Kids can be annoying, especially when they’re loud in places that we do not want them to be. Nico Alary, the co-owner of Holybelly in Paris, France, said restaurants don’t like babies, toddlers, and infants. “Even if the owner is baby-friendly, most [servers] aren’t. They are messy, noisy, sticky, clumsy, disruptive miniature trainwrecks,” he wrote. “If you work in our industry, don’t tell me you don’t … go ‘f***-f***-f***’ in your head when you see a charming couple with a pair of adorable kids pushing the doors of the restaurant you’re working at. I just won’t believe you.”
Alary highlighted that this doesn’t mean the workers despise babies; maybe they’re also parents. “Those are two totally unrelated things. It just means that [they’re] a seasoned professional and that deep down they know that one way or the other s*** is about to hit the fan,” he explained. This is a story about one of those times.
Recently, Redditor u/Wrong_Ad_3951 ran out of patience with a “shrieking” boy while trying to enjoy a meal at a nice restaurant, so she went over to the nearby table to ask his parents to do something about it. However, after hearing the mom’s reaction, she started wondering if she overstepped.
Image credits: Marcos Paulo Prado (not the actual photo)
So what is the best approach to handling these situations? Etiquette expert Lisa M. Grotts says it’s a good idea to start with at least trying to sympathize with the parents of a screaming child.
“My heart goes out to those who try to curb bad behavior,” she explains.
With that being said, here are four ways that Lisa thinks can tame problems at the table:
Practice makes perfect. “When you have dining rules at home, you can reinforce them before you go out, such as reminding children to be on their best behavior in public, to use their church voice, etc.”
Distractions help. “Find anything that will keep kids’ attention when the food won’t, such as books, coloring projects, etc.”
Manage expectations. “Sometimes an unplanned hug may work, but if you’re in a tough spot, be clear, from ‘Stop that,’ to ‘Be nice,’ etc.”
Remove the child from the situation. “Why add insult to injury? If the outburst won’t stop, then you stop it by removing your child from the table.”
So maybe u/Wrong_Ad_3951’s suggestion to the mother wasn’t that bad?
Some people thought that OP was being totally reasonable
While others believed the situation wasn’t all black and white
Source link : https://www.boredpanda.com/woman-asks-family-take-crying-child-outside-restaurant
