Restaurant owner yells at child - was it warranted?

In news today the owner of a restaurant in Portland, USA, has come out saying she isn’t exactly sorry for yelling at a child who was screaming for almost 40 minutes whilst dining at Marcy’s Diner.

Darla Neugebauer, the owner of Marcy’s Diner has been interviewed by WCSH-TV and has told the reporter that the childs parents had ordered her three large pancakes though put them out of reach of the 20 month old who wanted to eat them, the little girl then proceeded to cry for close to 40 minutes.

The diner owner said:

“I was working on the grill. I had my back to the child. I listened to the child scream for probably close to 40 minutes, went over with boxes and asked them to either package up the goods for everyone to leave or if they would just take the child out. And they acted like I had three heads.

“I slammed my hands on the counter and said, ‘This needs to stop,’” said Ms Neugebauer. “She looked at me, and she stopped.”

WCSH-TV also spoke with the mother of the 20 month old, Tara Carson who said:

“My daughter was crying, it was nothing out of the norm and about 10 minutes later the owner was behind the counter and yelling at my daughter and like screaming in her face ‘shut the hell up!’

“I think I was just in shock because I’ve never seen behaviour like this before and we’re like ‘Are you really yelling at a child right now?’ And she’s like ‘Yes, I am. She needs to shut the hell up and go.’”

You can listen to the interviews here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8aTiljreBs

On the Marcy’s Diner Facebook page there has been an outpouring of support for the restaurant owner with many saying that parents these days are too lenient, here are some of the comments that have been posted

Marcys-diner-facebook-page-screenshot

Marcysdiner-facebook-page-screenshot

What do you think? Is it OK to leave a child screaming in a restaurant for almost 40 minutes? Would you have reacted the same way the mother of the child did? SHARE with us in the comments below.

24 Comments

- - dannsbuild said
  - 15 Sep 2015
    3:28 pm
That was a good article! Thanks for sharing this!

- - mom81879 said
  - 10 Sep 2015
    4:01 pm
No, absolutely not! Why would you even want to let your child scream for that long, in a restaurant or at home? 40 minutes is obscene. People are out trying to enjoy a meal, not listen to a screaming

- - jodiev1980 said
  - 05 Sep 2015
    4:15 pm
I think that the owner could have said it a little nicer but I definitely agree the parents should not have let the kid scream for 10 or 40 minutes whichever it was.

- - 1bianca1 said
  - 30 Aug 2015
    11:24 pm
I can see that it would have been stressful but there are better ways to deal with it

- - robyn_smithwick said
  - 21 Aug 2015
    4:11 pm
Some parents allow their kids to behave like spoilt brats!

- - mom113055 said
  - 11 Aug 2015
    7:17 pm
very bad behaviour for the restraunt owner

- - mom87251 said
  - 08 Aug 2015
    10:35 am
I have been in this situation where a child is making so much noise it is hard to eat. If the parent can not discipline their child, take then outside then I believe the owner should be able to ask them to leave for the comfort of the other patrons. The Hotel was full of elderly people who were not very impressed

- - mom113055 said
  - 06 Aug 2015
    7:41 pm
no one gives the right ti yel at any child they are all angels

- - mom66977 said
  - 30 Jul 2015
    4:00 pm
Good on the owner! She did well

- - mom141765 said
  - 26 Jul 2015
    7:46 pm
I seriously doubt either party gave an entirely truthful account of what happened. On one hand, if someone yelled at my child it would not end well for them, but in saying that I wouldn’t let my child yell and carry on in a public place either. Maybe the shop owner should have handled the situation better, she does own a restaurant after all.

- - mom94125 said
  - 24 Jul 2015
    7:31 pm
i wouldn’t let my kid carry on but the owner should have handled it better….she could have provided a little entertainment for the kid…still would have made the news and got good publicity!

- - crystalangela said
  - 22 Jul 2015
    10:39 pm
I have been out to for meals and had kids running around or carrying on and it is painful. I don’t have money to eat out all the time so when I go I want to enjoy my meal, I don’t want to listen to a screaming child.
No parent should let their kid scream even for 10 minutes and think that this is acceptable behavior when dining out. OK the manager might have gone over board with her reaction but seems warranted.

- - BellaB said
  - 22 Jul 2015
    4:45 pm
If the child was really crying for 40 minutes, then I’m definitely on the side of the owner. Being a parent doesn’t excuse you from showing common courtesy.

- - mom104422 said
  - 22 Jul 2015
    4:09 pm
As if a parent would order food for their child and then leave it out of reach. As for screaming for 40 minutes, bit of a stretch I think. The owner is saying 40 mins to cover her immature impatient actions.

- - pakeko said
  - 22 Jul 2015
    3:12 pm
Have to say that I am with the owner here if you child is screaming take them outside no one wants yo hear that while eating

- - mom62990 said
  - 22 Jul 2015
    2:47 pm
It’s about time that someone stood up & told the child to be quiet some parents don’t think a naughty child is a problem when my son is naughty I do something about it straight away I don’t want to hear it & neither should anyone else kids need to be taught how to behave I get lots of compliments on my sons behavior

- - mom73106 said
  - 22 Jul 2015
    2:30 pm
Unbelievable that the parents think it’s ok for a child to scream for 10 minutes let alone 40.What is wrong with them and how do they treat this child in private? I would have told the parents to leave, just rude and no consideration for any other diners or the poor workers.

- - Emii said
  - 22 Jul 2015
    1:46 pm
The owner says 40 mins. The parent days 10. Either way, why would you let your child cry and scream for 10 mins straight.
I would not have taken it out on the child, but rather called out the parents and said, look your kid has been crying for over 10 mins, please pacify them or I will have to ask you to leave.

- - cherz said
  - 22 Jul 2015
    1:23 pm
Hard to comment when we where not there.. always two sides to a story.
But the child was crying for 40 mins, so this impacted on the staff as well as the customers, maybe the owner could have used a little more diplomacy but hey she owns the business.

- - odie said
  - 22 Jul 2015
    1:09 pm
Iv always taught my kids that restaurants are treats for big people that little people can only enjoy if they behave accordingly. Its out right rude to not control your child in a crowd ( large or small) . If I ran around screaming Im pretty sure someone wold have something to say in under 2 minutes! Children need discipline and society today has gone totally soft on it. I was in the last of the smacking, school punishing era…and I have the utmost respect for authority, be parent,teacher,shop owner, restaurant manager…people have a right within their establishment to conduct business in a certain way, this includes allowing all customers a peaceful stress free meal!! Take your kid to maccas and teach them there, then come back to the respectful places