A New Jersey restaurant has ruffled feathers all over the country after announcing a new rule banning small children. Nettie’s House of Spaghetti in Tinton Falls just announced that they’re fed up with the chaos caused by kids under 10 and will no longer allow them in the restaurant. The new rule has sparked a national conversation about when and where young kids should be allowed out with their parents.
“We love kids. We really, truly, do. But lately, it’s been extremely challenging to accommodate children at Nettie’s,” the owners of Nettie’s write in a post on their official Facebook page. “Between noise levels, lack of space for high chairs, cleaning up crazy messes and the liability of kids running around the restaurant, we have decided that it’s time to take control of the situation.”
Beginning in March, the owners say, children under 10 are banned from Nettie’s. “We know that this is going to make some of you very upset, especially those of you with very well-behaved kids, but we believe this is the right decision for our business moving forward,” they add.
Should young kids be allowed to dine out?
The owners of Nettie’s clearly had a feeling their new rule would cause an uproar, and they weren’t wrong. In the days since the announcement was posted, it’s gone viral across multiple social media platforms. Everyone, even parents, seems to be bitterly divided on whether or not the new rule is a good idea.
On Facebook, where they originally posted the announcement, more than 10,000 people left comments sharing their perspectives. “I thought this was an ‘Onion’ [article] when I first saw it,” one person writes. “I have grown kids. They were really well behaved, and nobody likes misbehaved kids, especially while dining. But this might be harsh.”
“Having worked in the [restaurant] industry since I was 14, I’ve never seen anything like I have in the recent past,” another person adds, throwing their support behind Nettie’s. “Kids are out of control and most parents are oblivious. The disregard for manners and common decency is unreal. I…was disgusted by the behavior. Good for you for taking a stand!”
On Twitter, one user characterized the new rule as an “attack” on families. “Netties Spaghetti House in [New Jersey] has banned children under 10 from dining inside. This isn’t a fancy place, guys,” they write. “This is straight up a continued attack on our society of motherhood and children being seen as a burden with an attitude of hatred!”
But other parents say they have no qualms with the rule and they’re totally fine with the world being divided into kid-friendly and kid-unfriendly spaces.
“I’ve got five kids. Oldest graduates high school in the spring and youngest starts kindergarten in the fall, and I absolutely agree with the owner of this establishment,” one parent writes. “Wife and I have places we go with our kids and places we go without. We all enjoy both experiences.”
The bottom line on banning kids from public spaces
The Nettie’s discourse is just the latest in a string of controversies regarding whether or not kids should be allowed in certain spaces. Most recently, the New York Times started a debate about kids on airplanes after publishing an article questioning parents who bring their babies into first class seating.
“Luxury and babies don’t mix” for some people, the piece says, while pointing out that there are also adults-only pools and kid-free cruises. But should family restaurants really be included on the list of anti-kid spaces?
The U.S. can already feel like a hostile place for many parents of small kids. Child care costs are often unaffordable and far too many parents are simply burned out from ceaseless demands and the lack of support parents face every single day. In the midst of it all, banning kids from commonly shared public spaces, like restaurants, can feel like an additional slap in the face.
But, it’s also true that many restaurant workers report that customers are more demanding than ever, and they’re dealing with dwindling tips, more customer meltdowns and increased stress at work. Nettie’s even stated in their rule announcement that the ban was the result of kids and families making “crazy messes” and being “a liability.”
The Nettie’s ban may be off-putting to some, but it’s hard to say who’s in the right here. As any parent can tell you, when it comes to dining out with kids, even the best case scenario is often stressful and complicated. Clearly, that’s true for everyone involved.
