Loud babbling in restaurants?

[mambera]

We frequently go out to eat with our 12 mo DD. We try to choose relatively kid-friendly venues but they're not kid-specific places or chains. They're generally casual local restaurants with good food.

We try really hard not to have DD disturb other diners. We come fully stocked with various entertainments, and if she starts to whine or cry one of us will walk her around outside until she is back in a good mood.

She's generally a happy camper (if an opinionated one) but she is pretty verbal and she does happen to have a rather LOUD voice for a small child! So even in a good mood she will sometimes start to babble very loudly. I usually tell her nicely to please be quiet (of course that's not very effective) while simultaneously distracting her or pushing some food into her mouth so she has to shut up and chew .

I don't have a good sense for whether the loud babbling seems like something that would be offensive to other diners the way a crying baby can be. Should we be taking her outside the way we do when she cries?

[mamazee]

My rule of thumb for my kids in family restaurants like that is that if their noises are about the same as an adult's voice could be in that particular restaurant, then I let them stay. Tantrums, crying, or excessive noise, I take them outside for a minute till they calm down. If they can't calm down, dh gets our food packed and we go home.

[Honey693]

This is why we usually go to loud places. Sports bars (BW3's, Beef O'Brady's, etc) on football night are awesome. Even if your baby is screaming they won't be the loudest on ion the place.

[AFWife]

If my son is being loud and throwing a fit we try to leave ASAP.

Just being loud in a "hey, I have a voice" kind of way? No big deal usually. I mean, if it's quiet or something we might leave...but we don't go to those places with a toddler...

[leighann79]

Happy baby noises don't bother me. Well, happy screams might. LOL Basically the same as PP, if it's about the same level as the adults it's fine. A little louder even doesn't bother me. MUCH louder and after more than 5 mins I may wish the little sweetie would go outside awhile. LOL A few shrieks here and there aren't bad though.

[bri276]

In a casual place, I expect noise. Even adults can be loud in casual restaurants, loud laughter, sports on TV, etc. It's fine. I take my DD to those places, too.

[Vermillion]

I voted other because I would notice but I wouldn’t want you to take her outside. I love happy baby noises, makes me happy

And to be honest, I usually get pretty miffed when I see a parent hushing a happy, babbling baby. It bums me out I don’t quite understand it… At the library or something? Maybe… but at a place like a restaurant where there is going to be noise anyway, I would MUCH prefer to hear happy baby noises than some of the other stuff I’m going to hear!

I think people who are bothered by happy babies have issues. *shrug*

[LynnS6]

I love baby babbling, so why would you take her outside? She's probably no louder than many of the other conversations around you.

[LavenderMae]

I voted other because I would notice but I wouldn't want you to take her outside. I love happy babbling babies.

[paintedfire]

I don't care where I am - baby babble just makes me happy.

Let her talk! Or better yet, let me hold her.

[pianojazzgirl]

Another vote for "other", ie. I would notice her but in a happy way (not a "take your baby outside" way).

[Artichokie]

i wouldn't let her screech and scream (even happily), but if she is "talking" in the same volume as everyone else I say it is great.

[lilyka]

She is probably not talking louder than the adults around her. If thats the case or no one seems bothered I wouldn't mind. if she actually was being quite loud and wound up I would take her out to calm down and then come back in.

[annettemarie]

Moving to Life with a Babe

[HeliMom]

I agree with PP if she's louder than a normal conversation then it could be construed as a distraction.

I find though that that the early dinner 5pm crowd are very baby friendly and since restaurants are usually mostly empty at that time the staff are happy to have you. So if you did need to make some kind of accommodation maybe shoot for that?

[CrazyCatLady]

I rarely notice other people's babies or kids. Unless they're being total monsters and the parents are doing nothing about it. Even then it's the parent's that I get annoyed with, not the kids.

But I am a very self-conscious, anxious type of person. So I'll remove my kid from a restaurant if I think they may be being too loud/distracting. Even if it's probably fine. Lucky me I've ended up with mellow kids who are pretty good in restaurants.

So I voted other. Cause for me and my kids, I'd remove the loud babbler. But I'd never even notice another person's kid being noisy so it's fine.

[rightkindofme]

I didn't vote because my answer is, "It depends on your definition of loud." If my kid is louder than the ambient noise I take her outside. If she fits in with the general noise level I don't worry about it.

[Nicole730]

I voted other. I would probably notice, but think it was cute. I love happy kids, especially ones that babble.

[mamazee]

Originally Posted by HeliMom

I agree with PP if she's louder than a normal conversation then it could be construed as a distraction.

I find though that that the early dinner 5pm crowd are very baby friendly and since restaurants are usually mostly empty at that time the staff are happy to have you. So if you did need to make some kind of accommodation maybe shoot for that?

I didn't say "normal conversation." I said "as an adult's noise could be" which would include laughing and other loud noises. It would not include shrieking, which is when I usually take my dd out.

[Tuesday]

Originally Posted by paintedfire

I don't care where I am - baby babble just makes me happy.

Let her talk! Or better yet, let me hold her.

Or me! Don't worry about the noises unless they are particularly unhappy and lasting ... and, in this case your DC would likely be benefit from a break from the stimuli.

I don't ever eat out in restaurants with my kids but I have had this issue at church. I finally realized, after much stress, that hearing chattery happy babies and children is a normal part of life. If we all existed in a quiet adult zone without any "noise" from children, what a dull place this world would be!