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restaurant etiquette with baby?

fusionbridefusionbride member
in November 2012 Moms

When you take your LOs out to restaurants with you, do you clean up under LO's highchair before you leave?

Ideally, LO wouldn't make a mess, but that's unrealistic.  We have one of those placemats with a trough and a highchair cover that catches about half of the mess, but inevitably there are crumbs, cheerios, and pieces of whatever else LO ate scattered under the highchair.  What do you think-- do we as the parents need to clean it up?  or just tip extra?  or that is part of the restaurant's job?

(FTR, I'm talking about low-key, family-friendly restaurants-- not fancy places-- but still...)

(random side note-- I had no idea how messy LO was, since at home we have a dog who is in charge of clean up duty!)


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Re: restaurant etiquette with baby?

  • Jenner37Jenner37 member
    As a server it's not my job, I mean I will obviously clean it up, but if your kid makes a huge mess you should make an effort to at least clean up a little bit, obviously not crumbs. If you don't feel like cleaning up, the least you could do is leave extra tip. As a parent I always pick up big pieces, straws, whatever else she may have thrown on the floor, but I don't worry about little crumbs because I don't bring my own vacuum. Maybe I see it differently since I work in restaurant but you clean up after them at home, why would you expect someone else to do it just because you're out? (General you, not you specifically fusionbride)
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  • Kmartinrvt13Kmartinrvt13 member
    I worked in a restaurant for 6 years while in high school/college and I just cleaned up no matter, I didn't expect the parent to do it and I didn't expect more of a tip. As a server (at Bob Evans so there was a ton of kids) that was my section and part of my job to keep it clean. That being said when I do take DD out I do tip extra if she makes a huge mess, which she usually doesn't.
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  • Sprite2012Sprite2012 member
    edited November 2013
    I waited tables for 5 years.  I don't believe it is the restaurant staff's job to clean up after your child, I believe it is the parent's job.  Obviously, the table and the area will be cleaned after everyone leaves regardless.  But I think, in general, it is considered somewhat rude to leave a gigantic mess at the table - no matter the age of the patrons.  At least, that's how I felt while waiting tables.

    That said, I always clean up after my kid.  There isn't a single pea or bread crumb left anywhere from him!  But I may be a bit obsessive ;-)

    ETA:  I re-read and corrected my tone!  Sorry!  I didn't mean to sound so rude (I blame my mood because of work today).
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  • techg0ddesstechg0ddess member
    Depends on how I found it :) If I have to clean my own seat off cause people just wipe the crap from the tables on the seat, I'm not picking up after him cause that's your clue to clean up that particular table. If it's a nicer place, I'll pick up after him. 
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  • maven212maven212 member
    I haven't really thought about this until now, but I kind of always clean up when I'm at a restaurant, but I a mainly go to diners. I remember what it was like cleaning up after customers when I was a server..and I never really thought much of it then either. I mean, I felt it was my job to clean up whatever was spilled. I was, however, happy for any little break I was given by a customer who tidied up too.

    So, I guess it's the right thing to do. I kind of just do it on autopilot. Back when I was a server, I wouldn't have thought twice if a customer didn't tidy up.
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  • GHBEAGHBEA member
    I always look at it this way, if I was the server/bus boy/girl would I want to do this several times a day/ night?  No I wouldn't so we always clean up no matter what type of place we eat at.
                                                 Mom to 4 wonderful daughters
                                 Breanna, Ellie and 
                                 our 2 rainbow babies.

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  • winecastle14winecastle14 member
    I always pick up the big pieces of food off of the floor and wipe the highchair if it's gross.
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  • jg1011jg1011 member
    We always clean up as best we can. I feel bad. Although most of the time the servers yell at us and tell us it's their job. I just feel that it really is our responsibility. I clean up after him at home, why should a public place be different?
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  • shella923shella923 member
    We hardly take her out to eat because I don't find it especially relaxing but I would clean up. "We're not animale."-Paulie, Goodfellas.
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  • shella923shella923 member
    Maybe it's that chef on tv who yells at people a lot? Lol!
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  • jg1011jg1011 member
    Believe it or not yes! Well....I guess "scolded" not yelled? We are always getting shooed away when we start to pick up what's in the floor. 

    Been in a few places...pizzeria, Chilis, diners, Ihop. Only been one place that doesn't say a word when we clean up....a local Italian place.
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  • persephonerosepersephonerose member
    We always try and pick up after D if we are eating out. However, we are also the same people that neatly stack our plates when done eating and put all the trash on the plates so it is all in one pile. I never leave my own crumbs on a table so I don't leave the crumbs D makes either.
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  • shaunnnashaunnna member
    @jg1011 We get scolded often when we try to pick up after DS. I still do it anyways until they come over. We go to lots of local, older restaurants which means older servers typically.
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  • kerrigrooveskerrigrooves member
    AmberEA14 said:
    I always pick up the big pieces of food off of the floor and wipe the highchair if it's gross.


    this.
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  • fusionbridefusionbride member
    ksherwood said:
    AmberEA14 said:
    I always pick up the big pieces of food off of the floor and wipe the highchair if it's gross.


    this.
    this is sort of the camp I am in, too.  But the other day we went somewhere where there was rice, and LO got it EVERYWHERE.  It's just not realistic to crawl around on the floor picking up every grain of rice that has fallen, so we did a cursory scoop for good will, then left extra tip.  I think maybe we'll avoid rice places for a while until she's a little better at getting it in her mouth...

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  • shella923shella923 member
    katiemay8979 said:


    shella923 said:

    We hardly take her out to eat because I don't find it especially relaxing but I would clean up. "We're not animale."-Paulie, Goodfellas.




    THIS! We rarely eat out because it's more hassle than its worth sometimes and hey, it's saving us money too :)

    Yes us too. We used to spend so much out. Now I think what a waste ! If I'm gonna drop at least fifty and not be able to completely relax I'll get takeout and veg in front of the tv.

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