A mother has defended her eight-month-old daughter after a man asked her to quiet her screaming baby in a restaurant, claiming he had sensitive hearing.
The confrontation, filmed by the woman and later shared on TikTok, has ignited a debate over etiquette in public spaces.
An influencer and mother-of-four, known online as “Vee,” was dining at a Vietnamese restaurant in McDonough, near Atlanta, when another customer approached her table to complain about her baby’s screams.
“Hey can you have your baby be quiet?” the man reportedly asked.
“I know it’s loud,” Vee, 34, told her followers. “But he’s an adult, he can leave, and he chooses not to.”
The man responded, “You can learn to be respectful.”
As other diners watched, the argument escalated. “She’s a child, sir!” Vee replied firmly, suggesting he could bring earmuffs next time or leave the restaurant if the noise was too much.
The restaurant manager attempted to intervene, telling Vee, “I see you come in here a lot. I’m thankful. And every time you come here with your kids, I’ve never had a problem.”
“You’re disrespectful, entitled, and privileged,” Vee told the man.
He objected to the term “privileged,” claiming it implied he was racist, as Vee is black.
She clarified, “I said privileged because you’re an adult and you expected me to remove my child when I patronise this restaurant just like you. That is privilege. You’re expecting me to put yourself over everybody else.”
The man eventually left, and Vee said other patrons offered her support.
Her TikTok clip, which has amassed more than 5.8 million views, divided opinion.
Many commenters sided with the man, writing, “If you’re in a restaurant and your baby starts screaming you do the decent thing and get up and take the child outside and don’t bother everyone else.”
Another said, “He’s 100 per cent right.”
Others agreed, calling the mother “in the wrong” and arguing that “no one wants to hear that in a restaurant.”
Supporters, however, defended Vee, “How can you teach a baby to be respectful, she’s eight months old?” one user wrote.
Another stated, “It’s a BABY. In PUBLIC.”
Etiquette expert and mother Kate Heussler said the incident illustrates how quickly frustrations can escalate.
“I can see how it blew out of proportion (and is a good snapshot of exactly what happens in communication breakdowns in relationships and friendships all the time),” she told news.com.au.
“An eight-month-old baby making exploratory sounds is not misbehaving; it’s age-appropriate development.
“The man’s demand for silence placed an unrealistic adult standard on a child, and his approach carried undertones of privilege and bias that escalated the situation.
“Parents and children are entitled to occupy public spaces just as much as anyone else.”
Heussler said she ultimately supports the mother’s stance.
“People are entitled to a child-free life, not a child-free world,” she said.
Still, she noted there is a balance to be maintained.
“Prolonged screaming does call for a parent to soothe or step outside, but in this case the baby wasn’t disruptive – she was simply being a baby.”
Her advice is for both sides to exercise awareness: parents should minimise disruption where possible, while other adults should recognise that occasional baby noise is part of community life.
“In short: respect the setting, extend grace, and remember that etiquette isn’t about perfection – it’s about empathy.”
Images: TikTok
