This happens a lot on the “Dennis the Menace” strip.

Bottom line: if you want a nice, romantic date night, LEAVE THE BRATS HOME11

If your kids can’t behave like civilized human beings in a restaurant stay home and order takeout.

So what?

Looks like John has his hand on Elly’s butt in the opening panel.

I have sympathy for waiters and waitresses in upscale restaurants when people bring their children. These establishments should not allow children below a certain age because of the other diners respecting the dining atmosphere. When I say upscale, I mean, lucrative diners frequent them.

They got away from it all, all right!

One time, when our girls were really young, we went to have lunch at a buffet place where we were on friendly terms with the manager. The place was near empty when we got there, & we were seated. Soon after, a couple came in & were going to be seated near us, but they told the hostess (who was the manager) that they didn’t want to be seated near “those children” (ours). The manager explained to them that “those children” wouldn’t be a problem, but they insisted, so she moved them across the room. Soon after the place started to fill up. A family with 3 very rambunctious boys came in, and the only place to seat them was at the booth adjacent to the couple’s! At one time we caught them looking over at us, with our girls sitting nicely, talking quietly, using their chopsticks, with a “we should have sat there” look.

They couldn’t find a sitter, so they had to bring the kids to a dinner they couldn’t appreciate.

I walked into a restaurant once and it looked as if a tornado had hit one table, food everywhere, on the table, chairs and floor. They should have rooms for kids that can be cleaned by hosing them down.

I suppose there is nothing like having kids around to spoil the romance. Ironically, romance is what produces kids.

The worst is, the restaurant always tolerates it, ruining the dining experience for everyone else. There needs to be more "adult only " restaurants.

Lynn’s Comments:

We have always enjoyed going out to eat as a family. Getting there wasn’t always easy. When the kids were tiny, we would remove them from the restaurant as soon as they started to fuss. One of us would go out and stay in the car with the fuss-budget until there was calm. This meant many interruptions, leaving a meal to get cold, and sitting in a car with an unruly kid. Eventually, we were all able to go out—to any restaurant, anywhere—and know that our kids would not cause a scene or get too out of hand. Whenever we see families with disruptive kids causing everyone in a restaurant to clench their teeth, we know there is a solution to the problem. It takes a walk out to the car and a few minutes of downtime. It works!

You should have gone to White Castle. When the sliders have slid, you can slip out.

I know I’m not the only reader here who was taken aback that they have only been married for 18 years.

Ely and John should’ve had a great dinner out, when they realized that their kids were never that bad.

This is why you take the kids to a Bob’s Big Boy until they learn how to act in a restaurant environment.

When we have asked for a table away from small children they would try and bring all of the future customers with small children to sit near our table. We would remember that restaurant and mark it as off limits. Sometimes we just need to have a quiet meal.

Shouldnt she be asking that tomorrow morning.

I could take my first son anywhere and he would be quiet and attentive. No “punishment” needed. My third son was more than a handful. At times, required physical restraint and sitting in car while family enjoyed restaurant. It was tough, but he grew up to be responsible and loving. I am truly blessed to have three sons who are loving, responsible and have good careers. Taking an unruly child out of the action does work.

I recall several of the nicer places where reservations were required. They would ask, are there any children? If yes, then they were not allowed inside. That was 50 to 60 years ago, Now, if reservations are refused, some jerkoid will sue the restaurant for discrimination. Too many thin-skinned people today, or maybe just someone looking for an excuse to extort money from businesses trying to run a decent place.

Spare the rod and spoil the child. (Now some troll will get all bent out of shape over that)

If you haven’t raised your children to have table manners, and behave in public, STAY HOME! Sheesh!

I love the arrogant and condescending looks of the maître d’ and the waiter in the first two frames.

I would have had the wine and left the restaurant. If I had a certain dinning experience in mind, it would not be there. I would have found another place, tout suite.

Reminiscent…

Had many an evening ruined by undisciplined children. Grrrrr.

Our children and grand children never were like that. Occasionally, our youngest daughter would refuse to eat, or even order something, until it was time to go. But that was the worst of it, and she out grew that phase, so her husband does not have to deal with it(she’s 33).

This strip is the truth. Over the past 40 years we have been in far too many restaurants where parents were totally unable to control their children. When we took our 4 kids out to eat, they NEVER acted up either in stores or restaurants because we taught them to respect other people. Plus seeing kids act out like in this strip showed them what it was like and as they told us after such an incident, it was very embarrassing

The greatest irony of Lynns offering today is reading some of the comments to TODAYS strip. Instead of Art imitating life, today life is imitating Art.

These days there are some adults who are just as bad as kids in restaurants. Loud conversation, obnoxious cackling, incessant blabbing on their cell phones and rude behavior in general. No manners, no respect for others who are trying to enjoy a meal.

Years ago Herb OBrien use to own the 3 Green Doors in Stowe VT. He would make parents take their kids outside if they were acting up. He didn’t want couples on date nights to have to listen to misbehaving kids. Years later when had kids. If his kids acted up, he grabbed them and ran outside.

Every one of our kids got the “remove from the area and sit in the car with dad” treatment. We sat in the car, while mom and the other kids finished whatever we were doing, e.g.: restaurant, zoo, amusement park, etc. Usually one tip to the car took care of the problem.

In better restaurants, it’s usually possible to request another table. Seems like that would be the right thing to do in this situation.

there needs to be a place that NO CHILDREN can be. I really used to look forward to a nice romantic dinner sans children. Then the waiter would seat us next to a family with ill-behaved kids. One time I even asked the waiter to move us far away from the kids.

They should’ve stuck that family of miscreants with the check!

Reminds me of a restaurant was a pizza place, we have a nice lunch there was at a small town, found out big mistake, there was group of football players with their girl friends, we do not know if was before a game or after, took us a while to understand what was being spoke was just vulgar and rude, we had our young children with us, so I decided no, we got up and left. We never got our order in.

At first glance, the first panel looked like John & Elly were at the alter in front of a minister.

It’s a big reason we had a dog.

My folks could take my two sisters and me into any restaurant, anywhere, any time. We would even have other diners come up to our table and compliment them on our good behaviour. We were TAUGHT how to behave in public from the time we were puppies…(the “glare of death” from Mom shudder). AND good behaviour meant ice cream on the way home…they didn’t raise any dummies! XD!

This is a funny, ironic one. But you have to wonder about such a fancy restaurant (you can tell by the closed-eyed wait staff and the wine rack!) with a ton of children, including a baby in it. Most restaurants like that should have put them somewhere else!