[Sean Camara]

Do you think parents should be more aware of their children's noise levels in public places?​

This was the question posed by a Gransnet user who, while out to lunch, had to endure a father making 'monster' faces at his toddler, causing the child to scream and laugh hysterically.

The original poster (OP) lamented that they had seen this kind of behaviour happen all too many times before, and that parents who deliberately ‘wind their children up’ to make noise in public places should be more aware of the inconvenience they are causing to others.

"Just as we were about to have a word with a member of staff, someone from another table called over to the father 'can you cut that out please. We can't hear ourselves think'. The father looked a bit shocked but stopped, thank goodness," said the OP.

Many people agreed with the OP’s take on the situation, with one commenter saying: "No you aren't [being unreasonable]. I would have been pretty hacked off. Good for the man who got him to stop. Some parents have no idea how aggravating their children are to others."

Another said: "In this case it was the father who was annoying. A small child will respond with squeals and shrieks to that behaviour."

A third added: “A place where other people go to eat is not a venue for a display of noisy father parenting. I wonder if he does it at home in the middle of a football match or Rugby on T.V.? Some people, men in particular seem to think they are displaying their superior parenting skills. Though only do it when in public. If you want to be noisy, take your children to a noisy venue where there are a lot of other noisy parents.”

Elderly people weighed in on whether parents should be mindful of their children’s noises in public spaces. Credit: Getty Images.​

However, not everyone thought that the father was in the wrong. One commenter said: "So a Father interacting with his child is wrong? Maybe it was a little bit too loud, but I would rather see a parent-child interaction than them all sitting with their heads in individual devices."

Another said: "I also think there are loads of ways for parents to interact without all the shrieking. But I do think the father was probably just enjoying hearing his child laugh, without realising the noise levels. He's probably used to doing it at home where he doesn't annoy anyone."

One commenter fired back at the OP: “If it bothered you that much you could have said something to the front of house manager earlier, you could have asked to be seated somewhere else, but no you sat still for twenty minutes until someone else intervened.”

So, what do you think, members? Should parents be more aware of their children's noise levels in public places, or was the OP overreacting? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

 

[Suzanne rose]

Of course parents have to take notice in certain surroundings. If you are at a restaurant and your child is screaming or running around or in a church you need to try and fix it even if it means taking them outside. If they are at a park or fast food shop like MacDonalds then different story. If I hear a child screaming and parent ignores them then something should be said. If a child is laughing loudly then I would sit there smiling .

 

[kangie 56]

Time and place.

 

[TomDevine55]

If you want to go out with your kids and they make a lot of noise, go home. The public does not have to put up with kids who are making a lot of noise, that is the parents job, So dont complain if someone asks you to shut your kid up because I am sure you would be annoyed if someone came over to you and started screaming and carrying on. Bad parenting and making excuses for your kids behaviour is not parenting. You may have to put up with your rug rat no ones else does or expects to, your kid your problem.

 

[DiMcg]

That would be a definite YES! Why do so many parents of today think everyone finds it funny when a child is happily squealing in a public place.Teach your child from young, to have an indoor voice and an outdoor voice(yep, taken from Barney)and play and have fun where and whenever the time is suitable. That time was not

 

[LMW]

This was the question posed by a Gransnet user who, while out to lunch, had to endure a father making 'monster' faces at his toddler, causing the child to scream and laugh hysterically.

The original poster (OP) lamented that they had seen this kind of behaviour happen all too many times before, and that parents who deliberately ‘wind their children up’ to make noise in public places should be more aware of the inconvenience they are causing to others.

"Just as we were about to have a word with a member of staff, someone from another table called over to the father 'can you cut that out please. We can't hear ourselves think'. The father looked a bit shocked but stopped, thank goodness," said the OP.

Many people agreed with the OP’s take on the situation, with one commenter saying: "No you aren't [being unreasonable]. I would have been pretty hacked off. Good for the man who got him to stop. Some parents have no idea how aggravating their children are to others."

Another said: "In this case it was the father who was annoying. A small child will respond with squeals and shrieks to that behaviour."

A third added: “A place where other people go to eat is not a venue for a display of noisy father parenting. I wonder if he does it at home in the middle of a football match or Rugby on T.V.? Some people, men in particular seem to think they are displaying their superior parenting skills. Though only do it when in public. If you want to be noisy, take your children to a noisy venue where there are a lot of other noisy parents.”

Elderly people weighed in on whether parents should be mindful of their children’s noises in public spaces. Credit: Getty Images.​

However, not everyone thought that the father was in the wrong. One commenter said: "So a Father interacting with his child is wrong? Maybe it was a little bit too loud, but I would rather see a parent-child interaction than them all sitting with their heads in individual devices."

