Originally Posted by
jcwoman
You go out to eat for years at a stretch?
I know you didn't mean it like that, but your argument is still one of extremes. When my brother and I were little, my parents would go out once a week and left us home with a sitter. I remember being a little envious that they left and had a nice night out without us, but I also now think back on it fondly. They used their nights out like a date, and what do parents of young kids need more than some time alone together?
They also taught us table manners so that when they did take us out, we behaved ourselves. I'm still shocked when I see kids running around a restaurant. That would have been unthinkable in my family. Unless you're in the McDonald's playroom or Chuck E Cheese, you sit at the table and eat.
I think this is more of a city vs. suburbs issue. In large cities, where it is more common to go out to eat as part of a regular meal rather than as a special occasion, you're likely to see more babies and children at restaurants of all levels. We saw it quite a lot in San Francisco, and it is even more prevalent here in Chicago. We went to a fairly bar-like steak house on Sunday, and our daughter was one of numerous children in the restaurant.
And it's not that we don't enjoy having a night out without our daughter. We occasionally go out for very fancy meals, when we get a sitter, or, better yet, go to a movie and then out to a bar afterward. (And I wouldn't think of bringing our 20 month old into a movie).