We’ve all been there. You’re trying to have a nice night out at a restaurant, and a few tables over there’s a kid screaming their head off. The parents look defeated—their date night is getting ruined because their child is having a bad time. Who’s to blame here?
Blaming the Parents
It’s easy to want to blame the parents. They should have thought before bringing a kid to a restaurant, right? Kids are known to be restless and once they start losing it, it’s time to take them somewhere else. If the parents aren’t prepared to handle this eventuality, why are they bringing a kid?
Babysitters
Or, better yet, why don’t the parents hire a babysitter to take care of their kids while they go out on a nice date night? Surely it would be more fun and less stressful for them to not have to keep up with their youngster while they enjoy dinner.
Staying with Family
Even if the parents can’t afford both a babysitter and a nice dinner, surely, they could find someone in their family to watch their children for a night, right? This is at least the reasoning people take when they blame the parents for a nearby kid screaming in the restaurant while they’re trying to relax.
Blaming the Kids
Maybe it’s the kid’s fault. After all, they could just… not make a scene. Of course, infants and toddlers are a bit different, as they’re prone to crying just to get attention. But once you’re talking about a kid older than around four or five it’s perhaps time to talk about behavior issues, isn’t it?
Poor Parenting?
If a kid is losing their mind in a restaurant and their parents are just ignoring them, some would call that a sign of poor parenting. However, it’s easy to cast judgment when you’re not in their shoes. Parenting is tough, and figuring out how to deal with behavioral issues can be tricky!
What Can be Done?
Sure, it’s easy to sit back and point fingers and want to lay blame when a loud or misbehaving kid is ruining your evening. But what are the parents supposed to realistically do? They could leave, sure, but if they’re in the middle of dinner that’s a lot of money they’re losing just to cut their evening short.
Blaming the People Complaining About It
In a lot of these scenarios, exasperated parents are much more worried about the loud sighs and sarcastic eyerolls from other patrons nearby. Sure, they have to hear a kid crying or throwing a tantrum for ten minutes. Try dealing with that for hours at home!
Backseat Parenting
People who don’t have kids suggesting all their solutions for this issue can come across as insincere, impatient, and misguided to parents who are just trying to manage their social lives while still taking care of their children. Backseat parenting just isn’t very helpful! Every kid is different.
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Cut Them Some Slack
Some people can’t afford babysitters and don’t have family nearby to watch their kids for them while they go out for dinner. Do they deserve to never go to a nice restaurant again? Sure, having a screaming kid nearby when you’re trying to unwind isn’t fun. But, really, is it going to hurt you in the long run?
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So, Who’s to Blame?
Really, there’s no blame in this scenario. While parents should try to find arrangements for their kids when they go to a nice dinner or other social setting, we don’t live in a perfect world. Being a jerk to parents just because their kids are having a bad night doesn’t help anyone!
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