Dear readers,
I recently had the opportunity to answer some etiquette-related questions to BoredPanda as they approached me with a quite controversial question - How to deal with noisy children in public? 🗣️
Today, I will be sharing my take with you:
BORED PANDA QUESTION:
''Hello Katarina, I’m writing an article about a story that revolves around an incident at a diner that led to the end of a 57-year friendship between two women.
During a breakfast outing, the elderly women encountered a family with a baby who was being noisy. The child, who appeared to have Down syndrome, was with a Spanish family. One of the women, visibly upset by the noise, loudly criticized the parents using offensive language and suggested they teach the child some manners. The outburst, perceived by the other woman as racially motivated, provoked a strong reaction from the other patrons and the diner's Spanish owner, who promptly kicked them out.
What are some general guidelines for addressing disruptive behavior in public places without causing a scene?''
MY ANSWER:
As much as I understand that a child who is visibly upset or loud can affect the experience of other guests in a restaurant, it is never the solution to ''take matters into our own hands'' as we are not the manager of the restaurant. It is absolutely not acceptable to scream or loudly criticise others using vulgarisms as this type of approach only pours more fuel on the fire.
Most parents will agree that having to deal with an upset child in public is not a pleasant experience and yet it does happen from time to time. We all live and coexist in a society where mutual respect is crucial so we should have an understanding for parents whose child has difficulties controlling their emotions but on the other hand, the parents should also search for a solution as soon as possible not to affect other people significantly.
With that being said, I fully understand that a loud guest (whether it is a child or an adult) can have an impact on our own dining experience. If this happens in a restaurant that is not predominantly family-friendly and the parents are not addressing the issue, you can discreetly ask the manager to switch tables.
Red the full article here.
Yours sincerely,
Katarina
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