Are There Rules?

I went out to eat tonight with a friend when a family of like 12 was seated. I actually think it was two or three families, celebrating a birthday, but there were a lot of kids. At the end of this long table, the end closest to where I was sitting, were two tiny, and very unhappy and loud kids. No, you don't get it. I mean LOUD kids. And their parents just kept on talking like their kids weren't screaming. I literally could not hear the sound of my own voice over the kids screaming. One of the little kids screamed and cried for so long, she threw up. Finally, the dad (I'm assuming) stood up and I thought "oh, great, he's going to take them outside." But instead he went outside and left the screaming, SCREAMING kids inside with their mom and the other people at the table.

Are there rules for screaming kids in restaurants? Should the restaurant management say or do something, or are those of us listening to the melee just forced to sit there, eat our food, or get up and leave?

Am I just getting old and have no patience for this kind of thing anymore? I love kids. I really do. Ask anyone. They'll tell you it's true. But SERIOUSLY, I was so annoyed at those parents.

All that to say, I have a headache and I guess I should have left way sooner than I did. What do you think?