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?

True colours coming out there Mrs Bless-The-Precious-Children.

Ha ha ha ha ha whims look at what you started!!!!

i have my own office i dont need to frequent coffee shops

(whispers in fear of OPC dislikers...my ds announced to my work colleagues tonight that he had a sticking willy?!?....it's ok though I don't work in a coffee shop)

Yes your son is quite hilarious.......to you.

At the age of 2? SDT really? they are babies then. Yes you do teach them but a bit later than that. Same as "lets loose that bottle at 6 months" umm no.

SDGT I totally agree, I really do but the child just said hello. In a coffee shop. I don't see how that is anymore of an interruption than one of the staff coming to clear away a cup and saying 'have you finished'. If the child had stood there yacking away or fiddling with bits on the table it would be a different matter.

At 2 a child is a toddler not a baby, and if a child can feed itself with bottle, then it doesnt need a bottle.

HTH :)

Actually Pictish lots of people find him amusing

is that what they tell you?

LOL!

So uncharitable whatme - this seems at odds with the concept of teaching kids to be considerate etc. this sound like intolerance and mean-spirited self centredness.

Ugly sentiments and thoughts - I try to teach DS that everyone is important and valued. I'd hate for him to grow up with an "I'm alright jack" attitude to others.

See I was thinking that , would he have snapped at me if I had cleared his cup away and said is this finished with?

I would have took the piss out of him big time back in the kitchen if he had.

i dont think his developmental milestone will be shaped by nonplussed man in coffee shop

not unless mum internalises it as proof that society has gorn to hell and no one cares. and this sense of poor me is enacted in the child

Whatmeworry - so you can't even be polite to a 2 year old????

Of course I can, but its more fun to wind you lot up :o

The issue here is a lot of people believe the mother is infringing on others' personal space, and that is rude. The other issue is a lot of clearly inconsiderate people can't see that.

OMG. If a child can feed itself a bottle it doesnt need one, what a classic. Rip the ruggy right away from it to.. Off you go to school, it's O Level time for you now

Nothing wrong with starting then, MissF - give the child an easy guideline and a simple explanation - "Don't bother that lady - she's reading her book" or "You can't wander around at the moment, love- it's too busy" - and remind them if neccessary. That's not too much for a two year old, is it?

Usual - unless you were about to lead into conversation about what is he doing and your cousin has a pooter and you like blue....then probably not.

See I knew everyone really did agreed with op

i want to know why the mum wasnt working
or wean in ft nursery

I often chat to the customers

Haha

makes assumption about the position in birth order of the child in question

Give us a "P"....

Usual I bet he would have been snappy, he would probably have said "tsk" lots of times.