Everyone's going super crazy over an incident out of Maine involving a small diner owner and a crying child, but I've been pretty quiet -- until now. I wouldn't be me if I wasn't brutally honest and super opinionated -- especially when it comes to putting up with everybody's special little snowflakes. I love kids, don't get me wrong, but if you're on the side of this fussy child's parents you may not like what you're about to read.
First, some backstory:
Parents Tara and John Carson were vacationing recently when they stopped by a small-but-busy diner in Portland, Maine. They had with them their daughter, who is nearly two-years-old, and wanted to get her some pancakes. They were notified that it would be at least a half-hour wait for their party, since it was a busy day at Marcy's Diner. It was at this time that their daughter began to get fussy, but they decided that they would wait and order anyway, instead of opting for a more quick and convenient dining experience elsewhere.
Over the course of approximately 40 minutes, the Carson's tot cried and fussed while patrons around them tried to dine, and while the diner's staff tried to ignore it while working. It wasn't until around this time that the owner of the diner -- Darla Neugebauer -- lost her cool. Neugebauer shares her side of the story in this viral footage (below).
On the other hand, the mother of the crying toddler has recently spoken out, claiming that her child is traumatized by being yelled at. And she accused Neugebauer of throwing things. She also appeared to shift all of the blame in the situation to the owner of Marcy's Diner, by downplaying her role in it. After all, her lengthy sermon on The Washington Post all pretty much narrowed down to the sentiment that people in public should simply deal with the children of other people. "Babies cry," she declared dismissively, as though saying that this is something that every person should just simply "deal with," and accept.
Well. She's wrong, just my honest opinion. Yes, it's true that it takes a village to raise a child. However, this doesn't mean that it's okay to force your children on the village, so to speak. Not every person in the public likes kids. Some people in public love them. Expecting others to put up with your special snowflakes not only makes you look like a sloppy parent, it makes you look as infantile as your children. There are few things more upsetting than parents who expect others to watch and deal with their kids while in public places like restaurants and movie theaters.
Is there a growing problem with self-entitlement among parents? There certainly seems to be, The owner of Marcy's Diner likely feels the same way. As a business owner she is expected to provide a comfortable atmosphere for her customers, many of which are likely regulars who go to her diner to unwind after a hard day of work, or what-have-you. These people do not deserve to put up with someone else's out of control children, especially during busy moments when there is already a lot of people around. Furthermore, nobody wants to try to enjoy a meal through the screaming of a toddler that is being ignored by her parents. It's not enjoyable when you're at home, and it is certainly not enjoyable after you've paid for a meal, and atmosphere, at a public place.
There's really not much else to say about this topic. Yes, it's true that parenting is hard, and parents sometimes have to bring their kids into public places with them. That is not at all the issue. However, certain parents -- especially the parents of the child that this particular story is about -- really need to learn a thing or two about common courtesy. Had they at least made some kind of effort to calm their child, the owner of Marcy's Diner may have reacted a lot more gently. Again, a little common courtesy goes a long way, and if these parents (and parents like them) can't grasp that, then they will constantly run into these kinds of problems in public.
First, some backstory:
Parents Tara and John Carson were vacationing recently when they stopped by a small-but-busy diner in Portland, Maine. They had with them their daughter, who is nearly two-years-old, and wanted to get her some pancakes. They were notified that it would be at least a half-hour wait for their party, since it was a busy day at Marcy's Diner. It was at this time that their daughter began to get fussy, but they decided that they would wait and order anyway, instead of opting for a more quick and convenient dining experience elsewhere.
Over the course of approximately 40 minutes, the Carson's tot cried and fussed while patrons around them tried to dine, and while the diner's staff tried to ignore it while working. It wasn't until around this time that the owner of the diner -- Darla Neugebauer -- lost her cool. Neugebauer shares her side of the story in this viral footage (below).
On the other hand, the mother of the crying toddler has recently spoken out, claiming that her child is traumatized by being yelled at. And she accused Neugebauer of throwing things. She also appeared to shift all of the blame in the situation to the owner of Marcy's Diner, by downplaying her role in it. After all, her lengthy sermon on The Washington Post all pretty much narrowed down to the sentiment that people in public should simply deal with the children of other people. "Babies cry," she declared dismissively, as though saying that this is something that every person should just simply "deal with," and accept.
Well. She's wrong, just my honest opinion. Yes, it's true that it takes a village to raise a child. However, this doesn't mean that it's okay to force your children on the village, so to speak. Not every person in the public likes kids. Some people in public love them. Expecting others to put up with your special snowflakes not only makes you look like a sloppy parent, it makes you look as infantile as your children. There are few things more upsetting than parents who expect others to watch and deal with their kids while in public places like restaurants and movie theaters.
Is there a growing problem with self-entitlement among parents? There certainly seems to be, The owner of Marcy's Diner likely feels the same way. As a business owner she is expected to provide a comfortable atmosphere for her customers, many of which are likely regulars who go to her diner to unwind after a hard day of work, or what-have-you. These people do not deserve to put up with someone else's out of control children, especially during busy moments when there is already a lot of people around. Furthermore, nobody wants to try to enjoy a meal through the screaming of a toddler that is being ignored by her parents. It's not enjoyable when you're at home, and it is certainly not enjoyable after you've paid for a meal, and atmosphere, at a public place.
There's really not much else to say about this topic. Yes, it's true that parenting is hard, and parents sometimes have to bring their kids into public places with them. That is not at all the issue. However, certain parents -- especially the parents of the child that this particular story is about -- really need to learn a thing or two about common courtesy. Had they at least made some kind of effort to calm their child, the owner of Marcy's Diner may have reacted a lot more gently. Again, a little common courtesy goes a long way, and if these parents (and parents like them) can't grasp that, then they will constantly run into these kinds of problems in public.