Is age discrimination ever okay?

My younger daughter is 7 and a half. My older (step)daughter is almost 22. As you see, my kids are both older than this ridiculous ban age but it still irritates me. I don't feel it's right to do this, and therefore I am speaking out.

Lets say I am 34. Would you mind me dating your two daughters?

YES! And people need to realize this. I've often said these people who feel they are 'better' or 'more important' than children ought to be grateful that they were cared for and allowed to grow up into the uptight stuffy obnoxious adults they are and should really consider how much NOT BETTER and LESS IMPORTANT they are for their views when 30, 40, 50 years ago they may just have been banning themselves. When I was younger I said I would write a book about all the things I considered unfair to kids - well I never wrote a book but I did still remember some of those things and I incorporate the ones that make sense and have not repeated those errors in raising my daughter lol. I do try to make things fair - doesn't mean EQUAL always - but fair.

I agree. Appelbees and whatnot tend to be more in my price range anyway. Still I remember when my girls were small how very much they loved the occasional "special night out's" we'd have where we'd go to a classier restaraunt. It made them feel all grown up and special. Great memories. They also KNEW that if they acted up that we would leave and it'd be a while before we went again.

Well, it certainly put them into the spotlight via social sites and caused people everywhere to discuss it, just like the issue of whether morbidly obese children should be seized and removed from their parents. Sometimes I really wonder how much dumber people are going to get as time goes on. I think it is a poor business move too, because while if I choose to go to an upscale place for a date, I may go late to avoid crowds, I'm just not sure about giving my business to a place (no matter how nice the environment and excellent the food) if they frown on children. I am a parent and that kind of disgusts me. I am quite creative at finding ways to avoid encountering screaming brats without giving ultimatums about where children are allowed to be. It's also true that it's nearly impossible to teach kids about proper manners in a public place when the only place you take them is chuck e cheese and mcdonalds. Practically the whole place is a kids play area and kids are allowed to run around and yell. If they were sitting there quietly just eating, you would think something was wrong with them lol. I generally go to places like Applebees, Chilis, Red Robin, as well as typical fast food places and despite all the people who claim small kids crawl under the table, tear through the restaurant, scream and cry, run into other patrons, grab things off other people's tables - no kids with me have ever done that and I've had kids for quite a few years and we've been out to eat LOTS at a variety of different places. Sometimes they talk a lot and drop things on the floor and squirm and get restless but the person most disturbed would be me since I'm sitting with them. They don't climb over the booth or knock chairs over or even talk to other people unless I see someone I know lol. I think it would be much more acceptable to issue a warning about behavior which applies to EVERY PATRON, and I would like to see it enforced when an adult has a tantrum. People are SO quick to lampoon children and make a big deal out of a child who is having a bad moment but often overlook adults with deplorable behavior. I think it's time the playing field is leveled.

I agree with you in a way about the movies - and some theaters post signs which state 'children under 6' (or something similar) are not allowed after 9 pm or something like that. I DO actually agree with that - in an adult rated movie, ie R, etc. I really cannot see any reason why an adult or couple would need to see an R rated movie after 9 or 10 pm with small children along. The later showings are also when adults typically go to a movie and want to be child free. I don't typically have any issue with young kids being in the movies (regardless of rating) earlier in the day, but if you think about it, people don't generally have a date night in the middle of the day anyway, it makes little sense to ban them at that time. Plus, the theaters are making money in the form of ticket sales... Again, I would have little to no problem with the establishment in question (restaurant) stating 'no minors after 7 pm' or 8 pm, or whatever. I just disagree with an all-out all-hours ban. There are some entertainment places here in the US where teens are not allowed out or there after a certain time without adult supervision, some of those I actually agree with more than young kids, especially if the teens in question have defaced property, snuck in without paying, etc. I think if a parent buys movie tickets for them though and accompanies them inside or at least to the ticket taker, they shouldn't be required to buy a ticket and watch the movie too... just letting the theater know they have no issue with their kid seeing the movie should be enough.

I don't have a problem with not allowing teenagers in bars because of the drinking thing. Of course we only have THAT because we have a 'legal drinking age' of 21 and if that were not the case, there would be no reason to ban teens from bars. As far as movies and carding people, I took my brother to a movie before a long time ago - and keep in mind my brother is 11 years younger than me. I GOT CARDED WHEN I BOUGHT THE TICKETS. He didn't. I was slightly irritated. I think I was 26...? As such, he IS about a foot taller than me and had a goatee or something - but it still didn't make a heck of a lot of sense. How many people under 18 use a card to buy movie tickets?

I thought it was illegal too to do this, but a lot of people are claiming that business owners have the right to enforce whatever they want. I will say though that if any places around here put up a rule like that or try to enforce it - EVEN IF I WOULD HAVE NEVER BROUGHT MY CHILD IN YOUR ESTABLISHMENT - I will not shop there, eat there, or otherwise give you one red cent. For me it's the principle of the thing, even if it's not designed to be kid-friendly. I have been to plenty of nicer places on dates with my husband without any of our kids and had a very enjoyable evening - we generally go out later on dates so the places are not so full and either we don't have to wait at all or it's easier to get reservations. We've sometimes seen families out having dinner and I like seeing families. These days there seems to be a pretty clear cut line between families and non families, and a lot of families are NOT going out together any more, which is sad. I don't know whether it's the expense or whether their kids act up or what. Either way, there are ways to avoid 'crazy hour' in restaurants just like avoiding 'rush hour' on the freeway - just don't go out at the typical times many people have dinner.

I feel like I am repeating the same thing till I'm blue in the face - I ABSOLUTELY agree that children who act like brats or are not being controlled by their parents should definitely be asked to leave! HOWEVER. That does NOT mean it is EVER okay to BAN ALL CHILDREN based on the bad behavior of SOME. If some random stranger actually groaned or made a face or acted in a rude manner because I walked by him or her with my daughter, I would want to smack the person... keep in mind we are just WALKING BY. Nothing more. In my opinion, people like THAT shouldn't be allowed to leave their homes lol. I've been disturbed before by kids that are crying or making noise, but I have never had some kid grab food or silverware or anything off my table. I really try to be understanding of other people with kids because *I* have kids and as such I understand that kids are not perfect lol. I am totally for any establishment asking disruptive patrons to leave - of ANY age, but I ask that they actually show just cause to ask someone to leave. A restaurant would not just ask someone to leave for no reason, and I feel banning a certain age group fits into the same category - no reason.

agree with you 100%. i've always managed to keep my children well behaved in restaurants or wherever.. dont see why they have to be banned from any restaurants..