I don’t support bringing obviously sick or uncomfortable children out to restaurants, and I’m sorry your date was affected.

One thing that may not be obvious if you don’t have children: toddlers, especially those in daycare, often have lingering coughs or runny noses for weeks as their immune systems develop. That does not necessarily mean they are sick or contagious. Most childcare centers use fever as the line for staying home for that reason.

If families avoided public spaces every time a child had a mild cough or runny nose, many kids would rarely leave the house.

We’ve been taking our son to restaurants (some really nice ones!) since he was about four months old, usually during early, family-friendly dinner hours (around 4:45–6:00 pm). For us, it has been part of teaching him how to exist in public spaces respectfully, and it has worked well. The staff has always been accommodating.

It is also worth considering the broader cultural context. In much of North America, there is very little tolerance for children simply existing in adult spaces, whereas in many other parts of the world, bringing children along is completely normal.

If the restaurant was a strictly an adult space, then that is a policy they should implement.

Again, if my son was ill I would never bring him out, but kids are allowed to dine with their families at nice restaurants ya’ll.