I don't have to read the articles to weigh in on this one. I totally agree that some places should be off limits to children and that restaurants should be able to put that in their policy. Some parents don't have comment sense, so might as well let someone else do it for them. I once went to an expensive "sho sho" restaurant and there was a family with a 3 year old and newborn and we had to sit next to them. Well that mom decided that night that she was going to teach her 3 year old some manners and that her newborn would have to cry it out because he was staying in his carseat. It was hell to listen to that baby cry for almost 45 mins. Finally another patron offered to pick up the baby to make it stop and mom said no and to mind their business. Like I said... the people out there that have no common sense ruin it for everyone else. I love going to restaurants, but when I had my son, I knew that I was giving that up for a while until I could get a babysitter. I only take him to child friendly restaurants and even then... I keep it to a reasonable hour. I went out with my husband the other night to get some couple time together... we went to a restaurant/club and it was 9pm and still people showed up with babies and kids crying because they are tired and don't want to sit down and blah blah blah. It was really unpleasant. So yes, I am totally for it. And it's not because of the breastfeeding in public stuff... it's the crying and whinning stuff and the running around the restaurant and screaming stuff. You may have a perfect angel... but about the next kid that isn't. So again... I am all for it.

I can see both sides of the argument. It can be frustrating to be seated beside a screaming baby. But as a mother of two young children, it is also appalling to think that my family would not be welcome in a public space. I exercise caution when taking my family "out on the town". I think most parents do: we choose family friendly restaurants and attend during the "early bird hour". But that is not to say that my children haven't been in very adult atmospheres - a wedding ceremony and reception, an airplane, church, new restaurants... and when my child did scream while we were out for pizza - we took turns rocking him in our arms outside. I think most parents are sensitive enough to do this. So give us a little credit. I suspect these parents knew their son could handle it, or else they wouldn't be leaving the house at all.

The argument about "room for a stroller or car seat" or a chair that isn't dedicated to a paying customer sounds fishy to me - I think they just don't want the baby to cry. A wheelchair takes up a lot of room. would they really deny a disabled person the opportunity to dine in their restaurant. And shouldn't all places have a baby change station? It seems as courteous as having automatic doors.

And the breastfeeding thing? Well let's just hope that employee misspoke and her words do not represent the restaurant. Denying a baby the right to eat is just so wrong (and archaic, have we not progressed at all?!)

This reminds me: I went to Portugal for my honeymoon and at 10:00pm in a very fancy restaurant an entire family came in. One member was just a baby in a car seat. No one batted an eye. My husband and I just went on drinking our Port. I doubt they have these discussions there.