The Cafe Mum
Should you be asked to leave if your baby is crying?
This is a pretty dangerous question to be asking as both sides have a strong case.
The story comes from a cafe in London who asked a mother trying to feed her baby to leave as she was disturbing other customers and that the cafe wasn’t a “crèche”
We have all been on both side – trying to shush a crying baby or having a baby wailing in the background while we enjoy a cup of tea.
How would you feel as a new mum, struggling to adjust to motherhood? Trying to figure out what this little thing wants and also trying to maintain a life by getting out and being asked to leave? It would be embarrassing and you would never want to venture out the house again!
It’s hard not to panic when your baby starts wailing, you don’t want others to be disturbed but mostly you don’t want others to know you don’t have a bloody clue what you are doing!
When I was a first time mum, I tried to get out lots and one time, a friend, also a new mum ventured out to baby cinema. We left 20 minutes in as our darling tots decided to have a crying comp and we panicked and left so not to ruin it for others...it was baby cinema! Yeah, so a baby crying is the norm but as new mums we were embarrassed...crazy thinking back but I still have not tried baby cinema again.
Some people have commented that it’s because mums spend too much time on the phone and because of this don’t know how to sooth the child. Are you having a joke?! Bet that person doesn’t have children! It isn’t always easy to settle a child, they can’t talk...is it teeth? Hunger?! Nappy?!? Or are they just bloody grumpy. Chances are they are grumpy and making a noise about it!
This cafe will now be seen as not “child friendly” and will lose a lot of business, am sure from the coffee meet ups us parents form our life around. The cafe were quoted as saying many customers have complained about the number of children in the cafe, someone has to give it up.
How about a no children sign on the door...how do you think that would go down?
I think we have to agree this is a touchy subject and in fact no one will end up here with a happy out come.
As a mum I would often chose a cafe that I knew was child friendly – there are many in Edinburgh and some fab play cafes too. Yes there are plenty of place too that I just wouldn’t bring my kids. They would hate it (boring!) and the clientele just wouldn’t suit. You pick a place you feel comfy but normally a standard cafe is a pretty safe bet.
Babies cry...lots. If you don’t like it, don’t have kids. If a baby is crying in a cafe and isn’t settling instead of asking them to leave and stressing the poor mother out more, look at that poor women she is just doing her best. Trying to lead a “normal” life, catch up with friends she hasn’t seen because it’s taken her weeks to actually get out the house and be the fantastic queen that she is. It’s just the little human who isn’t playing ball...it will pass.
The baby will stop and normal service can resume.
Comments