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**Harvest Moon** · 08-31-2011, 05:14 PM

Warning...This might turn into a bit of a rant...

Last night we stopped for dinner at a local place - pub food and sports bar - a place that happens to have "kids eat free" on Tuesday nights. My children grown and well past the age limit. In fact, they don't even live in the same state. So not much other background, other than it was early evening, probably around 6:30.

I watched this woman come in with to small children, both boys. I estimate ages at over two, probably 2 ¹⁄₂ years and 3 ¹⁄₂ years. She sat in a booth with the older child and let the younger boy sit by himself. She ordered herself a big mixed drink of some kind, in a fancy glass. The server also brought two drinks for her children in covered sippy-cup type containers with a straw and lid.

I watched from across the room, as the "family" got settled and the "Mom" proceeded to text message with whomever she was in a conversation with on the phone. She concluded the 2 to 3 minute text message conversation and made a phone call. After about 5 minutes on the phone, she hung up. Within about three seconds she was back to text messaging and that was when all hell broke loose.

Her adorable 3+ year old son knocked over her drink. So she gave him a nice, really loud slap on the butt and scolded him. At the same time she was jumping out of her seat in a booth and yanking each child by the arm to get them out of the booth. The whole time she was still typing text messages on her cell phone.

So the staff at the restaurant stepped in to clean up the mess. (Yes she did make a scene.) But the "Mom" never stopped texting and/or talking on her telephone.

The "Mom" was dressed in "scrubs" or a uniform like she was a nurse or medical tech whom had just gotten off of work. While she was average in height and weight, she looked like she could be "cooking" another baby under that scrub top.

So, my dilemma was that it was not "socially acceptable" for me to just say: "Hey Lady, Get off your phone and interact with your two beautiful children."

Have you encountered this kind of situation and, if so, what did you do? Or please just add to my rant!

**Cracker** · 08-31-2011, 05:23 PM

Was she black? She might have been trying to find a new baby daddy. You gotta have priorities in this day and age.

**Harvest Moon** · 08-31-2011, 05:56 PM

(08-31-2011, 05:23 PM)Cracker Wrote: Was she black? She might have been trying to find a new baby daddy. You gotta have priorities in this day and age.

No, actually she was not black. Somehow that makes it even harder for me to digest.

**Fibonacci Prima** · 08-31-2011, 06:00 PM

I don't see the dilemma. I'd have smacked the dumb bitch for creating such a situation. Spilling a drink is inexcusable.

**Adub** · 08-31-2011, 06:23 PM

Not cool at all. I live it. My daughter blah blah blah... is tied to her bloody phone. Nothing is more urgent than being on the phone, texting or whatever. My grandson comes second Smiley_emoticons_skeptisch

been a few blow-ups on that subject. I have never had a cell phone. W(hy)TF do I need a phone on me 24/7? I really do not "get it".

**Cracker** · 08-31-2011, 06:31 PM

(08-31-2011, 06:23 PM)Adub Wrote: I have never had a cell phone. W(hy)TF do I need a phone on me 24/7? I really do not "get it".

Srsly? What if you break down on the interstate? What if someone tries to rape you in a parking lot? What if someone at home uses the last roll of toilet paper while you are headed to the store?

Honestly, I can't figure out why I need a land line. I have broadband and cable and cell phones. We don't ever answer the other phone. The ringer is turned off. I just use it for the number to give out when a phone number is required. I could use a fake number for that shit.

I want to re-home half the kids I see out and about. Cracker would be sweet to the little ones. Cracker would knock some fucking sense into the big ones. They could maybe mow Cracker's lawn out of gratitude...

**sally** · 08-31-2011, 08:27 PM

The only thing I would add to your rant is that you should mind your own fucking business. She wasn't exactly killing the little fuckers and you have no way of knowing who she was on the phone with, maybe it was the asshole father or work related.

For all you know she's a single mother who just worked a double shift cleaning old mens asses and now she can't even go into TGI Friday's without getting dirty looks from a bunch of judgmental old hags.

**JsMom** · 08-31-2011, 08:42 PM

That is wrong on soooooooooo many levels.

