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Parent w/ spirited kids
I took my two sons (5 years and 15 months) for breakfast to a very casual restaurant. We have been there many times before and have become friendly with the family that owns/runs the restaurant. One morning, after breakfast, I was reading the paper and my eldest son was running around as he and other children had done in the past. The owners are very family-oriented, know the kids names, give them treats, etc. A man dining by himself approached me and angrily told me to calm my child. I had never seen him at the restaurant. As I had implicit approval from the owners and this guy was acting like an asshole, I told him not to worry about it and go back and eat his breakfast. After muttering unintelligibles, he retreated back to reading his paper. I immediately thought the better course of action was not to comment to him, but tell him to take it up with management. Interestingly, as I was paying my bill, I found out that, before approaching me, he did complain to management only to be offered a table in the next room which old bastard declined. After thinking about it, it seems to me that he must have a burr under his saddle about something else than my child. I would be interested in alternative responses especially given the fact that my child had acted similarly in the past and chastising him for his actions would give him mixed signals.
P.S. posted here since children's actions were being discussed despite the fact that its not the lawyers w/ kids board.
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