Irate Man Tells New Mom At Restaurant She’s Not ‘Special’ & Berates Her Over Crying Baby

Aug 01, 2023

In a jaw-dropping incident, a new mom found herself in the crosshairs of a confrontation at a neighborhood gastropub. The source of the commotion? Her adorable baby, whose innocent cries sparked a fiery debate on parenting expectations and public decorum. 

The new mom, who sought advice about the incident through a Reddit post in April 2023, recounted her experience at the casual restaurant. Despite the establishment's family-friendly atmosphere, the situation turned dramatic when her baby became fussy. 

The mother attempted to soothe her infant with a pacifier and blanket while making her way to the exit so as not to disturb the other diners. However, before she could leave, her baby began to cry quite loudly.

A man seated at an adjacent table, who was on a date with a woman, decided to confront the new mom instead of letting her calmly exit the restaurant. He yelled at her, expressing his discontent with having to hear a baby cry in a public space. His derogatory remarks targeted the mother.

Despite the fact that the mother was already leaving the restaurant to address her baby's needs, the man's aggressive behavior did not stop there. The mother, who admitted to not being confrontational, continued her exit after the barrage of verbal attacks. Nevertheless, when she returned with her now content baby, the man attempted to engage with her again, and when she ignored him, he and his date gave her disapproving looks until they eventually left.

The mother's dilemma revealed a spectrum of opinions, and she also explained that her own friends were also divided about bringing her baby to the restaurant. Thus, she had to go online for advice. 

"No one wants to hear your baby. You're not f***ing special," the man apparently yelled at the new mom, as per a TikTok recount. She insisted, however, that the place was welcoming to families. 

“We’ve eaten here a couple times a month for the past six years and there are often families with kids here, so it’s not like we took the baby to a kid-free environment," she wrote. 

Since she shared her story online, social media platforms have been ablaze with passionate discussions about the challenges faced by new parents. The incident has sparked a broader conversation about the expectations placed on them when taking their children to public places. 

Some supported the mother, condemning the man's behavior and emphasizing that babies are individuals who have every right to be in public spaces with their parents. Others, however, voiced conflicting views, suggesting that, as her friends said, parents should refrain from taking really young children to restaurants altogether to avoid potential disturbances.

“He should learn that babies will fuss and the man needs to grow up,” someone wrote on TikTok when the topic was also brought up in a video. 

The podcasters at "Two Hot Takes" also dedicated an episode to this debate, where one host strongly sided with the mother, emphasizing that babies are people too and should be allowed in public spaces. The hosts expressed their disbelief at the man's aggressive reaction and called for more understanding and empathy towards parents' challenges. 

However, on Reddit, someone also pointed out that the mom was likely just seeking validation.

"She got a wide variety of opinions on the matter from her mom friends, but says she posted on AITA to get a wider variety of opinions - aka validation.” 

What’s your take on this matter? What would you have done in this case if you were the mom? Did you know someone who experienced handling a crying baby in public? Pass this story along to them!