Another said: "I also think there are loads of ways for parents to interact without all the shrieking. But I do think the father was probably just enjoying hearing his child laugh, without realising the noise levels. He's probably used to doing it at home where he doesn't annoy anyone."

One commenter fired back at the OP: “If it bothered you that much you could have said something to the front of house manager earlier, you could have asked to be seated somewhere else, but no you sat still for twenty minutes until someone else intervened.”

So, what do you think, members? Should parents be more aware of their children's noise levels in public places, or was the OP overreacting? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Totally agree letting your children be noisy in a public place is very inconsiderate. My husband wears hearing aids and the high pitched yelling or laughter hurts his ears immensely. It is not hard to teach your children to respect others around them when in public places. Then everyone can enjoy being out.

 

[Nostradamus]

This was the question posed by a Gransnet user who, while out to lunch, had to endure a father making 'monster' faces at his toddler, causing the child to scream and laugh hysterically.

The original poster (OP) lamented that they had seen this kind of behaviour happen all too many times before, and that parents who deliberately ‘wind their children up’ to make noise in public places should be more aware of the inconvenience they are causing to others.

"Just as we were about to have a word with a member of staff, someone from another table called over to the father 'can you cut that out please. We can't hear ourselves think'. The father looked a bit shocked but stopped, thank goodness," said the OP.

Many people agreed with the OP’s take on the situation, with one commenter saying: "No you aren't [being unreasonable]. I would have been pretty hacked off. Good for the man who got him to stop. Some parents have no idea how aggravating their children are to others."

Another said: "In this case it was the father who was annoying. A small child will respond with squeals and shrieks to that behaviour."

A third added: “A place where other people go to eat is not a venue for a display of noisy father parenting. I wonder if he does it at home in the middle of a football match or Rugby on T.V.? Some people, men in particular seem to think they are displaying their superior parenting skills. Though only do it when in public. If you want to be noisy, take your children to a noisy venue where there are a lot of other noisy parents.”

Elderly people weighed in on whether parents should be mindful of their children’s noises in public spaces. Credit: Getty Images.​

However, not everyone thought that the father was in the wrong. One commenter said: "So a Father interacting with his child is wrong? Maybe it was a little bit too loud, but I would rather see a parent-child interaction than them all sitting with their heads in individual devices."

Another said: "I also think there are loads of ways for parents to interact without all the shrieking. But I do think the father was probably just enjoying hearing his child laugh, without realising the noise levels. He's probably used to doing it at home where he doesn't annoy anyone."

One commenter fired back at the OP: “If it bothered you that much you could have said something to the front of house manager earlier, you could have asked to be seated somewhere else, but no you sat still for twenty minutes until someone else intervened.”

So, what do you think, members? Should parents be more aware of their children's noise levels in public places, or was the OP overreacting? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Children should be taught from an early age how to behave in public. The father in this article would be well advised to learn that it is his duty to "counsel" his child on appropriate behaviour prior to entering a different environment and at the same time indicate another activity to be enjoyed after their meal, eg going to the park where a child can expend their energy.

 

[Joydie]

This was the question posed by a Gransnet user who, while out to lunch, had to endure a father making 'monster' faces at his toddler, causing the child to scream and laugh hysterically.

The original poster (OP) lamented that they had seen this kind of behaviour happen all too many times before, and that parents who deliberately ‘wind their children up’ to make noise in public places should be more aware of the inconvenience they are causing to others.

"Just as we were about to have a word with a member of staff, someone from another table called over to the father 'can you cut that out please. We can't hear ourselves think'. The father looked a bit shocked but stopped, thank goodness," said the OP.

Many people agreed with the OP’s take on the situation, with one commenter saying: "No you aren't [being unreasonable]. I would have been pretty hacked off. Good for the man who got him to stop. Some parents have no idea how aggravating their children are to others."

Another said: "In this case it was the father who was annoying. A small child will respond with squeals and shrieks to that behaviour."

A third added: “A place where other people go to eat is not a venue for a display of noisy father parenting. I wonder if he does it at home in the middle of a football match or Rugby on T.V.? Some people, men in particular seem to think they are displaying their superior parenting skills. Though only do it when in public. If you want to be noisy, take your children to a noisy venue where there are a lot of other noisy parents.”

Elderly people weighed in on whether parents should be mindful of their children’s noises in public spaces. Credit: Getty Images.​

However, not everyone thought that the father was in the wrong. One commenter said: "So a Father interacting with his child is wrong? Maybe it was a little bit too loud, but I would rather see a parent-child interaction than them all sitting with their heads in individual devices."

Another said: "I also think there are loads of ways for parents to interact without all the shrieking. But I do think the father was probably just enjoying hearing his child laugh, without realising the noise levels. He's probably used to doing it at home where he doesn't annoy anyone."

