A Table for the Modern Family

Welcome to yet another end of the week at The Magical Mystery Blog.

I can imagine that most of you enjoy going out on the weekends, possibly venturing out to a bar or a nice restaurant. In eateries everywhere, many customers come and go – teenagers who are on first dates, a group of friends, a parents’ night away from the kids, and families with children.  

Honestly, I love children. They’re new to the world and have clear slates for minds that can be filled with knowledge. Their imaginations are as vast as the ocean, especially at this tender age where they’re exploring everything. Their curiosity knows no bounds because they want to understand life and all its complexities and simplicities.

However, there are times when kids act inappropriately in public such as treating the location like a playground, screaming like they’re on a roller coaster, or overall, just being a pain in the nose. They misbehave and sometimes the parents let them do what they please with the philosophy of,”They’re just children. They don’t know any better.”

Yes, children do not know better. They were not born with instructions on how to act in a restaurant or how to not run around in a department store. But that’s where parents step in and teach them how to act, show them what’s wrong and right to do in public, and discipline them. Or so that’s how it should be.

On September 19^th, 2013 a family was kicked out of a Texas Applebee’s due to their children’s  (ages 1 and 3) disruptive behavior. Apparently their children were sprinting all over the establishment and screaming at guests. To make matters even worse, the parents proceeded to fight in front of the entire restaurant. The manager had received tons of complaints about this particular family and asked them to leave. No sooner they stepped outside Applebees, the county sheriff handed them a criminal trespass slip. The owner of the establishment did not want them in the restaurant anymore due to their behavior. However, he apologized afterwards and offered them a free meal to which they declined.

huffpost.com

The father, Gau, claims that his two boys “act like children. They’re not adults” which is all well and good but it’s a matter of controlling them.  It’s also an issue of handling yourself in public. If you know your children are running amok and causing a ruckus, there is no need to join them. Take them by the hand, instruct them that what they’re doing is wrong, and why. That’s what you’re there for; you’re a parent, a mentor, a teacher. Children look up to their mother and father for guidance on every level from dining out to school help.

While I’m not a parent myself, I hear stories and even see situations like this occur almost every day.  I often compare how my mother and father raised me to other parents' methods. When I was a child, I was taught how to behave in locations. Of course, I wasn't always obedient. I probably misbehaved some in my day. But even so, it’s also common sense; if you have a child it’s your responsibility to take care of them.  You brought them into this world, now you have to raise them.

I believe that what Applebee's did was right because the family was disruptive and ruining the night of other guests. I do not think the restaurant was racist because race has nothing to do with this situation. It was a matter of how they controlled their children and themselves – not the color of their skin. They failed to properly discipline their two sons and themselves and got what they deserved. At first I thought that alerting the police was a bit extreme but then I considered the situation. If you were a restaurant owner with a chaotic family, would you want them to return to your establishment?

What do you think? Was Applebee's right in what they did? Please leave your comments below and as always feedback and followers are welcomed.