A Letter to the Man Who Told Me to "Get My Kid in Check"

I'm pretty good about keeping my mama bear side in check. I like to think I am also fairly patient when it comes to dealing with other people's unsolicited opinions or comments. I am also not one to allow my kids to be disruptive to others dining or shopping experiences. But, anyone who has kids, knows that sometimes our kids have other plans.

I was dealing with my my oldest son's pre-teen 'tude. I took him outside for a talk and we walked back in to grumbling and stares from one table in particular. I could tell that Cooper (20 months) had just had a toddler meltdown. I could tell because of his face, and more so, JD's face as I walked in. The table behind us was a man, three women, and a baby, definitely no more than 1-2 months old. The man clearly handed out all of his Christmas spirit before said meal, because his response to my toddler's meltdown was, "get your kid in check".

Dear man who told me to "get my kid in check",
I get that my son ruined three whole minutes of your meal, but here are a few things to keep in mind before you choose to respond to someone else the same way you did my family.

Don't pass judgement on other people's situations that you know nothing about. What if my son had special needs? There are millions of moms and dads out there with children who have special needs, who are deeply self-conscious about their children having a meltdown and how it may disrupt or bother other people around them.
The baby that was at your table will turn into a toddler one day. I hope you will find more compassion and patience for her.
If you don't have the tolerance for children during your dining experience, don't choose a restaurant that offers high chairs, crayons, and kid's menus.

We all have bad days, as you saw a few moments of ours. Maybe you were having a bad day too. As I said, we never know what other people are going through.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.