I'm all for parents being strict with their kids in public places - on the bus, at the supermarket, in restaurants, in pubs and in all the other places where people on this forum complain that they don't like seeing children. Children have to learn that we co-exist with one another by co-operation and good manners, and they can only learn by being taken out in public and by being set a good example. Obviously there are some limits, and I'd be as disappointed as anyone else if a toddler were crying at the next table if I were having dinner with my other half at a smart restaurant. On the other hand, it's always such a relief to leave ED and go on holiday to places (rural UK, Italy, Germany for e.g.)where my small child gets smiled at by strangers rather than glared at when his voice is a little loud, where people evidently expect to see all members of society out and about rather than only the polished young-adult variety, and where people are simply a little kind and a little tolerant.