Shopping Centre Tells Parents That Screaming Children “Will Not Be Tolerated”

How would you react if someone told you that you weren’t allowed to bring your toddler into a shopping centre? We’re asking because a mall in Australia has effectively banned screaming toddlers from their premises.

Sky News reports that the Dee Why Grand shopping complex, just north of Sydney, has told customers that screaming children “will not be tolerated.”

After various complaints about ‘loud’ children near the centre’s play area, a notice has been put in place which says: “Stop. Parents please be considerate of other customers using the food court. Screaming children will not be tolerated in the centre.”

Brenda Mulcahy, the manager of the centre, said that the move was made after customers and staff complained about children “running amok” in the food court and that children were so loud sometimes that she could hear them in her office, which was “miles away.”

“People deserve the quiet enjoyment of their cup of tea,” said Ms Mulcahy.

“Mothers have to be more responsible. We have had so many complaints,” she added.

The Dee Why Grand shopping centre has banned screaming children

Unsurprisingly the move by the shopping centre has sparked a massive debate in the parenting community, with many mothers and fathers taking to the internet to voice their opinion.

“Both parents and children need to know that they must be considerate of other people. It is not all about them,” said one user on the news.com.au website.

“So how exactly does centre management expect to enforce this? Will security physically evict a mother and child because the child is crying hysterically?” asked another.

“I do think we are becoming increasingly selfish and intolerant... this shopping centre needs to watch itself because I’m not sure legally it has much of a leg to stand on. This could be a violation of the United Nations rights of the child,” said Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, a child psychologist.

“There’s a chronic lack of empathy for parents. We need to be a lot more tolerant,” he added.