C'mon, Peeps, you were kids, too, once upon a time - weren't you? Lighten up........

Nothing sounds sweeter than the sounds of children laughing and having a good time and in places like the courtyard at Porto Cupecoy, there's no harm in it. Now I'll admit, I'd be the first to say something IF they were running around inside Marios or Spiga or someplace similar but if the OPs were conscientious enough to ask about this in the first place, I'm pretty certain that would NOT be an issue, particularly given the ages of their children.

Children actually running around inside any restaurant is really not a very good idea, given the possibility of collisions with staff carrying full trays of hot food but that isn't my concept of what they are asking for at all. We used to bring small 'table toys' to occupy the kids and the grands and it always worked for them, regardless of the age, and given the wealth of amusements available to even the littlest child today, that shouldn't be a problem. Don't forget, the parents want to have a pleasant meal, too, without the stares of table around them.

With regard to the noise factor, IMHO, that's a whole other story. If a child is screaming or crying and can't be soothed, I personally think they should be removed from the restaurant - perhaps a short walk outside or something of that nature until they're in a happier frame of mind and behavior, but at the same time, I think obnoxiously noisy adults should be removed as well. I'm sure that's not an opinion that most will appreciate but sometimes I wonder how people might feel if they only could hear themselves the way the table next to them does. I'm sure that last doesn't apply to any TTOLers but I'm often amazed at the way some adults I've seen have behaved in public restaurants. Just sayin.......