Was thinking about this coz we're going to a buffet lunch this weekend. we eat out quite a bit as a family. just last weekend we were at popeyes and we bought a serving of kernel corn. sarah LOVES corn and was shoving them into her mouth as fast as she could, making quite a mess.

not to sound very inconsiderate, but do you clean up after? there were quite a number of kernels on the floor, and i suppose i could have, and i SHOULD have, but i didn't. this happens almost everywhere we eat, there will be food on the ground.

sometimes in places where they charge a service charge, i will not even think about cleaning up because technically, it is a service and i am going to make full use of my 10% since topping up my glass of water occasionally doesn't really constitute 'service'.

but at fast food places, well, it's quite a hassle and esp when all you have is some pieces of tissue to pick up food with, i'd rather leave it to the 'professionals' and their proper cleaning equipment.

how do the rest of you handle the situation?

Leave it haha~ but I make sure i clean up the table. Thats why I bring 1 pack of wet tissues every time I go out with DS. And after we are done, there will be a mountain of used wet tissues but the table is at least clean

we did tat too

+Jul 30 2009, 09:32 AM-->

Thats the best we can do for the mess we made right? Must be responsible, or at least 1/2 responsible, coz those on the floor I wun bend down n pick it up hehe~

+Jul 30 2009, 09:32 AM-->
We did tat tooo..

eh same hre....sometimes jus use wipes to clear e table
sometimes at coffeeshop my dh wil tel me off when dd make a mess..bt i oso cant imagine me bending dwn to clear e mess on e flor leh...

at least we did our part too rite ... in keep the place "clean" for others also mah hor

Floor we dun pick up, but will make an effort for the tables.

same.

Well we try to make an effort to prevent the kids from dropping food all over the place. If any bits are on the table or chair, we will try to clear them onto used plates after we are done eating. As for the floor, we leave it lah. If after eating oredi still gotta clean floor then rather eat at home. 1 advantage of eating out is not having to wash up after dinner rite?

yup same here..tables yes..floor no..

I think you have to see how dirty and messy you left the floor. I have seen some parents with kids and the mess they left on the floor is really awesome..Food everywhere below them and on the table. If its just some bits and pieces of food thats fine but if its a lot, then either you help feed your child or spoon feed them..thats my opinion.

my girl has done that dozens of times! sometimes i really feel quite embarassed but yup, i will try to clean up the table/highchair but not floor.

she has her good days and her bad days..but yah, usually the table mess i will try my best but there was this one time.....coz we gv her fruits..oh mans.....it was like a fruit salad on the floor! haha!

hmmm..my dd too!but i do clean the tables up.but if happens to spill over e floor lyk those liquid will go inform cleaner to clean up instead.but normally on e floor we dun do much.but i guess pple will understand as kids r lyk that!haha!

well, i will leave the floor to the staff, but i WILL, however, make it a point to apologise for the mess (if i run into a staff otw out) and thank them for their trouble.

that said, i suppose BIG pieces of food, i will pick up lah. like a chicken bone, fishball, etc...
but rice bits or in your case, kernel corn, a bit unrealistic, so its only fair the staff "help" with the "tools" they have handy.

i will clear watever mess on the table including throwing away those tissues that's used by baby but if on the floor, i'll just leave it. if its too much like all over, maybe i'll just try to use the tissue that they provide to sweep it abit but if not too messy then just dun bother

maybe we can all pack in a small handheld battery operated vacuum in our diaper bag for such instances.

my dear, u think our diaper bags are not heavy enuf arh?

i did the same .. scare later they will hate kids or if we happen to go dine again .. not very nice right =)

i'm seriously considering it lei!
or maybe chuck under the stroller.

hehee!

