No children in pub after 5pm

A PP on this thread said there is an expectation to include children in everything now. Ive just seen an example on another thread where the OP is being asked if shes taking her 11 year old DSD...........on her honeymoon. And getting the "poor DSD" comments when she says no.

There's a certain type of parent who confuses a venue being open to children and family friendly with it being an acceptable play for children to run riot and misbehave.

So true. A couple of notable examples spring to mind: someone who thought other people in a restaurant should watch the kids so the parents could get a break ('Whatever happened to it takes a village?') and someone who thought kids should be allowed to run around in McDonald's because 'it's a children's restaurant.'

We have new-ish neighbours in our street who are really struggling with the fact that people here will tell off a child that’s on someone’s garden/messing around too close to the cars/playing too close to the road junction.

They absolutely hate it. I love it - I think it makes all the children much safer. I think people are either one or the other with other people correcting your child - some people just absolutely hate it.

They (the parents) will quite happily get involved in petty squabbles between the children though 🙄

Same in France on the whole, and if children do misbehave I've noticed there's every chance that others apart from the parents won't hesitate to correct them on the basis that "it takes a village" and all that
Try that in the UK and see how it goes...

Exactly. I often wonder how many of the 'It takes a village' brigade would be happy to extend the analogy to the village correcting their child. Not many, I'd wager.

i don’t think there’s ever a good reason for children to be in a bar, which is dark with loud music. We need spaces for adults who want a proper night out.

That is for the individual establishment to decide. Adults who want a proper night out aren't inherently entitled to that, any more than parents who want a pub to take their kids to are. The sector has no obligation to cater for either.

It sounds to me like the answer is for pubs/bars/restaurants to start being more transparent about the type of establishment they are and who can be there, and when.

i don’t think there’s ever a good reason for children to be in a bar, which is dark with loud music. We need spaces for adults who want a proper night out.

Apart from the annoyance to the customers, I’m fairly sure none of the staff are qualified to be herding children around drunk people and it’s not their job. But in pubs and restaurants the parents should be solely responsible for anything that happens as a result of their kids running wild, whether that’s damage, spilt drinks, ruined clothes injuries. Then they might start taking it seriously.

Ive been in many situations where children could be taken out of the pub without their parents knowing, and we can’t expect security staff to monitor who’s with which family! I can’t believe some parents risk this happening.

I get it! I guess what i mean is, the catchphrase annoys me. Like it attempts to shutdown any conversation, sometimes the business/couple/whatever make bad or weird decisions and you need to vent a bit.

One of my locals has also just changed its hours to 5pm for cut off for people with kids. This happened because there had become an increasing number of people who were getting pissed until 9pm while their children run riot bored out of there head and a lot of complaints had been made.

Why wouldn't a group of guys who've been at the football go for a pint after the game with kids in tow to finish off their afternoon?

I actually didn't realise kids in English pubs was so common, Scotland they pretty much need food to get round the licencing laws so kids are bought some food, burger, chips etc even if the adults aren't eating.

Can we just ban loud annoying people regardless of their age please?

You mean those with bad manners? Absolutely.

Maybe there’s been an incident, I have to say some pubs have been ruined by going too family friendly. Kids running round with hot food being served etc.
I have no problem with kids in pubs and I am a parent but our child is absolutely not allowed to run around and wasn’t allowed to when she was a toddler either. Often it’s the minority who spoil it, one of my favourite regular holiday pubs has banned dogs because a child got bitten by a dog. Not badly but obviously the owners had to take action. And we can’t go there with the dog now, which was one of the reasons we choose this area.
I would ask why the sudden change though?

I grew up going to pubs in Ireland and absolutely loved it, became a pool shark and loved the singing and dancing, was a great family atmosphere and no one badly drunk

Yep.

Usually made from breeze blocks and corrugated plastic and full of spiders.

Britvic tomato juice straight from the little bottle via a stripey straw tho? Yes please!

I remember the 'children's room' that many pubs had where kids were plonked with a coke in a scruffy room with a dozen other miserable, bored children.

