Parent sparks debate after claiming it’s ‘selfish’ to let children cry in restaurants

25 April 2023, 08:02

One parent has sparked an argument after sharing their advice about taking children to restaurants.

A parent has divided opinion after they said toddlers should never be allowed to cry in restaurants.

Speaking to Buzzfeed, the anonymous person revealed children should immediately be taken outside as soon as they start to have a meltdown.

"I am a parent of a toddler, and if we're out at a restaurant — any restaurant — and they start to have a meltdown, we pay the bill and leave,” they explained.

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“It doesn't matter if we've just sat down or are in the middle of eating."

Not holding back, they continued: "It's so disrespectful and selfish to subject the entire restaurant to your child's outbursts just because you want to finish your food.

“I made a decision to become a parent, and that means it's my responsibility to deal with the situation when my child is misbehaving.

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“If you're dining with another adult, take your kid outside as quickly as possible and wait. The other adult can pay the bill and get the food to go.”

They added: “Just get out of the restaurant. You owe it to the other patrons."

Unsurprisingly, the post quickly attracted a lot of comments, with many people divided over whether children should be removed from restaurants if they are crying.

One person said: “If you don't allow children to navigate that world, including some meltdowns along the way, you're doing everyone a disservice. The only way we can learn is by doing and practicing.”

Someone else wrote: “I don't owe anyone anything. My child needs to learn how to behave appropriately in a restaurant.

“I owe MY CHILD that. Will it benefit everyone in future restaurants? Yep, but there is going to be a learning curve. It is what it is.”

Someone else wrote: “I appreciate that, but I’m completely ok with 5-10 of trying to settle them down before it becomes annoying.”