If you're a parent, you know that the rare occasions you get to take some time for yourself (even though you absolutely LOVE your kids more than anything) are precious.
But, is it wrong to try and avoid other children at all costs when you're out and about having your adult time? This is the exact question posed by Reddit user u/Ok_Candy7966 (or OP; for Original Poster) who recently asked in the Am I the Asshole subreddit if she was in the wrong for asking to switch tables at a restaurant because she and her husband were seated next to a crying baby.
Here are all the details, according to OP:
"My husband and I went out for dinner a couple of nights ago. It was the first time by ourselves after our baby was born. It’s my second child, and the first for my husband, so it was kind of a big deal for us. We got a babysitter, and we went to a very nice, fancy restaurant."
"A few minutes after we ordered, another couple sat at the table next to us…with a small baby in a stroller. At first, it was fine, but after a few minutes, the baby started crying. They tried to comfort it, but every time it seemed they had managed to make it sleep, it woke up crying again."
"By then, we just wanted to leave, but we had already ordered, so we decided to ask the waiter if we could change tables to the other side of the restaurant. The waiter asked if there was a problem, and I said it was our first time out after having a baby, and we didn’t feel like spending our evening next to someone else’s crying baby. He was super nice and quickly asked another waiter to help him set up the new table for us. Another couple that was in the same area also asked to be seated elsewhere."
Here's where things get messy: "The couple with the baby overheard what we said to the waiter, and the mom got especially upset and called me an [asshole]. She went on and on, saying that I probably don’t have kids (I have two), and that babies are also people, and we should just accept that babies can be loud and cry, and there’s nothing she could do about it."
"I didn’t want to start a fight or anything, but I got really annoyed by her attitude, so I told her that she could actually do something about the crying. She could take her baby home so it can properly sleep and then let everyone else there enjoy their meals."
At this point, the mom with the crying baby wasn't too pleased. "She kept saying stuff, but I just ignored her, went to our new table, and tried to have a nice dinner (although we could still hear the crying baby, but at least, it was not right next to us)."
Later on, OP shared what happened with her sister, and she sided with the mother at the restaurant. "She said I shouldn’t have told the waiter that we wanted to move because of the baby, and I shouldn’t have said what I said to the mom. So now, I'm not sure??"
As always, people came in hot with their opinions in the comments on the thread. Many sided with OP, and said they did the right thing getting a babysitter.
"You have kids and got a babysitter. In what universe do you want to go to a fancy restaurant ANY time and listen to somebody else's crying baby at the next table. No way."
"I agree here. I have a newborn, and believe me, when I get an opportunity, I am getting a sitter and going to a place where kids can’t go."
Others mentioned the fact that they were at a fancy restaurant, and said the other parents were in the wrong for bringing their baby there in the first place.
"It's the fancy restaurant part that got me. It's one thing at an Applebee's-level place, but when at a nicer place, there is an expectation to have a certain atmosphere, and that doesn't include crying babies.
Signed, a former Applebee's server and mother of two who accepted never taking my young children to restaurants because they were heathens."
"This is why we only take our son to 'family friendly' places and do our best to make sure he's quiet and behaved. The absolute LAST thing I want on a kid-free night is to deal with someone else's kids."
In fact, some even criticized the parents of the crying baby for staying in the restaurant and not taking the baby outside.
"People with crying babies should get up and take them out of the dining room to soothe them. Yes, even if it means coming back to a cold plate."
"If you can't calm down your crying baby, I'm sorry, but you need to leave. The baby isn't enjoying themselves at that point any more than the parents or the other patrons. Maybe they are too warm, there are too many strange noises, sharp smells — doesn't really matter. ... Why put the baby and yourselves through unnecessary stress? Ask for the food to go, and one parent waits outside with the baby."
All in all, everyone was completely on OP's side.
But what do you think??? Was OP totally fine in asking to move? Were the parents of the crying baby in the wrong for bringing their child in the first place, or not taking them outside? Or, should OP and her husband have handled the situation better and been more understanding? Give us your thoughts in the comments!
And for more drama-filled stories — like the father who refused to pay for his daughter's wedding — click here.
Note: Responses have been edited for length/clarity.