How would you react in this scenario?

Question

I'm just curious. You are with your family in a family friendly restaurant. Across from you is a group of about 10 people, 2 being children under 5 (one is five, one is probaby 2.5 yo). The 2.5 yo is being a normal kid, however is proceeding to get louder and louder. Mom and dad ignore him. Mom gives him a bottle (yes, a bottle) and he throws it down. Mom picks it up and gives it back, he throws it again. She picks it up again and gives it to him. This time he throws it across the room--narrowly missing your own child. He's now screaming and thrashing in the high chair, but mom and dad are ignoring him, as is the rest of the party. You do not know if he has any behavioral problems or not...how do you react? The restaurant is half full of people continually watching this other table. What if you were that child's parent or one of the diners? The waitstaff?

Answer 1

I would have got up and went to that take with the bottle and said that it almost hit my child and that she need to take control of her child or leave the restaurant.....because if my child would have got hit there would have been a fight with me and the other parents...plus my child would be using a bottle at 2 1/2 also if my child was to start having a fit i would pay my bill and leave!

Answer 2

I hate when that happens! I know I usually give the evil eye. I don't know why, it never works. I think I may ask the manager or waitstaff to say something.

If I were the child's parent, I would pay some attention to my child. I would not want any other diners to have a bad experience. If that didn't work. I would leave or go outside until my child was calm.

If I was working at the restaurant I might go to the child and say (so the parents can hear) "It looks like someone needs some attention." or "Someone is upset!" I might give him some crayons and paper or have a little chat to see if he calms down. I don't think I could ask the parents to leave.

Sometimes I surprise myself in a situation like this. I feel very strongly for children, and if I see one being mistreated or ignored, I will say something. I might do the same thing that I would have if I were the waitstaff. I think after I spoke with the child I would still give the parents the evil eye or a look that gets their attention, even though it may not work. :)

Answer 3

If I was the child's parent I would not just sit and ignore the child. That is probably the problem right there. The child is acting out for attention. Being the parent of that young of a child, I myself would leave with the child and take him to the car and wait for the rest of the party to finish eating.
Being a diner, as I have done in the past, look at my husband and say " I am glad that our kids are well behaved" and try to ignore the child and go on with my meal and move to another table.
Being waitstaff I think that I might ask the parents if everything was alright and try to entertain the child when I was at the table doing my waiting duties.

Answer 4

If i was his mama he wouldn't have had a bottle at two years old anyway and I would have wooped his little behind right there in front of everybody. And if I was the mother of that child who almost got hit with that bottle, I probably would have had to have some words with his mama and the restaurant owner. The owner, the mother of the victim child, and that childs mother should have put a stop to that tantrum before it got started good. If the child is disabled then I don't know how to handle that situation. And Yes I am a sista.

Answer 5

I might say something under my breath about the parents needing to do something about their kid or the fact that the bottle almost hit your kid, but if they've been that inattentive so far, it probably won't do any good. Maybe see if a waiter can do something? I don't know, I'm not very confrontational, so I'd probably have a hard time doing anything about it. I just know that many parents need to be more attentive to their children and others in the restaurant when eating out. I don't have any kids, but I eat out a lot with my nephews, one who is almost three and if he starts misbehaving, getting loud, antsy, etc., he's taken out of the restaurant. I know you go to restaurants to eat, but your children are your responsibility and you should know your children and their threshold for sitting still and behaving in public. If you know they're not going to sit still or are going to misbehave, don't bring them with you!

Answer 6

First of all, to old for bottle. Second if the child was mine I would take the kid to the bathroom a make sure the kid could never sit down. You could have ask for the manger told him you would not pay for the meal unless he does something and that you would call BBB and put it in the newpapers. Or you could have insulted the mother and told her to take the animal back to the zoo. Or both

Answer 7

Honestly, if i were that boy's parent (thank God I'm not) I'd have left. the only way to teach a child to behave is to remove him/her from the place and give him/her a stern talking to & maybe even a spanking. After a while the child will learn that he/she can't go anywhere if he/she can't behave.

Answer 8

If I were the parent, I would not stand for behavior like that at all! My goodness no! If discipline didn't work, we would just leave the resturant. I can't stand it when people ignore any discipline issues in public.

Answer 9

Simple wear his butt off. Never let where you are stop you from discipline your child. If you do it at certain places say like home and never in public then the child will know where he can act up.

Answer 10

tell him i have were given no pink meat with him, and that i'll get out of his community. tell him I meant no disrespect by using being there. If he keeps to persist with, yet keeps a distance away, head in route of the nearest shop i am going to, and bypass interior. Discretely use my cellular telephone, or ask the clerk if i am going to apply their telephone, and make contact with a experience from although buddy i am going to attain. If he keeps to persist with, yet is dangerously close, then I bypass backwards faraway from him, glancing round me to analyze for others which could get in contact, yet nevertheless save my eyes on him. be able to strive against for my existence, and do somewhat quiet pleading with God in my head and heart.