It’s never pleasant to listen to a screaming child, but what many people don’t realize is that often the person suffering most is the child’s mother. She knows her kid is bothering the other people around them, but often there is little she can do to stop the screaming, at least not immediately.
It would be nice if people were more understanding of this, but that is not always the case.
New mom Katie Leach learned this firsthand when she went out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse with her 10-month-old son Drew.
Drew had just discovered his vocal chords and had started screaming fairly often, but Katie was working with him to teach him to use his inside voice.
“He will yell when I tell him no, when he’s super excited and happy, or just for no reason at all,” she said. “I’m doing my best to teach him indoor voice and to not yell back at me when telling him no.”
There was a lot of activity at the restaurant that night – servers were singing “Happy Birthday” to nearby tables and people were coming by the table to say hello to Drew – and the baby started screaming out of happiness.
Katie was doing her best to quiet him down when a lady from the table behind them came over and slammed a note down on their table.
“Thank you for ruining our dinner with your screaming kid. Sincerely, the table behind you,” it read.
Embarrassed, Katie tried to apologize and explain to her that Drew was young and still learning, but the woman angrily told her that her grandchildren “never behave like that.”
Much to Katie’s surprise and appreciation, though, the manager came over and told the angry woman and her companion that they were welcome to finish their dinner quietly, but should kindly leave afterward. He then paid for Katie’s meal and told the grateful mom that she and Drew were welcome to come back any time.
“We’re in the hospitality business. We want all our guests to have a great experience,” said Texas Roadhouse spokesman Travis Doster. “We were voted one of the loudest restaurants by Consumer Reports. We are proud to be loud. If you want to hear clinking wine glasses and clinking forks, then this probably isn’t the place for you.”
Katie said she understands the women’s annoyance, but wishes they would have shown some compassion and understanding since Drew was just a baby.
She is grateful for the kindness showed to her by the Texas Roadhouse manager. I’m sure the restaurant has gained a fan for life!
Did you like the way the manager handled this situation? So share this!