What would you do? Inappropraite discussion in a restaurant

[canwegosoon]

yeah, I'm from the area too. And considering how the case is such a huge deal, you can't really be surprised that people are talking about it, can you?

No, I am not suprised...I did my student teaching at Bethlehem HS, but they were talking graphically about the murder and why the son might have done it(rather loudly).
I'm not saying they shouldn't talk about it, but if I were sitting at a table near small children then I would take my surroundings into account. A bar or a place for adults(or anywhere where there were only adults)...talk away.

 

[Mishetta]

They weren't doing anything wrong.

Unless they're cursing a lot or graphically describing sexual acts, I don't think any conversation is really "inappropriate" or demanding that action be taken.

Whether or not the conversation is in poor taste is a matter of personal judgment

I agree with this post (up to the point that I deleted that is!)

 

[LoraJ]

Reality check: the world doesn't revolve you and your children.

Sorry, I'm not going to stop talking about true crime and the news (especially since I'm a real crime buff) because I'm near children.

It's very likely the kids are talking about it just as graphically with their friends.

 

[zalansky]

Sorry, but I don't think that conversation was inappropriate either. They were discussing local news.

 

[disney4us2002]

Reality check: the world doesn't revolve you and your children.

Sorry, I'm not going to stop talking about true crime and the news (especially since I'm a real crime buff) because I'm near children.

That first comment was unnecessarily rude. What is up here lately?

I don't think it's asking too much for people to speak in a volume loud enough for their own party to hear w/o being overheard by surrounding tables. We have Friendly's restaurants here as well and I can't recall hearing other tables' conversations.

As to the question, I probably would have instructed my children loudly enough to be overheard myself, not to listen to other people even if they are a bit loud. If that hint didn't work, I would probably suggest a potty break and hope the conversation was over before we returned.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Well we are news watchers, so my kids would have not even paid any attention to it.
If they did we would probably discuss it too.

 

[MorganLeFey]

If you could otherwise distract your children so that you really couldn't pay attention--then I would do that first.

It if it was too difficult to ignore, I would politely request that they change the subject or to speak more quietly.

honestly, if someone asked me to do that...I would probably give them a rude response and continue to discuss the case. why are you listening to my conversation and why should I stp talking to my companions because you're offended by what you heard eavesdropping on us?

 

[Crankyshank]

honestly, if someone asked me to do that...I would probably give them a rude response and continue to discuss the case. why are you listening to my conversation and why should I stp talking to my companions because you're offended by what you heard eavesdropping on us?

I probably would respond in a similar fashion. Personally I'd be pretty impressed that the teens were discussing current events
I really do not see the need to keep conversations on a G level just because "little pitchers have big ears".

 

[AMClvsMKY]

I probably would respond in a similar fashion. Personally I'd be pretty impressed that the teens were discussing current events
I really do not see the need to keep conversations on a G level just because "little pitchers have big ears".

I agree - doesn't seem like they were doing anything wrong

 

[MushyMushy]

If you think that conversation was inappropriate, your ears would probably melt off your head if you heard the things MY friends and I discuss in restaurants.

 

[poohandwendy]

Would not have bothered me. I always saw it that when the kids are in public, they will be exposed to the diversity of public. (good, the bad, the ugly)

It was up to my DH and I to try to make some sense of it and/or use these types of situations as learning experiences. Like if someone said something really inappropriate I would distract the kids by talking about how disrespectful I think that is and why I would never behave that way.

 

[MoniqueU]

I have had the news on every day of my childrens lives. Only once on 9 11 did I want to sheild them from something and that was only because I didn't know what was going on, but they watched in the days after with me. Different strokes for different folks but I never want my kids raised in a perfect little bubble where they don't know bad things happen.
I would of just continued my meal and maybe gone up and bought a newspaper to check out the story.

 

[Hannathy]

I agree with you MoniqueU The news is always on at our house and we discuss everything, so my 7 yr old would have already known there was a murder, and as others have said your 8 yr olds know what murder is and if they go to school or scouts etc have probably heard of this case also. Now if they were graphically describing X rated details of the murder or rape I would find that innappropriate at a restaraunt but not just discussing the news. I would not appreciate it if you told me not to talk about what I wanted at my table as long as it was not obscene.

 

[mickeyfan2]

I would have ignored them and eaten my meal. This is an ok subject for them to be discussing. Do you watch the news in your home? I sure it was discussed there at 6 pm too.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

I'm from the area, too, and it's really tough NOT to hear all about the case! The greater Albany area has 4 local news stations, and frankly, not much happens up here that's newsworthy, so they've been talking about the Porco case ad nauseum.

I think it's good for teens to be interested in news stories, and I also don't believe in trying to hide my kids from all that is evil in the world. Of course, our family may be different--DD11 wants to be a pathologist, so we let her watch autopsy tapes. Other parents might choose differently, I understand that, but if my DD has a pssion, why not go with it, even if I'm scratching my head?

I don't think you did anything wrong distracting your children, but neither did the people in the next booth. As others have said, graphic discussions of a mature nature would have been wrong.

 

[NMAmy]

I probably would respond in a similar fashion. Personally I'd be pretty impressed that the teens were discussing current events
I really do not see the need to keep conversations on a G level just because "little pitchers have big ears".

Absolutely--they weren't discussing something inappropriate. It's not my job to shield other people's children from what their parents decide is inappropriate.

 

[lindakmonty]

I'd do the same as you did, distract them w/a game and don't worry about it.

 

[slo]

I am very particular on what my children watch on tv and in movies so therefore I wouldn't of been happy about the people's conversation behind me. But......I can't protect them from everything, especially what other people are freely talking about. I would have done what you did, by keeping them distracted and started talking about other things. The only way I would have moved is if the people behind me were using a lot of loud profanity, because that is something I wouldn't have tolerated

 

[airhead]

Mind my own business and enjoy my meal. If I had kids with me and someone's conversation was vulgar,I'd move.

 

[noodleknitter]

I would have ignored them and reminded my kids that eaves-dropping is impolite, and begun a conversation of our own. If they had questions about what they had heard, we would talk about it. It isn't as though 8 year olds shouldn't have a clue of what is happening in the world, or in the neighborhood. Not tlaking gory details, but a def. knowledge of current events is good.