There was a time when parents brought their children to restaurants only
             when the child had reached a suitable age and had a grasp of proper table
             manners. However, today, this unspoken code seems to have vanished and one
             is just as likely to see a week-old infant drooling at the next table or
             experience a two-year old's tantrum than not. And moreover, it appears
             that parents not only bring their small infants and children to restaurants
             regardless or their age or time of night, but the parents are apparently
             void of any skills of discipline and parental tact, as well as common
             courtesy to other diners and the restaurant staff.
             A dining experience at a local favorite will likely include toddlers
             running through the dining area, weaving in and around as if the tables and
             chairs had been set up specifically for their enjoyment, their own special
             obstacle course, their own special playground. And all the while the
             parents or grandparents or whoever brought them, calmly finish their food
             and drinks, seemingly oblivious to the fact that their children are running
             rampant through the restaurant. Not only are the children disturbing other
             diners but servers loaded down with trays of food and dishes are forced to
             Then there are the parents who pretend to be deaf, ignoring the
             blood curdling screams of their infants or toddlers. One would think that
             at the first whimper, the parents would take the child outside to quiet him
             or her. One would think that if one's child was screaming in the middle of
             a restaurant, whether gourmet or a local hamburger joint, that the instinct
             of common courtesy would force a parent to appreciate the fact that there
             are many other people around who are not deaf. At times it is impossible
             to hold a single thought, much less a conversation due to some child
             Parents of small children should be aware that there is a large
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