How would you react?

loveslife · July 2014

My husband and I were at dinner with a guy he works with and his wife and our kids (we have one kid each). It is the first time we were out with them (my husband goes to lunch with the guy all the time). My husband ordered a beer with dinner and his friend's wife told him that they do not like when people drink around their daughter. How would you have reacted to this?

TarponMonoxide · July 2014

How old is the kiddo?

Very doubtful she knows it is an alcoholic beverage if she is quite young --- I think what your dinner partners meant was "we don't like to see people get tipsy" and very doubtful if you and your H are going to do that at all, particularly if you have a small child in tow.

The next time you go out with them I guess it will have to be a dry event.

VOR · July 2014

Internally I would have laughed. Externally, I don't know what I would have done. I'd be really annoyed, that's for sure.

That statement it just SO filled with judgment. And to what Tarpon said about seeing them means a dry event - why? I mean, I get the "why", but why in the sense of why are THEIR parenting decisions more important than yours?

While it might be "just A drink", the fact that they actually expect other people to not drink around their child speaks to a difference in parenting philosophies and I wouldn't be too interested in seeing them socially after this.

chrisnjay05212010 · July 2014

i probably would have been annoyed too actually. And laughed out loud (sadly) Why is it ok for them to push their parenting onto you? I would have just said i'm sorry you feel that way. And i don't know that i would be hanging out with them again either, unless that isn't a big deal for you.

doeydo · July 2014

"Tell her it's apple juice or something then because I am going to drink what I damn well feel like"

GilliC · July 2014

I think I would have asked an innocent, "Oh! Why is that?" and then smiled and listened to the crazy while sipping my beer and silently judging.

nyc artist · July 2014

That is REALLY annoying. If it's so important to them, why did they wait until AFTER the beer was ordered? They should have told you guys about it before you even went into the restaurant, like "If it's ok with you, we prefer not to have people drink around our kid. Would you mind if we just kept it non-alcoholic at dinner tonight? We really appreciate it."

SOMETHING to that effect is a lot less offensive than waiting until after your DH ordered a beer to say this comment. I'd say screw it and enjoy the beer. It was their fault for not communicating this earlier (P.S. I think it's really a stupid rule too).

BlueBirdMB · July 2014

I also would have internally laughed. Are you JOKING? WHAAATTTT. If they don't like their child to be around "adult activities" that in no way physically effect the child (such as smoking or the like), then don't bring your kid around other adults. They can't demand that you act in any particular way. And as far as that child knows, you are drinking soda. Grrr that really just speaks to our world in general- the plain rudeness of people. They can choose not to bring their kid around adults they know who drink if they have these issues- they shouldn't expect you to change your behavior.

Tofumonkey · July 2014

I totally would have been like 'Oh? That's cool. We don't like it when people eat meat around our kids - so I get it. To each their own, eh?'

Sip.

I also may have said something like: "Oh! I didn't realize she was a recovering alcoholic. No worries, I'll just keep it to myself, then."

cloudymeatballs12 · July 2014

I would have laughed it off. Their problem for not discussing it with you guys prior, as adults. Naw, lets just assume everyone feels the way we do. I really probably would have just laughed and enjoyed my beer....

Leftie22 · July 2014

That's really weird. Unless they and everyone they know are completely dry, how can a kid not be around people drinking? If they feel that strongly about it, they should go somewhere that doesn't serve alcohol. I mean, what about all the other people in the restaurant who were drinking? So, so weird. I've never thought twice about people drinking at family dinners, even. If DS ever asks for a sip of something, I tell him it's wine and it's for adults. I can't imagine asking people not to drink in front of him.

Maybride2 · July 2014

So how did you and your husband react?

I would have also just laughed and asked them why.

How would you react?

Re: How would you react?

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