Talk About Children

Monday we started with 96 children, by Wednesday we had 115 and I didn't see yesterday's total.  They are divided into four groups for their class/activities, the largest groups are over 40.  They have 30 minutes for games and refreshments.  This year we have big Jumpy Things for them to play in, so they want their treats quickly!  It's worked well this week with three of us setting up refreshments, and cleaning between groups.  My experiences gave me some insight when reading this article.

A restaurant recently changed it’s policy to not serve children. To put it kindly, the owner said:  'Parents have gradually diminished their cooperation.'

Another site (I neglected to save it’s location) polled it’s readers as to whether the restaurant should deny children.  A great many of the readers chose to take the change personally, fitting it into their view regarding the decline of families in America.

Not me.  I see it as a laxness on the part of parents who did not respect the restaurant, nor their children.  Instead of denigrating the owners for making a call based on their business needs, we need to be setting examples.

I remember a restaurant birthday party.  We had close to a dozen, and so did the group next to us.  There were four children six or under in that group. A couple were a bit wiggly, but the parents paid attention and corrected their table manners.  It was a pleasure to watch them, and I stopped to compliment the family as we were leaving.

I’m proud to say that my grandson and his wife have done a very good job setting examples for their children.  We were a group of twelve at a restaurant recently.  Their four children did ask a good many questions about the menu, but once the selections were determined, they were good dinner companions, too.

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6 KJV)

I think that includes respect for others.  In this case, an awareness that dining away from home includes those surrounding you.  There are attitudes and actions appropriate in one arena that are not in another.  Teaching children the difference remains the job of parents.

The easiest way to do so is to invite friends and relatives over for dinner – and I don’t mean backyard barbeques.  Have a sit down dinner focusing on including the children.  Check out table manners, correcting if needed, commending where appropriate.  Accomplish this before taking them to restaurants, teaching them that there’s a big difference between fast foods with a play area and restaurants with wait staff who see to their requests.

Teaching that respect for others falls under one of my favorite verses – the one that follows the first and great commandment:

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (Matthew 22:39 KJV)