I left my kid alone in a restaurant for two minutes and was told off

"I did ask the mum at the table next to mine if she could keep an eye on him," the woman defends herself in her controversial post. 

Parents know it takes a village to raise a child, which is why when one woman this week needed the loo in a restaurant as she dined with her son, she asked a mum at the next table to "please keep half an eye on him."

 

The woman estimated she was gone for "literally two minutes" but much to her surprise, she returned to a cool reception by the waitress.

Now, she's reached out to her online village to ask if she had acted unreasonably.

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"Left five-year-old alone in restaurant for two minutes"

The mum wrote: "I was in a restaurant with my son today who is five, six in November.

"After the waitress had taken our order I went to the loo, leaving him happily colouring at the table. Before I left, I told the woman at the table next to us (who had young children) that I was nipping to the loo and could she please keep half an eye on him."

So far, so good. But not according to the waitress.

"When I arrived back at the table literally two minutes later, I was basically chastised by the waitress for leaving: 'I didn't know if you were coming back for him! I was so worried!'

"Which seems a bit far-fetched considering I'd also left my phone, purse, keys and bag of shopping on the table. She huffed at me again and left, but I could see her taking to her colleagues across the room about it.

"That was the end of the whole thing, but it left me feeling a bit weird, it never even occurred to me that I was doing something wrong but now I'm wondering if my behaviour was unreasonable?"

Image: iStock

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"The waitress is an idiot"

Comments on the post were firmly divided.

"I wouldn't have left him or asked a complete stranger to watch him," represented one side.

"Would totally have done the same," was the other side.

And then some blamed the waitress for her over-reaction, with one writing, "The waitress is an idiot."

This mum suggested that taking the child with her was the best option, but the real problem was that she involved the other mum.

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"[You were being unreasonable] for disturbing another diner (regardless of whether she had young children or not!) and asking her to keep an eye on your child. That's a big ask especially if said child decided to bolt! I wouldn't ask a random to keep an eye on my purse let alone my child."

It was a sentiment many others agreed with: "I wouldn't have asked a stranger to keep half an eye on my child. I might ask them to keep an eye on my coat etc, perhaps. I'd take my child to the loo with me though."

And this mum of three said, "Either trust the child enough to leave him entirely or take him with you. The waitress however was being melodramatic."

What would you do in this situation? Tell us in the comments on Facebook.

This article was originally published in August 2023 and was updated in August 2024.

Originally published as I left my kid alone in a restaurant for two minutes and was told off