For me i will clean the tables clearing the scraps away. But the floor...no choice, cos if i hold a broom and dust pan...(wait ppl think i am the cleaner)...
Anyway, most ppl will understand cos they too have kids and do eat outside sometimes.
Also, its part and parcel when our kids start to learn to eat by themselves.
Anyway, i only go certain places to eat with my girl. Places like fast food restaurants (cos my kid is not the only one making the mess..hahahaha). Some very nice coffeeshops (cos the aunty and staffs are very nice to my girl and they are understanding). Most crystal jade restaurants (they are excellent in service and understanding of parents with toddlers). Hotels cafe (my girl never miss making a mess but service staff always clear up with a smile).
Anyway, most of the time i leave a tip or a token after i settle my bill, kind of "thanks for being understanding and clearing my mess"

we usually ensure that the children do not make a mess anywhere we go... if it is a big chuck of food drop on the floor, I will pick it up but if it just tiny winy crumbs... i let it be... table i will clean it up, i even stack up the plates so that the waitress can clear the table easily...

me and my friend was talking about this yesterday.. we both agreed that we would soon to be blacklisted in all restaurants coz with 2 babies and one kid, we always somehow make a mess of the places we din at.. especially the floor..

i do this also, but DH always say, "eh you work here part time issit?"

When Kayton was younger and left a big mess on the floor at fast food restaurant or food court, i would leave it! I would feel pai seh too...looking at the floor, filled sometimes with rice or spilled water, but there's nothing much i could do as most of the times, there are other people waiting behind or next to our table...

This is just a passing phrase, when your child gets older, it's easier, no more such mess for me now, he is able to grib his spoon and fork better.

normally, if drop abit on the floor, i wont clean up.
but i def will clean up the mess on the table, tts y its a MUST for me to bring wet wipes out when i bring pin, cos she will def make a mess.
but if she drop alot of food on the floor, eg last sat she happily open a tube of choc balls then i ask her not to n end up all dropped out, so i inform them n they clean up for me, just apologise lor.

HAHAHAHAHA.... Sarah and youa re so funny...

Well, my DH cleans up the table and floor... And will scold me big time if I let my notti boy make even a small mess...

But if my DH is not around, then, kekeke...

well last sat's lunch was a blast. grains of rice and bits of chicken, artfully scattered by sarah all over the carpeted floor and baby seat. then she spilled half of my soup on the table. MY SOUP! sians....lol. but we made through it alive, mostly, thanks to the attentiveness of the staff at Carousel.

So does Sarah gets to eat at all? The floor seems to be eating more isn't it?

I'll wipe the tables and the baby chair... and pick up the small bits and pieces on the floor. But if it's a big mess like soup spilling over etc... i'll ask for the cleaning lady to help and then apologise b4 i leave the place...

us too~
its just so tt they can clear the table quickly n attend to the mess the kids left behind ma.

yah she feeding the floor..scared it go hungry..so one scoop for her, one scoop for the floor. lol.

If it is very messy, I'll clean up even the floor, cos I don usually feed them messy stuff. Both of them are very good at feeding themselves esp my 1st dd (3 plus). the 2nd dd if it is really food (like noodles) tat will be very messy if she feed herself, I'll take over, feed her myself.

i'll just clean the table not the floor....

me three, i will pile the plates all up n bf would ask them to clear.
if not whole table is wet wipes n bits n pcs of pin's food.
so each time they refill water, or serve food, i faster ask them clear, if not everyone will be looking at our table so messy!

or... just bring along one small plastic bag.. then throw everything in... hahaha

sometimes bf just put on the empty table beside us....

Or how about those plastic bib with small "bowl" at the bottom to catch all the bits and pieces which drops from the mouth? IKEA and COMBI sells them..I used it on DD1 until she was about 3years + cos food used to drop everywhere and with that, not much on the floor and on her clothes.

yeah good idea...mothercare sells them too.

tried using those on ds but he always pulls at it n makes lots of noise wanting it off...so now instead of those bibs i use e kiddopotamus TinyDiner whenever we eat out...at least e table n floor isn't so messy....but will at least clean up e tables before leaving...as for floors...depends ba..if there r big chunks den will pick them up if not...will leave it to e staff to clear...n of course apologise before leaving...