Man tells stranger's hyperactive kid he will make them wait outside. AITA?
Boys will be boys making noise.
Disciplining other people's children is always a pretty big 'no-no.' Threatening their kids? Yikes. One Reddit user shared their story about parents not reigning in their hyperactive son. The OP decided it was best for everyone if they stepped in, but what do you think?
AITA for screaming at a child and making him cry?
I (m21) went to eat with some friends from college to a restaurant that's near the campus. The place is not the nicest, but it's better food than McDonald's and we use to go there when we want to have a 'semi special occasion'. This time the occasion was that the four of our had passed our exams.
It was lunch time, the place was not completely full, but full enough. We had bad weather so we stayed inside (everyone did). Most people were adults.
Then two women (an older one and a middle aged one) came with a baby and a kid around 7/10 years old. I was sitting facing the door so I saw them walk in but I didn't think anything of it, I'm not someone easily annoyed by kids most times. They took a table in a corner. Our table was around the middle of the room.
We were waiting for our food and chatting. The kid was playing with the baby and they were making a bit of noise, but then again we all were making noise as most of us were accompanied and chatting.
After our food came in though, the kid started to wander around. He wanted to read a sign near the door, then one near the back. After that he wanted to go to bathroom, then he wanted to go outside, etc. It was kinda annoying, but quite easy to just ignore. Should I say that neither of the women that were with him did nothing to stop him? Not at any time.
At some point, the kid started to run around while yelling, he was playing some type of game by himself. He went on and on, causing a lot of disruption and neither of the women did anything about it. Other people were looking annoyed too. He even accidentally hit my friend's chair.
We were seated one of the tables in the middle of the room and he started running circles around us. By the third time he tried passing next to me I put my arm out to stop him.
I told him to stop that and to go sit down and wait until he's home to run around because it's inappropriate to bother other people in a public space. I also told him I'll have him wait outside alone if he doesn't behaves.
I was obviously not gonna do because that is in no way anything I could actually do. Basically, it was just to scare him off. I honestly don't know what prompted me to say that sentence. In my mind, I was quite calm but apparently, I was screaming at the kid.
The kid started to cry and then his mom came in and told me off for yelling at him and how he's just a kid and was playing and such. I told her I wouldn't have had to do anything if she would have told the kid to stay quiet before.
Some guy from the staff came in and asked what happened. She told him I had yelled at her child. I told him that yeah, I did, but calmly explained why I did it. He said that we should just let this go for once and that next time the staff will manage the situation before anything happens. The woman was fuming, so they left.
My friends told me I did in fact screamed at the kid but they were annoyed too and said they were about to complain with management over this kid. I honestly think that would've been the best idea and now I think that I took the wrong turn here.
A rough read right? Here is what other people had to say to OP:
Your friends told you you were screaming at a 6 year old and you still don’t know if you were an a**hole? You threatened him with being left outside all alone until he cried and you still don’t know if you were an a**hole?
Unbelievable, dude. YTA. Just complain to the wait staff next time and have them deal with it.
Op is an AH. The kids mum is also an AH. Making this ESH.
I hate parents that let their kids do whatever and start annoying people in public spaces and still don't tell something to the damn kid! ESH If you don't want your kid screamed at, discipline him and teach him to behave.
YTA. If you have a problem with a kid’s behavior, you don’t start screaming at the kid, you go talk to the adults in charge so they can deal with it. By your own friends’ admission, you overstepped your bounds in a big way. Learn to control your own behavior before you presume to dictate the same to a child.
Isn't it ironic that the ADULT was mad at a literal child for not being in control of his body...but the adult had no control over his body (had no clue he was screaming)?
yta. I also told him I'll have him wait outside alone if he doesn't behaves (which I was obviously not gonna do because I can't basically, it was just to scare him off). this is extreme and very strange scare him off your threatening to punish a child who is not yours.