Civility starts with children

A few weeks ago, the New York Times ran a story about Dan McCauley and the "A Taste of Heaven" cafe in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago, and his campaign to get a handle on familial patronage in his store. He created a neighborhood controversy when he posted a sign saying "Children of all ages have to behave and use their indoor voices."

I think the original story was sympathetic as were the letters to the editor. But the Andersonville merchants association sent out an apologetic email discussing the "controversy" and some of the errors in the original story. Today I noticed an AP story on the same subject, "Cafe Stirs Debate Over Kids' Behavior ".

Taste of Heaven cafe owner Dan McCauley poses at the front door of his cafe next to a sign that reads 'Children of all ages have to behave and use their indoor voices when they come to a Taste of Heaven' Friday, Dec. 2, 2005, in Chicago. The sign has become a lightning rod for a larger debate on parenting, namely, who gets to have a say about misbehaving children. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

It's definitely interesting. As someone who works in this industry, I find that some children are incredibly well-behaved while others scream and writhe on the floor (Q for parents, do you really want your child slithering on a floor where the carpet gets cleaned about twice/year?). As a friend of mine in college remarked about people talking nearby "Their parents never told them to be quiet at the dinner table."

Index Keywords: restaurants, civility, children