Millennial parents, a welcome and surprise story

TCROW

Well-Known Member
I thought of this experience as I was looking at new posts and saw a post about toddlers in restaurants get revived after being moribund for some time.

Mrs. Crow and I visited our daughter who lives in Old Town Alexandria with her husband.

Anyway, they took us to a newish eatery, one known for cocktails and small plates, sandwiches, etc. It was above average, but that's not the point. We got seated adjacent to a table consisting of a mom, dad (complete with a "man bun", and by our estimation an approximately 18 month old son. I thought it odd, as this place is known primarily for cocktails, but OK. Predictably, the kid made a mess of the table, his attire, and the floor underneath his chair.

After they finished their meal, but before they asked for the check, the father pulled out all the chairs from the table, grabbed the broom and dustbin from the corner, and cleaned up after his child. I cannot remember a time when I've ever seen that. WHAT AN ANIMAL! Even when I think of the "old days" I don't think cleaning up after your kid was ever a thing. It seems that going out to a restaurant was a break from having to do that.

It made me think there might be hope for the future. Maybe.
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
Good for that guy! It seems to me that there is a messy/cleanup scale that is common to parents of small children: the messier the child is, the less likely the parent is to tidy up after them. Normal kid getting crackers crumbs all over and spilling his milk, Mom and Dad will clean it up. But if the kid is shampooing with his dinner, fingerpainting on the table with his mashed potatoes, and flinging everything on the floor, the parents will leave it for the server.
 

RareBreed

Throwing the deuces
When my oldest was a toddler, we were eating in a McDonald's when he suddenly threw up all over the floor. I went to the staff and asked for a mop and bucket to clean it up. They said they'd get it. Several minutes later, the mess was still there and we were about to leave. Not wanting to leave with that still on the floor, my husband and I grabbed a TON of napkins and started cleaning up the mess ourselves. I guess the staff saw it and finally brought out the mop and bucket that I had asked for ten minutes prior.
 

TCROW

Well-Known Member
Good for that guy! It seems to me that there is a messy/cleanup scale that is common to parents of small children: the messier the child is, the less likely the parent is to tidy up after them. Normal kid getting crackers crumbs all over and spilling his milk, Mom and Dad will clean it up. But if the kid is shampooing with his dinner, fingerpainting on the table with his mashed potatoes, and flinging everything on the floor, the parents will leave it for the server.

Yea, my observation is that the messier it gets the less likely they are to clean up. A few crumbs here and there? No problem, let’s just brush the crumbs onto a plate which hasn’t been removed yet. Mashed potatoes and peas in the floor and mushed into the crevices? Nah, they have people for that.
 
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