Whatever works -- reward good behavior in order to encourage others to behave better.

Its called positive reinforcement. God knows, many American families need a little encouragement controlling their little darlings in public.

This family looks happy and well-adjusted. The parents take a genuine interest in their children, and that´s a wonderful way to teach respect - by example.

It helps that they engaged the kids in conversation instead of ignoring them and just expecting them to shut up. Some parents whose kids run amok have that attitude, and it doesn´t work. They might as well leave the rug rats home in that case.

Many years ago, my daughter´s pre-school teacher said that it is important to praise good behavior. In the retail world, I make an effort to praise the well-behaved kids.

That´s great.

Now, how do we get brats to behave (like they are supposed to) in Public Libraries?

A similar thing happens to my daughter once in a while. The varmints act right outside the house and people notice.
Its nice of the restaurants to comp their meals or give them a certificate for the next one.

We had a standing rule when eating out with the kids - no dessert unless a stranger complemented them on good behavior. Pretty much without exception they got dessert. One night an older lady came up and noted how handsome the kids were. As I shook my head to signal, "Doesn´t count", she added, "and so well behaved". They got their dessert.

I used to take my son out to dinner when he was a little boy. If he behaved, kept his bottom in the seat, kept his voice down, etc. he and I would share a dessert. I only had to eat one in front of him without sharing once for him to understand I meant business. He grew up to be a well-behaved, polite, and kind young man. I love this story. It is good to see that some people still care about raising children to be good people with manners.

Thank you would have been sufficient.

Everyday you see kids that run the household and tell the parents what to buy or eat. Why are they asking a three year old what to do ?

#8, it took the fear of God and, more immediately, my father´s belt, to make me behave. I thank my dad every day that he loved me enough to punish me when I needed it.

I look at this situation in reverse. What prompted this restaurant to have this policy to begin with. Why is it out of the ordinary for kids to be well behaved and the restaurant have to fork over profits to reward something that should happen anyway?

This story says something larger than the tag line of it.It says our society in general is becoming more out of control and it could have to do with weak parents,who let their kids run over them at an early age.

$4 is a lot of money for a restaurant to fork over,because they operate on very thin margins,sometimes only making a profit on the drinks.

I think kids are sometime confused over the different levels of discipline they encounter. Maybe some unruly kids are picking it up at schools which will suspend for a photo of a gun but tolerates unruly,boorish behavior.

The liberals associate values with religion and so they don´t teach values at school.Simple things like saying please and thank you are out dated.If you don´t drill values in a kid´s head by the time they´re 6 years old,you can forget about it.

You have Panetta and Dempsey,among others lying for Obama on Benghazi,which is a terrible example to set for the rest of the country. If top leaders in the country can lie so easily,why wouldn´t it filter down to the general public.

It´s nice to see family´s with children who behave. There are more than a few who don´t and they always seem to find their way to the table next to mine...probably karmic payback for when I was a kid ;-)

WhoopsieDoodle! Now the Progressive Police will put a stop to that! Anything that promotes family is taboo.

Great idea, and a fine for the Lib out of control monsters would also be a good idea. If they don´t like it, eat elsewhere, and take your little out of control morons with you!