Maybe just ask to move?

Casadena

Dear Prudence, 

The other day, I went out to a restaurant for a nice quiet meal, only to be interrupted by a couple with a screaming toddler seated next to me. In a situation like this, is it rude to ask them to do something about the noise? Or, if that isn’t effective, to request that the restaurant staff make them leave?

banana468

Talk to the staff and ask to move.  But only do this if you're in a fine dining place.

If you go out to the Olive Garden and when you're there you're family you're going to need to  manage your expectations.

If the place has a Michelin star rating then it's up to the staff to police this. 

Casadena

I'm so torn on this. Because on one hand, it's super annoying when kids are obnoxious in places where they shouldn't be. On the other, they're never going to learn HOW to behave in places if you don't expose them to situations. Agree that it's a bit dependent on the ambiance of the restaurant. Ppl getting crabby that kids are a bit loud at Chipotle or Applebee's...get over yourself. If it's obviously upscale, then say something to staff. 

ei34

Agree with the above - where was this?
LW wanted a nice, quiet meal, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume it was a nice, quiet restaurant?  If this is the case, you could have asked the staff to move to a different table yourself.  Bc if the staff allowed the family in, they're not going to ask them to leave mid-meal. 
But yeah if this is a place that welcomed the family in the first place, my guess is that they're also a place that is okay with children acting their age. The best way for kids to learn how to behave in restaurants is to practice.

MyNameIsNot

Don't put it on the staff. Having worked restaurants for a decade, I can promise you that the staff is well aware of the screaming kid and is doing everything in their power to either distract the kid or rush the food. There are very few places where staff can ask someone to leave in this situation. The parents who don't take the kid outside for a few minutes to calm down are the same parents who are going to flip their shit when staff offers to make their food to go. 

The best idea is to ask to be moved. 

knottieb74479a0be956dab

I have repeatedly encountered situations where people in cafes or restaurants behaved terribly. In such situations, I either asked the staff to move me to another table or even left the cafe. I understand that parents cannot always handle their children, but then others suffer. 

short+sassy

I have no qualms about being asked to move to a different table in a restaurant if there is something about my first table location that will ruin my meal.  If I just arrived and it isn't possible for me to be moved to a table that will solve the issue, I'll politely thank them for trying to accommodate me and then leave.

I don't care if it's fine dining or Applebee's.  The whole POINT of going out to eat at a restaurant is to have an enjoyable time, so I'm not spending my money and time on an experience I will hate.

I actually had something like this happen at Applebee's a few years ago, though it wasn't a child being a way too loud.  It was a complete POS adult who knew better.  It had already been a horrible and stressful day.  A tornado had ripped part of the roof off for one of our rentals.  I'd even had to take a day off work to deal with all of it.  My husband and I had been running errands for hours, but we were finally done and ready to go back home.

We hadn't had much to eat and were starving.  We were going to pick up fast food on the way home, but then decided it would be nice to decompress at a restaurant.

This was the suburbs and at an off time for lunch, around 3pm.  Applebees-esque restaurants were the only choices, lol.  We'd already gotten our drinks when this incredibly selfish scumbag only two tables away from us, turned on some war movie on his phone.  Are you KIDDING me!  My nerves were already frayed without the noise of loud gunfire, smh.

I will never understand how people can live their lives being this insanely rude and obnoxious, because you know someone this egregious isn't just like that with their phone.

At any rate, I apologized to our server and asked to be moved because I couldn't deal with all the noise from his phone.  She pleasantly accommodated us and I was even more generous with her tip than usual.