New Children’s Restaurant Policy
The other day at a local, specialty restaurant that was unusually empty, except for one couple and a small child, I was praying the child would disappear.
The little one, which I am sure was quite cute, was screeching, spinning, and screeching. Her indifferent parents sat passively, hands folded in their laps, with their backs to the hell-raiser, as if she did not exist. They were watching the game on TV.
Apparently, they did not hear her. Only I did, and my dinner companion did too.
We rolled our eyes.
It was painful. I wished the little one would evaporate.
She did after a while. Phew. Relief.
When did I become such a child-hater? When parents lost control of their kids resulting in chronic inability to deal with anything, which resulted in the following policy, I saw posted on a local restaurant reservation form:
(Restaurant-Name) Kids Policy
In order to accommodate our guests who are seeking a quiet and relaxing night out in the later hours, (Restaurant-name) no longer accepts reservations for children under the age of 6 after 7 pm.
We continue to welcome reservations for all guests, in the hours prior to 7 pm.
Children till the age of 12 can order from our regular menu at smaller portions and with 35% off the menu price.
A ban on small children, in the evening hours, is in effect!
CEDES is dedicated to Children with Special Needs
I bought two small paintings just recently at an art exhibit in the library. I went to see the collection as it was coming down, I did not know about the event, until it was about to fold.
The exhibit, by children with autism, was incredibly colorful, and the paintings attested to excellent taste, discipline, imagination, organizational skills and resilience, they were nicely finished, and well thought out.
We’re still talking about childing with various degrees of autism.
I found that admirable. Teacher Martha Vallejo-Echeverry runs a school by the name of Cedes, providing education for about 20 children with special needs. It’s a privately-owned enterprise and art classes are part of the curriculum.
This is what I found out: CEDES is a center of special education, oriented to work in different areas such as structure, behavior, fine and gross motor skills, alternative communication for kids with autism, down syndrome and cerebral palsy.
The one on one contact helps kids with their specific needs and educates the parents on how to deal with their children at home. We keep our community informed regarding student’s integration, emotional well-being, and sensory issues, and use art and yoga to improve their attention span, creativity and concentration. Maximum age for personalized service is 15.
Impressive.
(Centro di Educacion Special, Desaroyo y Stimulacion Special: http://cedes.org.aw/en)
