Most parents are doing their best, said local mother Cecily Bloxham. "Why should we not be able to enjoy the finer foods in life with our families? I agree that kids should be well controlled, but sometimes, kids will be kids. The parents should practice at home every night through family dinner, so kids understand how they are to act at dinnertime, especially in a restaurant. This is something we discuss with our children all the time."

Amanda Charlesworth has been on both sides of this divide. She remembers visiting restaurants with her husband as a childless couple, hoping that the family that had just been seated next to them had taught their kids good table manners.

"Of course, we sat next to all kinds, but more often than not, the kids had manners, and we all enjoyed our evening," Charlesworth said. "We did run into the occasional clueless parents and would end our meal early to escape from being trapped next to ill-behaved children.

"I never faulted the children or parents for being in a 'nice' place. I only faulted the parents for not trying to control and remove their children."

Now, Charlesworth said, she and her husband have two young sons, and her life has changed "dramatically." Her oldest son, she said, is quiet and shy and rarely has caused problems at restaurants or other public places. Her youngest son, however, is "a fireball of fury," she said. "Now that we have him, we go out to eat much less often, because he is quite vocal and animated.

"We do take him to nicer places to eat as a training for later in life. With a little coaching or redirection, we usually have a nice meal with few interruptions for the people around us."

Charlesworth said parenthood has led her to seek out "child-friendly" restaurants, but "that is more to meet our own needs vs. making kid-haters happy by not invading their space. ... I believe it takes a village to raise a child, and the childless couples must remember they are also part of the village."

Mother of two Christie Dickson said local parents have it easy compared to those in other parts of the United States. "We have generally found that Salt Lake is a very family-friendly city compared to other places we've visited. We tend to choose places that we see as family-friendly if we're taking our kids and save the others for times when we have a sitter. I can't think of a negative experience we've had in Salt Lake — and, believe me, our kids are not always perfect angels.

"I notice that we tend to be seated in corners or other, probably unofficial, kid areas of restaurants, which is nice for us, and for others."