'Child Isn't Shutting up' – Woman Asked Mother to Leave Restaurant With Her Crying Kid

So, let’s just lay it on the table. A two-year-old baby screaming and screeching just as you’re about to tuck into some crispy chicken in mayonnaise is annoying. But are the high-pitched shrills of a baby so unbearable that this customer had the right to launch a fully-fledged tantrum on an unsuspecting parent?

The Redditor, 23, accompanied her boyfriend to a local restaurant. The place served delicious food to complement their outing. She narrated the incident on Reddit, saying:

“While me and my boyfriend were enjoying our meal, the youngest child began SHRIEKING, for a reason that I can’t fathom. When I say shrieking, I’m talking about the ear-piercing type that is physically painful.”

Though she could’ve ignored it like the other customers around, the Redditor couldn’t help but wonder where all that screaming was coming from. It emanated two tables afar. A couple dined with their kids, one seemingly ten and the other around two years old.

Most of the diners at the eatery didn’t bother though they were distracted by the bawling baby. But the Redditor felt it steam beyond the point. In the post, she added,

“I walked over to the family’s table and asked if someone could take the child outside until it calms down since people are trying to enjoy their food."

The mother was enraged and told the Redditor that he was a toddler and that she needed to show some compassion. The pair then went back and forth arguing before the Redditor returned to her table. As she was sitting down, she noticed the mother had called out to the waiter and complained about her.

The parent told him that the Redditor’s comments made her uncomfortable. However, another customer denied the allegation and told the waiter that the mother allowed the kid to cry. The parents were infuriated and left the place. Later, the young woman decided to seek advice from her fellow Redditors. She wrote in her post,

“I told my friend about this, and she told me that I should have been kinder and more considerate to the family since being a parent is difficult".

A toddler in a restaurant is an uncontrollable timebomb of noise. Several Redditors, some parents themselves, condemned the mother for bringing the toddler along.

TAKING CARE OF CHILDREN IS NEVER EASY

Another Redditor, 27, assumed he was about to indulge in some quality lunchtime at the café. Then, a young mother walked in with a toddler and searched for a proper place. A few seconds later, she spotted two open seats across the Redditor’s table. She asked him if she could sit at the table, and he agreed. In his post, he said,

“I said yes because what harm would it have done otherwise?”

Moments later, the baby started crying. The mother began nursing the toddler right there. At this point, the Redditor grew uncomfortable and asked the woman if she had moved to the other table. The woman looked helpless and refused to move, though she sounded polite.

The Redditor was enraged, downed his coffee, and left without a word. The other customers stared at him. Deep inside, he understood the situation and decided not to force the woman to leave. He shared on Reddit,

“I know it’s a natural thing for babies and moms and that there’s nothing I can do. I wasn’t going to try and force her away, so I left.”

While some people sided with him, others claimed nothing was wrong with a mother nursing her child in a café. Several people from the online community lashed out against the young man for being so rude to the mother. One person wrote:

“And may I add “women” is plural. “Woman” is singular. Now op, how many women did you confront for feeding their babies in your vicinity in a crowded coffee shop/cafe/restaurant?”

PARENTS HAVE A HARD TIME IN PUBLIC.

A mother of three was left to fix things herself when her five-month-old baby bawled in a busy restaurant. The woman accompanied her husband and three children to celebrate the oldest daughter’s eighth birthday at a restaurant. In the post, she wrote,

“Now, to give more understanding, I must explain our middle child has special needs. An infection at birth caused a lack of oxygen to the brain and resulted in multiple infarctions on the brain. In laymen's terms, brain damage.”

Being a parent isn’t easy, especially when you’re left to figure out how to console your crying baby. The woman’s toddler began to whine uncontrollably. Neither she nor her husband could leave as their child with special needs would follow.

The mom didn’t want her daughter to experience a meltdown this way. The baby shrieked, and at this point, the mother was worried about what her child with special needs would do if she had a meltdown. The bar was noisy, and the mother tried distracting the baby. Meanwhile, two women stopped at their table, stared at the family, and commented in an ironic tone:

“It’s very noisy tonight. Very noisy.”

The mother couldn’t say much as she was baffled about the entire situation. She later realized that sometimes even kids have their bad days and walked over the incident.

PEOPLE ARE IRRITATED BY CRYING BABIES

In a similar story, a woman took her kids to the local eatery for dinner. Her toddler was six weeks old and a bit restless. Though the restaurant was pretty quiet, the customers around complained about her crying child.

Despite trying to calm him down, the child wouldn’t stop bawling. Moments later, the manager walked over to their table and asked them to take the child outside if they couldn’t make him quiet. The woman was confused about whether it was awkward to be offended by a crying baby.

Several people from the online community shared mixed opinions about the matter. One person criticized the mother for taking the toddler along and wrote:

“The sound of a crying baby grates. That’s what it’s designed to do. To require attention. It is simply not fair on other diners. And I hope I am never in the same restaurant as you.”

According to Washington Post, a restaurant in Germany banned children under 14 during dinnertime. The restaurant owner disclosed that the controversial kids-free policy was implemented in response to several kids misbehaving and damaging the property.

He even said the decision wouldn’t hurt the parents’ bottom line. But what about the moral line? As children are exposed to experiences, they learn from them. They eventually know that sitting at a restaurant table, reading a menu, and politely placing the order to a waiter or waitress comes with added benefits. Kids feel empowered when they go out and exhibit their independence.

However, the context differs for toddlers. For instance, “screaming babies” inspired a Queensland restaurant to outlaw kids under seven. In 2014, three-Michelin-starred Chicago restaurant Alinea considered banning children after parents brought an eight-month-old toddler that wouldn’t stop crying and annoying the guests.

The debate about parents taking toddlers to eateries is still going on. What’s your opinion: Should parents be allowed to take their kids to restaurants? Your comments are appreciated! Thanks for reading!