Facebook dispute after Bucharest restaurant asks parents to supervise their children
It all began when one restaurant in Bucharest reminded clients that the venue's sand area is not a playground. It also asked clients with children to supervise the little ones and let others enjoy the quiet of its garden.
“We like both children and puppies & cats, we also love plants and flowers, but we especially like to drink a cold beer or an adult cocktail, and we want everyone in the garden to be able to quietly enjoy the time spent at J’ai,” the restaurant said in a post published on its Facebook page. “We are child-friendly, but we remind you that the sand area is not a playground,” it added, alongside a cartoon of two children fighting noisily over a toy.
The viral post gathered thousands of likes and comments, as well as numerous shares. Those who reacted were divided into two camps: one side argued that it is unreasonable to ask children to sit still, in silence, and that it is normal for them to play anywhere, including the restaurant. Those on the other side advocated for the right to relax and noted that some parents are unwilling to teach their kids manners.
“We’re child-friendly, but we’d like for them to not come,” said one critic of the restaurant’s plea. “Good luck explaining this to a child. It’s like putting a slide there and telling them it’s not for playing,” said another.
There were also numerous supporters of the restaurant’s policy. “Although I have a child, it bothers me when the limits of common sense are violated by children or adults alike,” said one comment. “We forget that our freedom ends where the freedom of others begins. We have an obligation to supervise our children, to educate them, and to raise them with common sense,” added another comment.
Representatives of the restaurant made a follow-up post apologizing for the heated discussions that they had caused. They clarified their position, saying that the post was made after “years of trying to settle conflicts and repair the damages caused by some parents who do not supervise their children.”
Despite the apology, the restaurant restated its policy of not allowing noisy children to disturb its clientele. “If we respect each other, there will be no need to make spaces just for adults and spaces just for children,” the post added.
“You cannot expect a 2-year-old to sit still at the table for 4 hours,” said parenting specialist Ioana Chicet-Macoveiciu, cited by Digi24. She argued that the parents should teach their children that they cannot do whatever they wished when they are in a shared space.
Meanwhile, others who weighed in on the discussions welcomed the idea of child-free spaces.
(Photo source: Katarzyna Bialasiewicz | Dreamstime.com)
