Restaurant to Bans Kids Under 6. A Good Thing Or Bad?

By: Don Caldwell


Are parents doing a worse job then they used to, or are we living in a less child-friendly society? What about both?


Excerpts italicized:


During an interview with the owner, patrons apparently favored this action 11 to 1, noting that most of the complaints came from other parents themselves looking to enjoy a quiet dinner….


The owner also notes that children have begun to become more disruptive due to lack of parenting.


A restaurant in western Pennsylvania says it's no longer allowing children under age 6.


McDain's Restaurant and Golf Center in Monroeville says the new policy will take effect July 16.


Restaurant owner Mike Vuick said there's "nothing wrong with babies, but the fact is you can't control their volume." He said all that screaming and crying disturbs many of his customers.


Some restaurant customers said they support Vuick's right to set rules that he thinks are best for his business. But others said they're offended by the policy.
Vuick said that children might be the center of their parents' universe, as it should be. But he says they're not the center of everyone else's universe too.

Do restaurants have the right to create the atmosphere they want? The people seem to have agreed with the actions of this particular restaurant, but what does that really say?


It generally seems as though kids are becoming less” well behaved” as parenting skills take a nosedive, but is this also a reflection on a society that is less family oriented?


In the western world, people are having fewer and fewer kids (per capita) which every passing year, and those same children are spending more and more time being raised by secondary care-givers ( i.e. day-care). One could argue that the lack of parenting (both in times spent with children, and with parenting style) has led to children becoming more “disruptive”.


If our children are (what most would consider…consciously) the most important things in the world, then why can we not give them the most important thing we have to give…our time?
 
(ORIGINAL LINK) Noise Prompts Pennsylvania Restaurant to Ban Kids Under 6 - FoxNews.com
(VIDEO LINK) Video Interview With PA Restaurant Owner - FoxNews.com