aggressive parents

[monster]

It doesn't sound like ideal parenting or ideal restaurant behaviour, but since becoming a parent, I've learned to be a lot faster to apply the "walking a mile in their shoes" principle before making a judgement.

At least the kids weren't so scared of their parents that they didn't act up at all. Some badly abused kids fly under the radar because they're so scared they are "model children".

At least the parents were aware that a certain standard of behaviour is expected in restaurants

I don't know if you are male or female, Thud, but you openly admit to watching this family and giving the mother the stinkeye. Maybe that was interpreted as your meal being disrupted by the kids' behaviour rather than the parents' behaviour, so the admonishment increased?

Perhaps the kids were being physical with each other under the table or exhibited cues that only their parents can spot that they were about to be physical. Children are strong and wriggly and slippery. You sometimes have to grab them pretty damn hard if you are to prevent them doing something. It hasn't yet left a bruise when I've grabbed mine, but it sometimes feels like it should have.

Or perhaps the parents were violent assholes who should be reported.