The Struggle is Real: High Chairs and Chicken Salad Edition

It is rare that I get offended. Proudly, I stand behind freedom of speech and am grateful that we have the right to say whatever we wish (for the most part).

Last week, a pimply boy (definitely NOT a man) in his early twenties actually said something to really piss me off. And I try not to make fun of people or trash physical appearances but this dude deserves it.  In this post I will refer to him as the “boy.”

I popped in to a deli/bakery for lunch that has the best salads (a chicken salad, waldorf style, to die for) and fresh brewed iced tea with lemon. The place makes me happy. Fresh food and close to my office.

While a (so I thought) nice lady was making my lunch, I paid my bill and was hanging by the register.  What looked like three new moms, with small children (maybe 1 or 2 years old) walked in, most likely there for the same reason as me…they were hungry.  The boy was staring at them like he had never witnessed such a scene. Moms taking their young kids out to lunch!  Holy shit! Moms eat? I assume they were SAHM’s, just wanting to get out for a bit and catch up with friends. This friendly neighborhood spot seemed like a great spot to do so…even though it was small.

One of the moms asked the employees if they had high chairs. They all looked at each other collectively like she was speaking in another language. Basically, they let the moms know that they only had one high chair. SORRY. Not a sincere sorry, either.

I get it. The place is not huge, and there was not much room for storage of multiple wooden child restrainers. But what happened as they walked out was what really set me off.  The salad makers looked at each other, laughed, rolled their eyes. The boy said “why don’t they just go to Chuck E Cheese, why are they here?”  Giggling erupted, even from those who may have been moms or grand-moms themselves.

I wanted to punch this boy in the face. Seriously, dude? It’s obvious that he was young and immature, but show some respect. Maybe these moms wanted an actual GOOD MEAL instead of  pizza at Chuck E Cheese! Even moms need a break from kid things, even if their kids are in tow.

When the moms walked out, they looked defeated. They had to pile back in to their cars, and find a new place with three kid seats to accomodate them. They probably ended up at a kid friendly restaurant with sub-par food. I am guessing they still had a blast, catching up and sharing experiences about eating, sleeping and pooping. I was defeated too. It really offended me that the boy would actually say that out loud…like just because they have kids, how dare they step foot in that restaurant?!

Moms need to have adult time and like chicken waldorf salad too, Mr. BOY!  Maybe in ten years (maybe not) he will have a wife, with a baby, and understand.  In the meantime, I hope that he and his co-workers are more polite and sincere to their momma clientele.  It really matters, as we moms are in this together and want to live “normal” lives with options besides Chuck E Cheese.