Greetings, Miss Manners I went to a kids’ birthday celebration at a popular pizza joint where kids may play games and tables are reserved for a few hours. The other guests, including the parents of the other children, were already being served when my group arrived ten minutes late. Since there were no children at my party, I didn’t mind too much.
Children were in another group who arrived twenty minutes past the start time, but they were not served pizza since the host would not place an order for them due to their tardiness. The poor children were inconsolable.
Given that the other parents were eating food intended for the kids, should the host have ordered more food for the latecomers?
Stories by
Judith Martin
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PERSONAL READER: In other words, was it appropriate for the host to publicly reprimand the parents and deny them food in order to punish them and their kids? You already know the answer is no, Miss Manners is sure.
How the group that came after you ought to have reacted is a more intriguing subject. Many adults will believe that the host’s rudeness warrants a furious reaction, which would obviously greatly amuse the kids. However, that would be incorrect. They ought to place their own food order, be amiable with the birthday youngster, and act coldly polite toward the host.
One can take pride in teaching the lesson—that one’s actions reflects one’s character—in the car on the way home if the kids are old enough to comprehend. We are good, decent people, which is why we behave well. Johnny’s mother was impolite because she isn’t.
Miss Manners can be reached by email at [email protected], via her website at www.missmanners.com, or by mail at Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
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