Is it wrong to keep a kid busy at an eatery with your iPad?

As a slight (OK moderate) deviation from said topic...Last Friday we happened to be in the vicinity of the mawls and stopped in to BJ's for a bite and some brews. The "dining area" was on a 30 minute "wait" but we were fortunate enough to grab a 2 top in the bar (which was our preferred seating in the first place). So the place it pretty much packed and we observe there are -no less- than five CHILDREN seated AT the bar, drinking water (two of them had "I-pods")...all part of 3 different party's awaiting seating in the dining room. When we finished our meal we took the opportunity to move to the only two seats open at the bar in order to open our seats for other dining customers...and while finishing up our drinks had an opportunity to engage a couple of members of the bar staff as to what THEY thought of said water drinking children occupying those coveted bar stools. The short version is...if you are a parent...and you seat your kid at a crowded bar...drinking water while waiting for a table. The bar staff HATES you. I mean they REALLY hate you.

Can't say I blame the bar staff. Each of those barstools represent X number of dollars in tips for the bar staff. A kid drinking water brings in zilch.

Is that even legal???

Is that even legal???

No-it's not.

[Robin Garr]

Is that even legal???

No-it's not.

I think it would take an awfully bureaucratic ABC inspector (or else one with his hand extended for a "tip" with excessive obviousness) to cite an establishment for this. Nineteen-year-olds, that's a whole nuther story.

If only we had iPads or smart phones when we were raising our kids. I use to take the little packets of sugar and sprinkle their palms with a few grains of sugar. That would keep them busy until dinner arrived.

Call me old school, but when I was a young lad (yes folks, I grew up and was, admittedly, a bit of a brat), my folks were very careful about where they took us to dinner. There were places that we were welcome to be us, and it was expected (sorry to say those places have long since shuttered up), and those places where we dressed up and had to mind our manners or we would have escorted to the loo for "heart to heart" with one of the 'rents palms to our respective backside.

Now that being said, and the spoilage level of the typical American child had increased by leaps and no bounds, the I say if it keeps the younger patrons quiet and at the table (yes, with proper ear-buds in place), then go for it.

When I go out to dinner (which I tend to do very regularly), I don't want to have my meal constantly interrupted by a disgruntled child trying to maintain the (supposedly) supervising adults attention.

Now, that being said, I will add this. When I dine out and have seen a well behaved child, I make mention of it to the supervising adults with a big smile and thank them for doing a fine job. These young ones will make admirable foodies in the near future.

Oh, and for the record, I agree with Steve P. that a bar area should not be considered a "holding area" for minors. Not a cool move at all, in my opinion.

When my children were young (a long time ago) we would take them to nice restaurants. We never had anyone complain about them. When dinner was over, we would let them out of the trunk and go home.

When my children were young (a long time ago) we would take them to nice restaurants. We never had anyone complain about them. When dinner was over, we would let them out of the trunk and go home.

LOL

An alternate view:....

And a good one - thanks, Deb!