Coffee Shop Boycott by "Moms". Debate?

[disneymom3]

I think this is awesome!!! Good for that owner. as the parent of a very social child who talked to everyone and anyone when she was little, I think it is great that he has these expectations in his business. Personally, I went to those coffee places when DD was little to get away from her, not to have to listen to someone else's out of control child.

Respect in public places is a lost art form. It needs to be brought back.

Oh yeah, I also wanted to say that for those of us who have appropriate expectations of our children these totally undisciplined ones make our job even harder when they are little. My 9 you will look at a child who is out of control and know that is not going to fly and recognize the innapropriate behavior for what it is. My 3 yo on the other hand, thinks, "Hey, that looks fun. Apparently it is okay to run around like and idiot in here! Off I go!" Doesn't happen because he has to stay within reach of me(if you can't reach mommy you are too far away. Store rule, not playgrounds, so don't panic)

 

[Beth76]

Does that mean, if shes happy, and loud I can't go in there with her to get a cup of coffee? I think thats ridiculous...its not a library.

No it means if she's loud, you get your coffee to go. You don't sit around and let your child disturb others. And there's no federal law that says only libraries can have a quiet rule. If the owner wants it to be quiet like a library, then he has that right.

 

[Karel]

My friend and I used to spend every Tuesday morning having coffee together at Barnes and Noble. There were two women who came in with their three kids who used the cafe as a playground. The kids were allowed to run around, climb on chairs, throw things. Then they would leave and the tables would be a mess.

It was awful. There is a time and place for kids to express themselves and there is a time and place for kids to learn manners.

 

[Sandy V.]

Respect in public places is a lost art form. It needs to be brought back.

Yeah, there are a lot of people, adults and children alike, who don't seem to feel that "the rules" should apply to them. As long as their own personal desires are satisfied, they don't really give a crap about who else they step on in getting there.

 

[Briarmom]

If my kids are with me, I go in, get my coffee, and leave. At that time I obviously need it for CAFFIENE and not relaxation.

Now, may we PLEASE start a campaign to outlaw cellphone ringing/conversations in Barnes and Noble? When I am at the bookstore, I don't want to hear it! Heck, when I am anywhere in public I don't want to hear it.

 

[pearlieq]

Kudos to the coffee shop owner! I absolutely can't believe anyone would have a problem being asked to behave appropriately. The women boycotting this are just silly, not to mention completely deluded about what is appropriate behavior for their little "darlings". Frankly I would hope that a loud bratty kid and a parent unwilling to, you know, parent them WOULD be unwelcome anywhere!

 

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

I ran an ice cream place for years. Now ice cream is a very kid friendly food and our place was small and it echoed like no tomorrow. No big deal that kids will be loud when happy and excited. However I drew the line when these moms would come in, take up all the tables for the three of them and their 4 kids and let the kids run around screaming at the top of their lungs. They said nothing when they would open the freezers and poke at the cakes and demand new cones when their "babies" dropped them while running around. The final straw was when the kids would run into other people. I finally started saying something to the kids (in a total friendly tone) like "woah... slow down there buddy..." or "lets try our indoor voices now". One of the moms ripped me a new one and another mom laid into her about her brats. That was a great day.

And after getting yelled at about a messed up order because the person was on their phone we finally stopped helping people who were on them.

I would love to visit that coffee shop!

 

[nwdisgal]

My friend and I used to spend every Tuesday morning having coffee together at Barnes and Noble. There were two women who came in with their three kids who used the cafe as a playground. The kids were allowed to run around, climb on chairs, throw things. Then they would leave and the tables would be a mess.

It was awful. There is a time and place for kids to express themselves and there is a time and place for kids to learn manners.

Yah, I agree with you. How about a "to go" cup and take the kids to the playground, where they would be much happier.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I agree that children should be encouraged to use their inside voices when in a restaurant or anywhere else inside, but I do think that it shouldn't be limited to children. I've been more irritated by adults talking loudly on cell phones than children who are loud. Yes, children can be disruptive and when my children were young and would get that way one of us would bring them out of the restaurant.

