Mind YOUR Manners, Ma'am

We’ve all been there before – trying to enjoy a meal at a restaurant when a child near you (or your own child) is crying, whining, getting out of their chair, or generally just being a child at a restaurant. Which is why my husband and I don’t take our kids out to dinner as much as we’d like – it becomes a chore, and not the least bit relaxing.

But this past Saturday night, after a fun afternoon at the Ardsley Firemans Carnival with our friends, we hopped over to Pizza & Brew on Central Ave for an early dinner. The 8 of us (4 adults and 4 kids, ages 1.5 – 4.5) were seated in the back and we ordered quickly, knowing very well we wouldn’t have the luxury of spending all night there. At various points, each of the kids took turns being a bit too loud or whiny, but overall they were pretty well-behaved.

My newly 2-year old son was seated at the end of the table, next to me and across from my husband. At one point, he was happily coloring on his placemat and singing a little tune. Maybe a bit loudly, but he wasn’t crying or fussing, and he was just being a happy 2-year old (what more could a parent ask for, really!). But next thing I knew, the elderly woman seated next to us in the corner leaned over towards my son and said loudly and firmly, “Excuse me, you need to keep it down” to HIM! I looked at my husband in disbelief. We were at Pizza & Brew at 6 pm. Last time I checked, that was a family-friendly restaurant, not a 5-star dining establishment. I was absolutely appalled. Of course, she and her companion eventually moved tables because apparently the ruckus was too much for them to handle.

This being the first time since becoming a parent nearly 5 years ago that this scenario has happened to me, I was really shocked. Especially when the people who ended up taking over the table next to us were talking with my son and saying how adorable he was and not the least bit bothered by the kids at our table. And this left me wondering: where on earth were this woman’s manners??? Was she never a parent? Had she never been seated next to a little kid at a restaurant before? And could she possibly have had the decency to ask US, not my 2-year-old, if we could have him keep it down?

As I’m left to stew over these questions before bringing the kids out for another meal, I just wonder – have you ever had anyone make a nasty comment to your child in front of you? And if so, what was your response or reaction? Should I just be prepared to deal with negative people like this in the future? Please share your experience with this in the comments below.