'She told him sharply to go sit down': Server Disciplines Customer’s Child, Parents Demand to Speak to Manager

Author image for Eleonora Bader
Eleonora Bader
May 9, 2024 5:00 PM EDT

For crying out loud, if you bring your kids to a restaurant, don't let them treat it like a playground. Waiting tables is a lot harder if you have a little one running beneath your feet, not to mention it's actually really dangerous, as servers are running around with hot plates in their hands. If a kid were to bump into a server, they could potentially have the hot plate dropped on their head. That would hurt, a lot. And then parents would bla bla bla about suing for damages when really, they should have kept a better eye on their kid.

Below is a story of a server who reprimanded a customer's kid sharply after they kept running around and wreaking havoc around the restaurant. The parents didn't take kindly to it, and the internet was aghast at the whole thing. Scroll down to read the full story and then check out these memes that are fresher than your laundry.

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  • 01
    ME ******** "Don't you dare discipline my child!" JO 000000NB SBIENTOT TRE VISITE ***
    via Canva
  • 02
    Was I Wrong to Let My 4-Year-Old Explore the Restaurant While We Ate?
    via u/m0nkeybl1tz
  • 03
    Q: My wife and I and our 4-year-old son were out to dinner last week. It was a medium-nice restaurant, not fast food, but not super fancy either. My son is a normal, active little boy, and it's hard for him to sit through a whole dinner, so we let him explore the restaurant a little. I noticed our waitress giving him the hairy eyeball, so we asked him to stop running. He was pretty good about it after that, but he did get underfoot when she was carrying a tray, and she spoke to him pretty sharpl
    via u/m0nkeybl1tz
  • 04
    I tipped 5 percent and spoke briefly to her manager, who gave noncommittal replies. My wife agrees with me, but when we posted about it on Facebook, we got a lot of judgy responses. A: Yeah, this is your fault. It's hugely your fault. Of course it's hard for a 4-year-old to sit still, which is why people usually stick to fast-dining establishments while working on restaurant manners. It's why one parent usually responds to a fidgety kid who wants to "explore" by taking him outside the restaurant
    via u/m0nkeybl1tz
  • 05
    A kid "exploring" a restaurant is not a thing. When you did intervene, it wasn't to get him back in his seat. It was just to instruct him to "stop running." You weren't parenting, so a server did it for you. She was right. You were wrong. Your son is not ready to eat at a "medium-nice" restaurant again until he is capable of behaving a little better. You can practice at home. You can practice at McDonald's. You can try a real restaurant again with the understanding that one of you may need to ta
    via u/m0nkeybl1tz
  • 06
    I doubt that you will do this, but I encourage you to return the restaurant, apologize to the manager for complaining about your server, and leave her a proper tip. Mend your wicked ways.
    via u/m0nkeybl1tz
  • 07
    litanyofgendlin Will never forget the time I was clearing off a 14 top that had just left. I picked up a large tray of half empty soda cups and turned around to walk to the dish pit when I stepped on a baby crawling around. Wasn't even old enough to be walking, literally crawling five feet from the parents table. I jerked back right as my foot was about to come down on the kids hand to avoid hurting them and the entire tray of 9 soda cups spilled all over me and the floor. The parents just stare
    via u/litanyofgendlin
  • 08
    corneliusmithridates Reminds me of the time I was serving a large table for a girl's graduation. Father and mother were there. Father says he wants to buy the first drink for each of the girl's friends. I say ok. Later at the table, the girl appears to have become aware that her father is nervous that I may have misunderstood and repeats it is just the first drink. Fine, no problem. As I am bringing over a tray heavily laden with water glasses father comes up to me and stops me and begins to exp
    via u/corneliusmithridates
  • 09
    a nearby table. Without a word he instantly runs back to his seat. All eyes are on me when the crash came but of course no one saw what happened. He knows what happened, I know what happened. Everybody else just thinks I stupidly tried to manage a tray that was too heavy. He avoided eye contact for the rest of the meal. 856 Share Host_4543 I once had an adult take a drink right off the drink tray as I am trying to pass them out. I almost lost the whole tray thank god I didn't!
    via u/Host_4543
  • 10
    MarcoEsquanbrolas · Dropping the tip to 5% because they let their kid run around like an as le? This is why I nearly pull my hair out serving everyday 699 Share Stats_with_a_Z. That's what red me off. Not only were they a nightmare to deal with, but then they blame the staff and leave a s' ** tip. If you're going to be worse to deal with than the average table, then you should tip better than the average table. 37 Share
    via u/MarcoEsquanbrolas, u/Starts_with_a_Z
  • 11
    BearFLSTS. I completely agree with the answer given!! Restaurants are NOT play grounds! Parents of young children need to teach them proper manners as expected in our society. If children are too young to handle the location then the parents should NOT BRING THEM THERE. I also firmly believe that toddlers and infants who become loud (whether crying or simply exploring their own voices) should be taken out side and allowed to make all the noise they want OUTSIDE. When I go to a relatively nice re
    via u/BearFLSTS
  • 12
