to think if you want to work in silence, don't go to a coffee shop

[whimsicalname]

I was in a chain coffee shop this morning, across the road from our city museum, waiting with my 2 year old for it to open.

I was drinking my coffee, he sat opposite me eating raisins. Other people were working, or chatting, or reading the paper. You know, doing normal coffee shop stuff.

After a while, the boy gets up to wander around. He's not running, he's not sticky, he's just mingling. He walked towards a man with a laptop. Stood nearby him, and then said hello. Man looked up at me, and said 'do you mind, I'm concentrating here' in a really unpleasant way.

If I'd been with a couple of friends chatting we'd have made a lot more noise but I can't help but feel he probably wouldn't have told us off!

We were across the road from the university library (which has some open access areas) and all of 200m away from the city central library, so plenty of options for quiet. Blimey, he could even have sat in the cathedral for some quiet contemplation.

AIBU or was he?

Inconsiderate parents? FFS the baby was being friendly, so you just swat it away. Miserable fuckers the lot of you.

This thread is almost funny

domesticgoddess the child being 2 is all the more reason why he should be next to his parent, not walking around. It is his entirely understandable lack of boundaries which means his mum should have applied them.

Interesting that those support a person' right to privacy are called names; "moaners" and "miserable sods", yet no-one has name-called those who think it's OK to let children wander and talk to strangers.

The day i don't have time to be friendly to a toddler is the day I really have to take a good damn look at myself.

God forbid that children talk to strangers

the child was in an enclosed environment for god sake, why should he be next to his parents, he's exploring. A persons right to privicy? are you real? If a person wants privicy they dont walk into a busy coffee shop do they.

OK, usualsuspect, but don't expect those strangers to be entranced by it.
The man was rude, but shouldn't have been put on the spot in the first place by there mum letting the child wander.

Yes, MissFaversham. Nothing wrong with wanting to be left alone. What's a busy coffee shop got to do with? On your own is on your own.

Some people's concept of privacy infringed others to just be, you know, normal.
It is a bit miserable isn't it, to infer so much from a hello?

I think some people were being very judgmental up thread about posters who thought the man was rude.

Inconsiderate parents? FFS the baby was being friendly, so you just swat it away. Miserable fuckers the lot of you

So, a lot of people on this thead have made it clear they don't like it. Are all you pro-minglesr next time going to:

(i) restrain your child
(ii)let it mingle, knowing that a lot of people don't like that.

Guess which option above shows you consider others?

In answer to the initial OP:

to think if you want to work in silence, don't go to a coffee shop

Well, if you want your kids to run around and have fun, take them to a fecking park.

If they talk to strangers then the mother has to accept that the strangers may talk back.

Do the majority of parents want strangers talking to their DC?

I would carry on letting my child say hello to strangers

echt, your vision of 2 year olds tied down in public (cos that's what you are basically prescribing....2 year olds walk around, explore, and talk) is entirely worthy of the miserable sod label.

Call me what you like on here please, I've already been called a 'drama queen' by people exploding with putative rage at the idea of being approached by a dangerously out of control toddler :D

Is it being put on the spot if a toddler says hello?
Obviously he can't have been that uncomfortable if he was so blatantly RUDE!

I would expect an adult stranger to know not to be rude

If you want "adult" time you either go somewhere where children aren't or you go somewhere in evening to get the "privicy" you so desire. This country is unbelieveably un child friendly its scary.

I would carry on letting my child say hello to strangers

Putting them on the spot you mean usual

Poor rude man, what an impossible situation to be put in, how awkward!

And I'm not a 'pro-mingler', never was precisely cos I am aware how many rude and unpleasant people there are in the world (or at least London) who think children are nothing but a dreadful public inconvenience. And I wouldn't want my kids exposed to them and their misery. They'll have to deal with enough grumpy gits when they're older :D

I shall link this thread when people are asking why 'dirty strangers touch my DC'.

I would expect an adult stranger to know not to be rude

I would expect a parent to know how to manage their children.

This is now officially hilarious... and pointless. I'm off.