One commenter fired back at the OP: “If it bothered you that much you could have said something to the front of house manager earlier, you could have asked to be seated somewhere else, but no you sat still for twenty minutes until someone else intervened.”

So, what do you think, members? Should parents be more aware of their children's noise levels in public places, or was the OP overreacting? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

It depends on the venue. If it’s Maccas, nobody’s expecting a fine dining experience with everyone speaking in muted tones.

However, my husband and I have endured other people’s whining, crying, demanding kids at expensive restaurants. We can’t afford to go to these places very often, so it’s really annoying when a rare night out at a posh restaurant is ruined by other people’s kids.

 

[JayKay]

I think the father in this instance needs to be taught about appropriate behaviour. His behaviour is not appropriate, egging his child on to behave in such an aggregating manner.
Not everyone would think him a good parent while winding his child up.
It seems as if he was just showing off, telling the world he has a good relationship with his child and knows how to interact.
But to wind your child up at meal time is not appreciated or even a good idea.
Not the child's fault.

 

[DebbieMJ23]

Everyone is quick to bitch about a dog barking. A screaming, yelling child is worse. If you think you are mature enough to have a child, then demonstrate that maturity by controlling them in public.

 

[Chris Hills]

This was the question posed by a Gransnet user who, while out to lunch, had to endure a father making 'monster' faces at his toddler, causing the child to scream and laugh hysterically.

The original poster (OP) lamented that they had seen this kind of behaviour happen all too many times before, and that parents who deliberately ‘wind their children up’ to make noise in public places should be more aware of the inconvenience they are causing to others.

"Just as we were about to have a word with a member of staff, someone from another table called over to the father 'can you cut that out please. We can't hear ourselves think'. The father looked a bit shocked but stopped, thank goodness," said the OP.

Many people agreed with the OP’s take on the situation, with one commenter saying: "No you aren't [being unreasonable]. I would have been pretty hacked off. Good for the man who got him to stop. Some parents have no idea how aggravating their children are to others."

Another said: "In this case it was the father who was annoying. A small child will respond with squeals and shrieks to that behaviour."

A third added: “A place where other people go to eat is not a venue for a display of noisy father parenting. I wonder if he does it at home in the middle of a football match or Rugby on T.V.? Some people, men in particular seem to think they are displaying their superior parenting skills. Though only do it when in public. If you want to be noisy, take your children to a noisy venue where there are a lot of other noisy parents.”

Elderly people weighed in on whether parents should be mindful of their children’s noises in public spaces. Credit: Getty Images.​

However, not everyone thought that the father was in the wrong. One commenter said: "So a Father interacting with his child is wrong? Maybe it was a little bit too loud, but I would rather see a parent-child interaction than them all sitting with their heads in individual devices."

Another said: "I also think there are loads of ways for parents to interact without all the shrieking. But I do think the father was probably just enjoying hearing his child laugh, without realising the noise levels. He's probably used to doing it at home where he doesn't annoy anyone."

One commenter fired back at the OP: “If it bothered you that much you could have said something to the front of house manager earlier, you could have asked to be seated somewhere else, but no you sat still for twenty minutes until someone else intervened.”

So, what do you think, members? Should parents be more aware of their children's noise levels in public places, or was the OP overreacting? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Parents are responsible for teaching their children to responsible adults. Do what you like in the privacy of your own but behave in public at ALL times.

 

[Jane Wilson]

Totally agree letting your children be noisy in a public place is very inconsiderate. My husband wears hearing aids and the high pitched yelling or laughter hurts his ears immensely. It is not hard to teach your children to respect others around them when in public places. Then everyone can enjoy being out.

I agree and yes high pitched noises like squealing really hurts your eardrums too

 

[Thecla]

Time and place.

Exactly!!!!!

 

[lozat54]

This was the question posed by a Gransnet user who, while out to lunch, had to endure a father making 'monster' faces at his toddler, causing the child to scream and laugh hysterically.

The original poster (OP) lamented that they had seen this kind of behaviour happen all too many times before, and that parents who deliberately ‘wind their children up’ to make noise in public places should be more aware of the inconvenience they are causing to others.

"Just as we were about to have a word with a member of staff, someone from another table called over to the father 'can you cut that out please. We can't hear ourselves think'. The father looked a bit shocked but stopped, thank goodness," said the OP.

Many people agreed with the OP’s take on the situation, with one commenter saying: "No you aren't [being unreasonable]. I would have been pretty hacked off. Good for the man who got him to stop. Some parents have no idea how aggravating their children are to others."

Another said: "In this case it was the father who was annoying. A small child will respond with squeals and shrieks to that behaviour."

