My restaurant is not your kitchen.

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I am a hostess and a waitress at a hugely popular chain restaurant in my area which is about 3 minutes from one of the most popular theme parks in the world. I love my job (although it can be a pain in the butt like any job), I love the high paced atmosphere and the people I work with and I love being able to make someones day just by bringing out good food and allowing them to enjoy their time there. But please, don't treat my restaurant like it is your private kitchen table. I cant count how many times people allow their children to DRAW ON THE TABLES WITH CRAYONS, or to draw on the windows with crayons. Some people will remove every single thing from our tabletop caddies and basically empty it onto the table. People bring cheerios or goldfish for their infants, and they all end up on the floor. Ketchup bottles have been completely emptied onto a booth seat before. We have coloring books and crayons that we give to children (FOR FREE) and parents allow thier children to literally come up and TAKE about 20 of these little coloring booklets. When has it become okay for children to take things without asking? Or to throw their food? Or to waste things? Or to make a mess? Or to yell and scream and cry at the top of their lungs? We have balloons at the front of the restaurant to give away to children when they leave as a courtesy, but there will be some children (And parents) who will come up and actually untie the strings and Take ALL 15 balloons. OR just help themselves and leave the rest to float around in the air. Ive gone into the bathroom where people let their 6 yr olds go by themselves and the entire contents of the soap dispenser will be in a pile on the floor, or the mirror will be covered in soap and water. Ive seen entire rolls of toilet paper or paper towwels in a pile on the floor. Children picking flowers from our seating area out front. Children taking 100 toothpicks or mints, or taking our entire buisness cards (HOLDER AND ALL) and emptying them onto the floor. Children running laps around the bar, "HIDING" being doorways, interupting servers while they are helping other guests. The list goes on. It is absolutely appalling and ridiculous the way children are handled in public places these days. I remember when I was growing up, if I were to yell and scream in a restaurant I would be removed from the entire restaurant and taken to the car to sit until I would shut up. People treat a restaurant like its their own private kitchen and they are allowed to (as well as their children) to do whatever they plase. NO consideration for other guests who are trying to enjoy their time, no consideration for employees who have to dodge 3 yr olds playing tag while carrying steaming hot plates of food and expensive drinks. No consideration that it is not my job to clean up after your bratty little children. It is my job to serve you politely and respectfully and to make your meal enjoyable. It is NOT my responsibility to babysit your children. Letting your children vandalize our restaurant, put themselves and other people in danger of falling, burning themselves, dropping something or breaking something is not a way to get good service. Bottom line, PARENTS, please discipline your children and stop letting them walk all over you. It makes YOU look like idiots and bad parents! SuPervise them or DONT bring them. If you can't make your children behave in a public place, they SHOULDNT be there.