    Mickeymousetitdirt · Spot on! Another thing I'd like to add: it's not anyone's right to go to a restaurant (meaning that if you have kids that can't sit still, keep them at home - it's not your God-ordained right to go to a restaurant and disrupt service with fussy kids.) But, it is the restaurant's right to determine how guests should behave within its walls. Children running around is almost always something that restaurants hate. You're letting your children run around near sometimes scalding
    via u/Mickeymousetitdirt
  • 13
    Instead of taking your anger and embarrassment out on the server and tipping them barely anything because they scolded your child when you didn't have the guts to, turn your embarrassment and anger inward, where it belongs. Go home and reflect on your odd and unacceptable choice to let your child treat a restaurant as if it's the local park. It's so bizarre to me when parents let their kids do this. I genuinely can't wrap my brain around it. It's. a. restaurant. There are ovens, extremely hot pa
    via u/Mickeymousetitdirt
  • 14
    grandrapidsgolfer ⚫ Not only was it inappropriate - it was dangerous!!! Imagine having a tray of hot food or beverages dropped on your son because the waitress was trying to avoid him? I am certain you would have been the first to blame the establishment! Three grown kids - and I can tell you that they were never allowed to run free in a restaurant........ except for Chuckie Cheesey of course 543 Share
    via u/grandrapidsgolfer
  • 15
    TheGirlwThePinkHair ⚫ Can you imagine the hell that would have rained down on that server if she's dropped some hot soup on their kid?! Wow are people really this awful?! 199 Share tallerghostdaniel. Yes, people really are this awful, every day, in every restaurant in every town, in every state, these people exist in droves....Oh Lord how I wish I'd learned to do something besides this dan industry lol
    via u/TheGirlwThePinkHair, u/tallerghostdaniel
  • 16
    redshavenosouls Glad someone posted this. The OP is getting destroyed in the comments by a lot of former/current food service employees. 486 Share Frondstherapydolls I'm a parent of 2 kids under 6, never worked in a restaurant setting and I still manage to be respectful when it comes to bringing my kids out, which happens only a handful of times a year. You'd think that it wouldn't require having worked in the industry to figure out that letting kids free range in a restaurant is a bad idea. 27
    via u/redshavenosouls, u/Frondstherapydolls
  • 17
    Banannamamajama. Even as someone who has never worked as a server, kids running around restaurants is an absolute no from me. If your kid cant sit still get them some fidget toys. 176 Share
    via u/Banannamamajama
  • 18
    [deleted] Another entitled parent who thinks their kid deserves to be treated as royalty. I guess when the brat who isn't being raised by parents with common sense gets trampled by a server holding multiple plates, they'll sue as well? If you can't raise your kids right and watch them for a 45 minute meal, do everyone a favor, don't go out. +306 Share
    via u/deleted
  • 19
    Banannamamajama. Even as someone who has never worked as a server, kids running around restaurants is an absolute no from me. If your kid cant sit still get them some fidget toys. 176 Share
    via u/Banannamamajama
  • 20
    [deleted] Another entitled parent who thinks their kid deserves to be treated as royalty. I guess when the brat who isn't being raised by parents with common sense gets trampled by a server holding multiple plates, they'll sue as well? If you can't raise your kids right and watch them for a 45 minute meal, do everyone a favor, don't go out. +306 Share
    via u/deleted
  • 21
    cressia73 When our kids were younger we packed toys, books, colouring books and crayons to keep them in their seats but entertained. At no time did we allow our kids to roam free. They now bring a book to entertain themselves now that they are older. Same goes for the hospitals. Don't let your kids wander around or crawl on the ground. The ground is still full of germs despite being cleaned and it is extremely hard to stop the stretchers quickly, especially depending on the weight of the patient
    via u/cressia73
  • 22
    [deleted] I had a table the other day who had a TWO YEAR OLD that they just let run wild while they ate!! I almost trampled the kid 6 times, he came back behind the servers station, and even ran into the kitchen at one point!!! If you're gonna let your kid run around take them outside, or at-least into a part of the restaurant that isn't busy and WATCH THEM! It's such a hazard to let your kid run wild, I love serving families, but if you can't control your kid don't eat at a sit down restaurant
    via u/deleted
  • 23
    HazelKathleen ⚫ I was once out for dinner with my (then) boyfriend when a couple with two young kids came in. They seated the two kids right next to us, gave them some crayons, then went and got their own table at the other end of the restaurant! Their kids (obviously) started acting up from boredom, and we got stink eye from everyone in there who assumed they were ours. I wasn't pleased.
    via u/HazelKathleen
  • 24
    SJFree My sister apparently threw a fit once at a Dairy Queen over something insignificant. My mom gave her multiple warnings before eventually taking my sister's ice cream, throwing it away, and taking her out to sit in our car until my dad and I were done with ours. She's a freshman in college now and we have never let her live that down.
    via u/SJFree
  • 25
    Diane DesRivieres ⚫ If you knew that your 4 yr old could not sit still after dinner, you should have brought him something to keep him busy at the table. It's not o.k. to let your child wander in the restaurant while you enjoy your dinner.
    via u/DesRivieres

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manners server kids eating out waiter tray reprimanding restaurant parenting food waitress discipline tales from your server dining parents children
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