But to say that children shouldn't start conversations with adults is . No, they shouldn't interupt someone, but under the right circumstances I don't think it's a big deal just like I don't think it's a big deal when a stranger (adult or child) talks to me. They shouldn't go up to someone elses table, but what about when when they are waiting in line to pay, on an elevator, in a theme park queue, etc?

 

[sunkissed212]

I think that other business should take a hint from this coffee shop. I am all for allowing children to express themselves and be outgoing in public. However, as my mother always said "there's a time and a place for everything". So, I feel that it is the parent's responsibility to educate their children about what behaviour (and volume of voice) is appropriate where. Personally, if I were a child, I wouldn't even want my mom to take me to a coffee shop...boring! Of course, I'd be running around trying to keep myself occupied while she sits and sips her latte and reads the wall street journal or something...come on...if you want your child to run around crazy and expell some energy so that they take a nice long nap after lunch...take them to the park and play WITH them...there's a concept!

Okay I'm getting off of the topic here...I think that a coffee shop is a place for people to sit quietly and read or study or what have you, not a place for kids to be playing hide and seek, or engaging unsuspecting adults in conversations about their dogs or what they had for breakfast that day....yes, children need to have the opportunity to do these things, but not at the local coffee shop...in my opinion.

 

[Allison]

Ok, I'm not sure how I feel about the sign. First of all...I don't drink coffee, or go to coffee shops so I'm not really sure what the atmosphere is or should be. I do however have a 1.5 yr old who on occasion has been known to like to scream...not a bad scream...a happy, I want to play scream. Does that mean, if shes happy, and loud I can't go in there with her to get a cup of coffee? I think thats ridiculous...its not a library. On the other hand, I would never let her or my other DD run around. When we go out, we sit nice in our chairs and eat, etc. But the sign says indoor voices...what if someone brings an infant in and it starts crying because its hungry...the mom has to leave cuz the baby isn't using its 'indoor voice'?

I absolutely would get up and leave when my kids were babies and I couldn't stop the crying. It's rude to other patrons to stay in a situation like that.

 

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

Ok, I'm not sure how I feel about the sign. First of all...I don't drink coffee, or go to coffee shops so I'm not really sure what the atmosphere is or should be. I do however have a 1.5 yr old who on occasion has been known to like to scream...not a bad scream...a happy, I want to play scream. Does that mean, if shes happy, and loud I can't go in there with her to get a cup of coffee? I think thats ridiculous...its not a library. On the other hand, I would never let her or my other DD run around. When we go out, we sit nice in our chairs and eat, etc. But the sign says indoor voices...what if someone brings an infant in and it starts crying because its hungry...the mom has to leave cuz the baby isn't using its 'indoor voice'?

Absoulty take your crying or screaming baby outside. Part of being a parent is putting your baby first. Allowing a baby to scream or cry is disturbing to other people. I'm talking about persistant screaming or crying, not the random COOL squeel. It is not a library but it is not a playground or another location that is catering to children.

Despite popular belief children need to fit into our society, we don't fit into theirs. If we continue down this path our future presidents will be having a temper tantrum when another world leader says no. And we, as a nation will be in a lot of trouble.

Perhaps these moms should open a coffee house that caters to moms. Then all those people who think it's cute when little Suzy runs around screaming while destroying a business can bring their business to them.

 

[va32h]

what if someone brings an infant in and it starts crying because its hungry...the mom has to leave cuz the baby isn't using its 'indoor voice'?

Well the mother could just feed the baby, and then it would stop crying. I can think of no good reason why a mother would choose to allow her hungry baby to keep crying for food.

I used to have a loud but happy baby too, and yes, if she became so loud for so long that it disturbed other patrons, I would take her outside.