A third added: “A place where other people go to eat is not a venue for a display of noisy father parenting. I wonder if he does it at home in the middle of a football match or Rugby on T.V.? Some people, men in particular seem to think they are displaying their superior parenting skills. Though only do it when in public. If you want to be noisy, take your children to a noisy venue where there are a lot of other noisy parents.”

Elderly people weighed in on whether parents should be mindful of their children’s noises in public spaces. Credit: Getty Images.​

However, not everyone thought that the father was in the wrong. One commenter said: "So a Father interacting with his child is wrong? Maybe it was a little bit too loud, but I would rather see a parent-child interaction than them all sitting with their heads in individual devices."

Another said: "I also think there are loads of ways for parents to interact without all the shrieking. But I do think the father was probably just enjoying hearing his child laugh, without realising the noise levels. He's probably used to doing it at home where he doesn't annoy anyone."

One commenter fired back at the OP: “If it bothered you that much you could have said something to the front of house manager earlier, you could have asked to be seated somewhere else, but no you sat still for twenty minutes until someone else intervened.”

So, what do you think, members? Should parents be more aware of their children's noise levels in public places, or was the OP overreacting? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Well yes if you are the parent it’s your responsibility!! No one wants to listen to invasive, loud noise when you go out for a meal or even just a coffee with friends!! We all have to limit these events these days with the increased cost of living so to have these times spoiled by excessive noise is not ok!! I’m sure no one is bothered by a reasonable level of noise from kids, after all they are just children, but if it’s disturbing others then that’s not alright!!? When my children were small we we’re always very aware of others around us , it’s just responsible parenting & regard for the comfort & feelings of others!!

 

[Thecla]

Well yes if you are the parent it’s your responsibility!! No one wants to listen to invasive, loud noise when you go out for a meal or even just a coffee with friends!! We all have to limit these events these days with the increased cost of living so to have these times spoiled by excessive noise is not ok!! I’m sure no one is bothered by a reasonable level of noise from kids, after all they are just children, but if it’s disturbing others then that’s not alright!!? When my children were small we we’re always very aware of others around us , it’s just responsible parenting & regard for the comfort & feelings of others!!

Exactly!!!!

 

[Ezzy]

This was the question posed by a Gransnet user who, while out to lunch, had to endure a father making 'monster' faces at his toddler, causing the child to scream and laugh hysterically.

The original poster (OP) lamented that they had seen this kind of behaviour happen all too many times before, and that parents who deliberately ‘wind their children up’ to make noise in public places should be more aware of the inconvenience they are causing to others.

"Just as we were about to have a word with a member of staff, someone from another table called over to the father 'can you cut that out please. We can't hear ourselves think'. The father looked a bit shocked but stopped, thank goodness," said the OP.

Many people agreed with the OP’s take on the situation, with one commenter saying: "No you aren't [being unreasonable]. I would have been pretty hacked off. Good for the man who got him to stop. Some parents have no idea how aggravating their children are to others."

Another said: "In this case it was the father who was annoying. A small child will respond with squeals and shrieks to that behaviour."

A third added: “A place where other people go to eat is not a venue for a display of noisy father parenting. I wonder if he does it at home in the middle of a football match or Rugby on T.V.? Some people, men in particular seem to think they are displaying their superior parenting skills. Though only do it when in public. If you want to be noisy, take your children to a noisy venue where there are a lot of other noisy parents.”

Elderly people weighed in on whether parents should be mindful of their children’s noises in public spaces. Credit: Getty Images.​

However, not everyone thought that the father was in the wrong. One commenter said: "So a Father interacting with his child is wrong? Maybe it was a little bit too loud, but I would rather see a parent-child interaction than them all sitting with their heads in individual devices."

Another said: "I also think there are loads of ways for parents to interact without all the shrieking. But I do think the father was probably just enjoying hearing his child laugh, without realising the noise levels. He's probably used to doing it at home where he doesn't annoy anyone."

One commenter fired back at the OP: “If it bothered you that much you could have said something to the front of house manager earlier, you could have asked to be seated somewhere else, but no you sat still for twenty minutes until someone else intervened.”

So, what do you think, members? Should parents be more aware of their children's noise levels in public places, or was the OP overreacting? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Yes l believe the father possibly became a bit enthusiastic & should have been mindful of other diners & not kept this going but too the aggravated diner should have personally asked the parent to stop or as suggested, spoken to a staff member or the Manager.

All too often in a Take-a-way Restuarant l have seen children jumping up on chairs & running wild while their parents sat idly by doing nothing to stop this. As patrons in these places l believe we have an expectation to be able to dine without this sort of aggravation; to dine in peace. For some of us these days dining out is a treat because we can only afford to do so occasionally.