Children are unpredictable; they try our patience and raise a commotion in the most unexpected locations. However, one of our many responsibilities as parents is to instill in them proper public behaviour.
One method is to take kids to public places, such as restaurants, and teach them how to sit appropriately and not yell and shout.
However, it appears that management at a Minnesota chain restaurant that they only wanted “properly trained” kids, and that any who were not behaving correctly “would be asked to leave.”
Last month, customers visiting Arby’s in Minnesota were greeted with this unexpected notification.
“Only well behaved children who can keep their food on their trays and their bottoms on their seats are welcome. If you can’t do this you will be asked to leave,” the notice said.
Christine Hemsworth, a mother of five, was stunned when she spotted the sign and instantly took a photo, which she published on Facebook.
She also chose to phone Arby’s customer service to discuss the problem with management.
She said that she is not a complainer. However, this did not set right with her. The management may have targeted the message to individuals rather than the broader public.
Her post quickly went viral, and it was picked up by a number of news sources.
As an experienced toddler mom, she’s seen it all, and although toddlers aren’t always the best behaved in public, she says that’s no reason not to take them out to eat.
During that time when they’re, ya’ know, 1 to 3, they’re training — exploring, learning, and at times they might dump some fries out to see what happens, Christine told. All these people telling you to ‘control your kids!’ It’s not about controlling them; it’s about redirecting them and telling them they’re wrong.
Arby’s has subsequently published an apology statement regarding the billboard.
They acknowledge that the wording on this sign was disrespectful. They swiftly removed it and disciplined the manager and the restaurant personnel. It does not reflect their company values or the family-friendly environment they strive to offer in all of their restaurants, a spokesperson said.
More information can be found in the video below.