**Maggot** · 08-31-2011, 08:43 PM

I would have ordered a "Flaming Formosa" and sent it to her table. It would be worth the 10 bucks and sat back and watched the fireworks.I might have even said it was from another table that had no clue what was going on.

**Mickeymouse** · 08-31-2011, 08:50 PM

I went out to eat with my family last weekend and we watched a family of four (mom, dad, boy ~12 yrs and girl ~14 yrs) sit at the table and ALL four of them were texting during their whole dinner. We were amazed that there were only a handful of words spoken.....very interesting!

**sally** · 08-31-2011, 09:28 PM

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

That doesn't apply to Mock of course.

**HairOfTheDog** · 08-31-2011, 09:41 PM

I don't think I would have been so affected by this incident. There have been times when I had my niece and nephew in a restaurant and I HAD to take an emergency call while trying to keep them from spilling things, fighting with each other... I'm sure if someone was watching us closely, I wouldn't have come across as a candidate for parent of the year. I'd wager many of us wouldn't look like the focused and doting caregivers we may be to every stranger at every moment in time.

Not defending the woman, she may be a neglectful POS. Just saying I wouldn't be so quick to find her in need of being chastised based on this particular scenario. Maybe I'm just jaded by all the stories of physical abuse, leaving the children with strangers, inviting a pedo into the home, doing drugs while collecting unemployment, letting toddlers run around unattended, etc. So, a mother giving a toddler a swat on the butt and being less than fully attentive while making sure her children are fed, in her care, after just getting off of work is not setting off alarm bells.

JMO...

**Paulistano** · 08-31-2011, 10:34 PM

(08-31-2011, 05:23 PM)Cracker Wrote: Was she black? She might have been trying to find a new baby daddy. You gotta have priorities in this day and age.

What has race got to with it baldie?

**Cracker** · 08-31-2011, 11:02 PM

(08-31-2011, 10:34 PM)Paulistano Wrote:
(08-31-2011, 05:23 PM)Cracker Wrote: Was she black? She might have been trying to find a new baby daddy. You gotta have priorities in this day and age.

What has race got to with it baldie?

You're right. If it had been a black chick, the OP would have known who the girl was talking to because black people are really fucking loud.

Is that better? Are you black or just saving the world? Because I'm willing to discuss this with you if you can muster some intelligence.

**Paulistano** · 08-31-2011, 11:08 PM

(08-31-2011, 11:02 PM)Cracker Wrote: You're right. If it had been a black chick, the OP would have known who the girl was talking to because black people are really fucking loud.

Is that better? Are you black or just saving the world? Because I'm willing to discuss this with you if you can muster some intelligence.

So, I am unintelligent because I am not a bigot prick like you? Or I am black? Make your mind up..

You are clutching at straws, and failing to to only that.

In all honesty, I just don't think that race is relevant to being a bad mother in the scenario set out above....black, white or fucking blue - it is bad mothering.

**Fibonacci Prima** · 08-31-2011, 11:14 PM

I think race is very relevant. White people don't try to find a baby daddy in the Cici's buffet line, and mexicans already have 2000 kids with one baby daddy.

It isn't racism. It's fact.

**Paulistano** · 08-31-2011, 11:22 PM

(08-31-2011, 11:14 PM)Fibonacci Prima Wrote: I think race is very relevant. White people don't try to find a baby daddy in the Cici's buffet line, and mexicans already have 2000 kids with one baby daddy.

It isn't racism. It's fact.

The only apparent fact is that you use this thread to make silly stereotypical remarks. What a sad fact.

**Fibonacci Prima** · 09-01-2011, 01:43 AM

Boohoo. Did you lose your binky? Shame your food stamps don't cover a replacement.

**Duchess** · 09-01-2011, 06:02 AM

Unless they were making a lot of noise, I wouldn't even have noticed them. I'm oblivious to my surroundings because I'm so self involved.

**ramseycat** · 09-01-2011, 08:04 AM

When I take my boys out to eat I do not sit there talking on my phone. I admit I will text a bit but then again so are they. We use dinner time as an opportunity to chat about stuff. What's going on with their friends or at school or last weeks episode of Jersey Shore. LOL I am not judging the lady because as Sally said, maybe she did have something going on and it's not the norm for her.

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