Katie Leach couldn’t wait for a fun evening with her family at Texas Roadhouse, a lively and popular spot for families to chow down. But the good vibes took a nosedive when some folks nearby dropped off a note at her table, griping about her 10-month-old son’s crying and noise-making.
Sure, little Drew had picked up the habit of hollering, but that’s what babies do, right? They learn how to use their voices to communicate, just like any other rugrat. Katie, who hails from Nampa, Idaho, had always felt the love from her neighbors, but this little episode at Texas Roadhouse left her feeling more than a bit miffed. She took to social media to get the word out, and her story spread like wildfire.
Katie wrote, “He yells when I tell him no, when he’s super pumped, or just for the heck of it. I’m doing my best to teach him to use his indoor voice and not shout back at me when I say no, but come on, he’s only 10 (almost 11) months and LEARNING.”
So there they were, at the Nampa Texas Roadhouse, when Drew started doing his yelling thing. The noisy joint made it hard for Katie to figure out if he was bothering anyone, but it sure seemed like he was.
“He was hooting and hollering along with everyone when they sang ‘Happy Birthday.’ And he’d scream out a hello whenever a waitress came by,” she said. “We all tried to hush him up, and it worked most of the time, but he was just so excited to be in the middle of all that action. He wasn’t being mean or mad. He was just stoked and happy.”
In the middle of their meal, two diners dropped off a note that said, “Thanks for ruining our dinner with your screaming kid. Sincerely, the table behind you.”
Katie went up to the note-writing woman and tried to explain that Drew was still figuring things out and didn’t know any better. The woman fired back that her grandkids had better manners than Drew.
“He’s so little. He’s just starting to get it. He’s learning that ‘no’ means he should chill out, and he was doing that,” Katie said.
Katie thinks the unhappy diners could’ve been a bit more polite about it. The restaurant manager agreed and offered to pay for their meal and invited them back anytime.
Travis Doster, a spokesperson for Texas Roadhouse, admitted that the restaurant is known for being loud and proud. “We’re in the hospitality biz. We want everyone to have a blast,” he said. “If you’re looking for the sound of wine glasses and forks clinking, this ain’t the place for you.”
Katie’s Texas Roadhouse adventure struck a chord with loads of parents who’ve been in similar situations. It’s a reminder that little ones are just learning the ropes and need understanding and patience from everyone around them.
Hopefully, Katie’s experience will inspire people to be kinder and more understanding toward parents and their kiddos when they’re out and about.
WATCH the video below for more details:
Source: AWM