Do we have a local family friendly pub of a well known sizzling chain. It’s next to a theatre. Often busy pre theatre for drinks. Serves kids meals. Even has silly little kids toy machines. We go quite a bit if we are watching something at the theatre as you can park for free giving your reg when you buy something at the bar. However they don’t advertise what time they kick out kids or indeed if they do. So we went a few times however the performance we see is one my oldest DD is part of and we usually watch on the last night as they have an after party for the performers. We usually agree a 10:30pm finish for DD and often the performance has finished by 9. In previous months we’ve gone back with my younger DD, grabbed a seat near the door and fairly away from the bar so we can have a soft drink whilst we wait til older DD is ready to leave theatre. Never had a bother. Then last time we went we were sat right by the bar. We came back in, sat in our seats, I ordered drinks and we went and sat down to drink them. It was about 9:15. Then the manager came over and apologised for actually serving us as they have a no kids after 9pm policy. But she would give us til 10 to drink up on this occasion. We felt so embarrassed so we drank up quicker and sat in the car and waited for DD to come out and texted her to come out a bit sooner.

Not sure if it was coincidence but when I was waiting at the bar a drunk man started an argument with me. There was no actual queue, just people hovering at the bar. The server shouted next and no one moved so o went to the bar and got served and he just started on me. I’m wondering if he then complained after I sat down that he didn’t like the fact I had a child in with me. But it was just after that we got told to drink up and leave.

What I think needs to happen is pubs to have clear signage. Then at least people know. To also have it on their website/fB would also help. I actually don’t have an issue with kids not being allowed in pubs but as to reply to the OP 5pm seems quite early. Some families go for their evening meal. Many we go to have a bar area which children aren’t allowed into and then a lounge area which is more family orientated. Bar usually means men, pool, Tv with footie on where we live although there are some women go in too. lol.

When would you defined age appropriate stages?
I think that's the difference with Mediterranean countries. In Spain your baby goes with you everywhere so socialisation starts from early age. They eat the same food, and as they grow up they learn how to talk in a more formal situation (restaurant) with other adults and kids that aren't your family.
We see this as part of socialisation, like going to school. It's easier they do it from early age, and it's the frequency of it too.

Not saying everything in my home country is best of course, just explaining this point.

Been there too after a drive that should have taken 4 hrs took closer to 10 hours - the only place open serving food late at night was a pub and despite having a no kids rule the landlord made a very generous exception.

I think the point is this was common in the 70’s and 80’s - in those days there were very few pubs kids could go into at any time of the day. Pubs have changed since and many have become more restaurants than pubs, and therefore allow kids during the day.

however they are STILL pubs, where there are legal restrictions. And whether you like it or not, the purpose of a pub is to sell alcohol, not entertain families.

In age appropriate stages surely ?

She likes guinness and pork scratchins?

I’m childfree so prefer adult only pubs (and I often go to the pub to escape the screaming kids I live next door to…), but I don’t mind kids in pubs, as long as they behave and I don’t have to listen to iPads etc. But some adults misbehave and play loud videos on their phones too.
Can we just ban loud annoying people regardless of their age please?

When I was a kid going to the pub was VERY rare and when we did it was a family occasion and fills me with happy memories. However in my early 20s I spent a LOT of my time in a pub 'my local'. I hated seeing the kids in there for hours on end over the weekend. It wasn't much of a childhood for some. Some were there every weekend in this dark and dingy pub. That was the main reason I stopped drinking and left the toxic relationship with a functioning alcoholic. It made me wake up watching those kids loosing their childhoods.
Seems odd that children are banned from a pub that early if they serve food but I suppose if its a sports bar or similar children don't really fit in.

Why would you take your child to a pub at 5pm on a saturday? Ever?

Chuckling aside. If you have a child, the very least you should be doing is going to your local supermarket and stocking up on cheaper booze to drink at home.

Not chuckling aside. Why would you be at a pub with your child?

However, I think the pub has made it clear, they will welcome children at lunchtimes - but absolutely no tired, grumbly children for evening meals.

You would hope those children are at home for tea, bath time and reading a story bedtime.

Those things aren't a problem in my local

What's "warm and cosy" about screaming toddlers and iPads with Peppa Pig blaring out?

Works both ways, doesn't it?