Woman Visiting Cafe with Elementary School Child
Causes Disturbance for Sending Child Alone to Restroom
A woman who visited a cafe with her elementary school child scolded a part-time worker for sending her child to the restroom alone, according to a shared story.
On the 8th, a post titled "Should part-time workers accompany children to the restroom?" was uploaded on an online community. As of 8 a.m. on the 10th, the post had garnered 138,600 views and 1,200 recommendations, becoming a major topic. The author, A, who works part-time at a local dessert cafe, began by saying, "Since the area is near an academy shopping district, I work part-time from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., when students finish school and come by. There are two of us working, including myself."
A explained, "Around 5 p.m., a woman who appeared to be the mother came in with a boy, paid for a waffle and a drink for the child, then left the child alone in the store." She continued, "5 p.m. is when many students flood in, and the store is packed with kids doing homework, so it’s very hectic. While taking orders and managing the busy time, the child came and asked where the restroom was."
She added, "Judging by the school bag, not a kindergarten bag, it seemed like an elementary school student." After directing the child to the restroom located outside the building, she resumed working. Then, the child's mother came back into the store. Since the child was not there, she approached the counter and asked, 'Have you seen the child who was sitting over there?' I told her the child had gone to the restroom," A said.
However, when A mentioned that she had sent the child to the restroom alone, the mother, B, was shocked and started yelling. B asked, "Did you send him to the restroom alone just now?" A, taken aback, replied, "Excuse me?" B then shouted, "The restroom is outside the building, so why did you send him alone? There are two employees, so why did you send him alone?" and caused a scene.
A said, "I don’t know if part-time workers are supposed to accompany children to the restroom in such cases." She added, "This is not a kids’ cafe, and the store was not empty either. The image of her yelling and cursing after my shift kept replaying in my mind, and I even cried after coming home. If something happens while the child is in the restroom, is it the part-time worker’s responsibility?" she appealed.
Netizens who read the story responded with comments such as, "The mother who left the child alone is at fault," "Why should a part-time worker accompany a child when the mother leaves the child alone?" "There are really strange people in the world," "Even in kids’ cafes, guardians take children to the restroom," "I can’t even imagine such an idea," and "She would have found fault even if you had gone with the child." Netizen C, who shared a similar experience, said, "When I first worked part-time at a bakery as a college student, a child kept trying to touch the cakes with their hands. I told the child not to and removed their hand, but the mother suddenly gave me a stern look and yelled, 'Why are you doing that to my child?' It seems many parents raise their children without discipline. From then on, I just ignored it," she advised.
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