Would you take your young children to a fancy restaurant with you?

My husband and I usually take our 1 year old son with us when we eat in a restaurant. We just can't leave him with his babysitter at home while my husband and I enjoy eating outside.

Hi. I think I would much rather visit the restaurant alone with my significant other. I mean if it is really elegant, why spend time chasing children around? I would want to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere and be able to enjoy a night out without always eating a hamburger or chicken nugget LOL.

It would depend on how "fancy" the fancy was, and how young the children were. If it was something like a chain restaurant "fancy" (Olive Garden, Applebee's, etc), and the children were 8 and up, yes, I would take them. By then they know enough to behave well (hopefully) and to listen to what they are told. Again, hopefully, they also have good table manners. This is a wonderful learning experience for them and it can also be used as a "reward" for exceptional behavior. If it is a "fancier fancy" than a chain, where one would most certainly not go wearing jeans and a sweater, and a tie and jacket are not options; NO, I would not bring a child with us. This is obviously a "date night" and we want some very special alone time. We deserve it!

Only if they were very well behaved and I could get a sitter

hi, if you have tought your children well and tought them how to behave in public then there is no reason not to take them with you. someone made a comment that it would be better to get a babysitter than to have to "chase them around and make them behave" my children would never act like that in public because i have raised them better! just as my mother raised me to know how to behave. it seems that parents are getting more lax over the years and that is why so many children are in trouble.

I will just take my children anywhere they are allowed; including fancy restaurants. I just think there's always time where me and my significant other could enjoy time together; but they're time being kids only come once. When I grow old (become granny/grandpa) I still could go to fancy restaurants with my spouse, but my kids would definetely wouldn't want to go with us. Unless, when I plan this going out to a fancy restaurant as something really- really special for me and my spouse, where we only want to be by ourselves; then probably, no kids allowed.

No I wouldn't, mostly because I don't think it's fair to the kids. I've been in fancy dining, although not a restaurant it was a cruise but some situation, and it's hard on the kids. The wait time, the food usually isn't to their liking, and there is nothing there for them to do unless you bring something for them. I think a fancy restaurant should wait till they are older and can appreciate it all. It's better all around.

I never took my sons to fancy restaurants when they were really young. My mother used to say that it was a good way to teach them how to behave but I think that is bunk. LIttle kids are not ready for allt he formality and the need to be quiet is too much for them to handle. I resent getting dressed up for a nice evening out and having a screaming child in the same building. It defeats the pupose or the evening and destroys that ambiance the owner has carefully created.

Why would I not take my children to fancy restaurants, if I had children. Other people are not better and do not deserve to go to fancy restaurants more than my children.

I tend to save the nice restraunts for just my husband and I. I feel that the fancy restraunts are not really a place for children. Kids like to move around and tend to be a little loud and this is not something that other people want to deal with while they are out. If I am going to a Dennys or something of course I will take my children. Plus it is always nice to have somewhere that you can go with your husband that you don't take the children with you.

When our children were small, we did not have money to go to any restaurants. They were probably 10 or so before they were ever in a mcdonalds. It was not because we never took them with us, it was because we ourselves never went either. Now when we go out to a nice dinner with our daughter and her family, we do take the kids ages 2 and 3. We share our food with them. I just cant imagaine not taking them with us. We just ask for 2 empty plates to put food on for them.

No I would not. Fancy restaurants just aren't the place for young children. Young children want to be able to laugh and have fun and make a fuss. It would just cause you a lot of embarrassment in the end because they'd get cranky and would fuss because they couldn't eat the type of food they wanted. I would hire a sitter for the night.

It all depends on the child. My granddaughter goes with her parents to fancy restaurants a few times a week. Shes only 14 months old. She's well behaved and the staff knows her since they frequent the same restaurants over and over. If I had an ill behaved child at home, I'd not even think about taking them out in public.

It would depend on the kids. When my step children were growing up, I wouldn't have ever taken them any place fancy as they had no table manners and hadn't been taught how to behave. However, I do think it's important to expose children to these situations so they do learn how to behave. If your children don't behave in a fancy restaurant, they should NOT be there. Many people take their kids out and don't supervise them or seem to notice how they behave. Kids who grow up eating only fast food will never learn the proper manners that go with eating in nicer places.

I would not. Mostly in all honesty because I don't go to fancy restaurants myself LOL. But I don't think it would be an atmosphere they would be comforable in or food that would suite their tastes for the most point.

I would and I have- Now if this was a romantic dinner for just the 2 of us then I would certainly get a sitter. But if it was a nice dinner as a family- I would take my daughter- She is 10 and knows how to act- Besides if she acted up she knows she would have to deal with me after.. That would mean not going out again for a while.. Why not take your children- Especially if they can be good. They deserve to see the nicer places too. I can see if you have a really picky eater-- and you think they would not like the menu-- then no-- send them to a sitter.

It depends on whether I felt certain that my children would behave, and what age they were. (Bear in mind that I don't actually have children, but I have gone out to eat with friends who have children young enough that it was hard to keep them under control at times *laugh*) I think that if i were going to a really fancy place, I would rather have someone watch the kids and just have a nice dinner out with my significant other, instead of worrying about bringing them along and how they might get fussy or act up. It would be a lot easier and a lot less stressful not to bring them. But if they were old enough and wanted to come and I knew that they would behave, I don't see any problem in bringing children to a fancy restaurant. ^_^

I think it would be better for you and for the people around you. You don't have to deal with screaming kids and neither do the people next to you. You have some alone time and peace for a hour or two.

All it depends. If it is a romantic dinner ...LOL... of course the child's place is at home... BUT if it is a normal dinner ... you take the "beasts" with you :))

There's a time and a place for everything. My kids are very well behaved in restaurants, but I only take them to "chain" style places like Fridays, Chili's, Buca De beppo, etc. If the place has a kiddie menu and crayons then it's fine. I would never take them to a fancy place. They wouldn't enjoy it and it woudln't be fair to the other patrons. My hubby and I go out about 4 times a year to fancy places without our kids.