Old Biddies Need Not Apply

Dining out with kids. It’s a tough situation. There are two sides to it and I’m always torn. In my pre-kid days I was less than tolerant to screaming children in restaurants. Running around? That was a definite no-no. Control that child.

Then, I had a kid. I realized that they are less than controllable 100% of the time. However, it doesn’t mean that I believe that kids should be able to do or say what they want when in a public place like a restaurant. That being said, when you have five kids ages six and under (also known as not the best idea) plus four women who lunch at one table. There will be noise. You put four ladies who lunch together and there will be a downright ruckus. You add wine and you might as well shut the whole place down.

So lady with the helmet head much like ol’ Mummy up there don’t you be passive aggressively walking over to our table that is TWO rooms over from the main dining area of the restaurant (SEE we were thinking of others and stayed far away from the actual dining room)and glare at us and then just leave. I knew you weren’t looking for a table. You just wanted to put in your two sense in, but your old biddiness didn’t allow you to even crack a steely gaze our way. Then sending the poor harried restaurant owner over to say they had complaints? I understand, except that we were TWO rooms away from your secretary’s butt. TWO ROOMS. TWO ROOMS with lots of shushing on our part and kids that were yes, rambunctious at times, but that doesn’t mean that we should be relegated to fast food chains for life. It’s a freakin’ lunch cafe with grilled cheese on the menu and a side of chips is served with every meal! Drinks come in paper cups and plastic utensils are used! There are picnic tables involved! Fine Dining it is not.

I myself still can’t grasp how I feel on this whole thing. If it had been me being the old biddy, I would have been annoyed, except that I couldn’t be really because I would have realized that they women with kids had taken precautions. They had removed themselves from the main dining room. There were five kids involved (and I for one will NOT be doing that again unless it’s at a Chucky Cheese type place-whew!) and after seeing all that I would have eased up. I also would not have blocked the exit way before hand when a woman with two kids and a diaper bag walked up to the entrance. Nor would I have blocked the stairway and sidewalk out front. Seriously. I’m not saying it because I have kids. I’m saying it because it’s RUDE.

Don’t mind me people I’m just pissed that parents are made to feel like dirt when at some point we all were kids. Parents who let their kids run wild in public have given those of us who don’t a bad name and reputation. I have to fly with T.D. for the first time this week and I’m scared to death some old biddy will have us kicked off the plane because I haven’t given her ‘ludes before the flight.