I’m sitting here at Starbucks… with my laptop… and my latte… trying to get some work done. It’s nice and quiet… I’m the only one here and I have a nice table in the corner. Today, I came to get away a bit and focus on a book I’m writing. With three young ones at home – well, let’s just say the focus wasn’t there 
I actually come every week… one time I came and an entire girls soccer team showed up. The parents all gathered in the corner… talking and laughing… while their crazy (read: out of control) 10 year old girls were throwing and kicking a little soccer ball INSIDE Starbucks. I tried my hardest to ignore it and focus (that is why I was there after all…) – And, being a mom of three, I think I did pretty good tuning out the chaos.
UNTIL…
The ball came straight towards me and my laptop. Yep. The ball bounced off the table I was sitting at – just inches away from my computer (it would have broken my laptop had it hit it). The parents?… laughing and enjoying their time to catch up with each other. The employees? Oblivious to the chaos in their shop… Me? I probably should have said something… but, I just left. So much for getting any work done.
So… the other day, I visited that new idea site Starbucks has. It’s a great idea – customers can post suggestions and other people can vote and comment on them. I couldn’t believe how many suggestions there were for Starbucks to NOT make their stores more kid friendly. And, some of the comments were incredibly offensive, in my opinion. There were loads of people sharing their terrible experiences with children when they visit Starbucks… that they would rather the children not even be allowed to come there. And, they even suggested that parents should just take their kids to McDonalds instead. Hmf.
Now, I completely understand the frustration (see story above)… but, what about the time I took my (then) 3 year old son to Starbucks and had a wonderful time chatting about all the things that were important to him like bugs and dinosaurs. We had a great time… and I was very proud when a young man took the time to come up to us and complement how well behaved my son had been. I love taking my kids to Starbucks… or a cafe… it is like I’m bringing them into a grown-ups world… and they are expected to behave as such. (after all, it isn’t McDonalds!)
I guess this is a bit of a rant… to all those people who have bad experiences at Starbucks with out of control children… please don’t think all children are like that. Well, maybe they are (kids will be kids) – but, it is the parents who are turning the other way and not paying attention. Creating an environment at Starbucks that is kid-friendly should help the situation because it gives the kids something to do when their parents aren’t looking.
Now before anyone thinks that I am suggesting that my kids are always well behaved (at Starbucks or anywhere else)… they aren’t. They are just like other kids. But, they know what is appropriate ‘inside’ behavior… and if they choose to misbehave, I won’t hesitate to leave…
What about you? Do you bring your kids to Starbucks? Have you had a bad experience with kids there (or anywhere else?) … Do you think banning children from these places is a good solution?
