Child only area in restaurant- discriminatory?

Great way to protect adult only spaces, you will appreciate it when you are out the other side and want to eat out without babies screaming and kids running around

Sounds like fabulous idea to me! It is sensible as all the crying babies/ kids on ipads/ kids shrieking and running about are all in one area.

I ahve children and I am also an adult. I agree with child areas and separate adult only areas for my different ways to socialise with or without kids 😂

It's a great idea OP.

Don't be that woman who has a child and thinks the rest of the world finds it as adorable as you do.

Why do you assume OP’s child is noisy? 🤔

Agreed. Not all 14 month olds are screaming banshees!

Was the case when I was a kid. Spent many a Sunday lunch in the souless annex of a pub. Time for the next generation of kids to do the same.

🙄 another one who doesn't understand that "I wasn't allowed to do exactly what I want" doesn't = discrimination.

I probably wouldn’t go there, because I don’t like to be surrounded by other people’s screeching kids while I’m eating and DC would be an extra pain in the arse. However we do think it’s a good idea for restaurants that will inevitably have a lot of young families - such as a carvery.

Oh the irony @Buyalot you complain about being stuck in the family area due to the noise but cant understand why others dont want their meal disrupted by your noisy child

I have no issue with having a separate family dining area but I also wouldn't want to sit in the soft play bit, it's a guaranteed way to make your child not want to sit nicely and eat! My ideal dinner scenario would be a table away from the soft play and the option to move into the soft play section for desserts and coffees

They have made a business decision to hopefully keep as many people happy as possible. When DS was little we would have avoided places like that because it was mine and his idea of hell but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good idea for many.

I think it’s win win. I don’t want kids about when I’m relaxing and when I have kids I worry about them bothering others so being with similar families is great

I'm with the 92% who have voted YABU.

Also, it seems, don't understand what discrimination is.

I love these posts.

OP asks a question, majority of people disagree so she never returns.

Sounds like a great carvery. Keep children happy and those that want a quieter lunch are away from the noise.

A licensed premises doesn’t have to admit children at all; if it does, it can stipulate which areas of the venue that children are allowed to be in. There’s no discrimination. If you don’t want to sit next to the soft play area just leave and find another restaurant in the same way you would if you didn’t want to be seated next to the toilets or the doors.

They’ve obviously had complaints previously about children’s behaviour and have tried to come up with a way of accommodating families without excluding them entirely, which is sensible.

I think you should eat somewhere else if you don't like it. Not meaning to sound harsh but not everyone likes babies, and they want to eat in a childfree area.
This restaurant has made a compromise. When you where told, if you still ate there it was your choice.

Great idea!!!

@ohtowinthelottery

''In continental Europe, children are welcomed with open arms into bars and restaurants until late at night but I have yet to see a native child behaving in the way some British children do.''

So true. Kids are indeed more welcome in restaurants and coffee shops in Europe because they are taught early on how to behave in public and because parents know that they will be judged if they don't teach basic table manners and how to properly socialise to their kids.

I lived in France for many years and the difference in behaviour is staggering.

The UK has too many entitled parents who think they can do whatever they want and unfortunately that attitude is passed on to their kids.

It's only 'discriminatory' if you think sitting with children is unpleasant which would make you a hypocrite. You want to inflict your kids on other child free folks but other people's kids are deemed unworthy of your presence and intollerably annoying.

That kind of proves the point as to why there is a children's section.

The waiting staff got fed up of children running around and having near misses because some parents are too lazy to teach their children how to behave in such an environment.

A children’s area is a brilliant idea.

Makes sense to me. Why wouldn’t you want to sit in an area specifically devoted to supporting diners with children, while at the same time the pub can separate adult space where people can chat without worrying about noise, kids running around, or having to moderate their language or topics of conversation?

I would hate it. It would mean a child would moan to sit quitely instead of being allowed to go to the soft play.

We ate out with DD since she was born, she learnt to eat nicely, interact with us, we always had plenty with us to keep her occupied but quitely.
If there really was an issue (once on a car journey which took longer than anticipated and she was overtired and once a looooong family meal) one of us took her out for a walk and let her play or just run around if there was a safe area.

A noisy area would have mean we wouldn't enjoy our meal and most likely I wouldn't even have sat down.

Discrimination on what grounds?
discrimination is based on protected characteristics, so what is your concern? You didn’t want to hear other people’s kids but others can hear yours. Deeeee-luded.

Sadly many parents can't see a problem with their children roaming around, playing with toys in the middle of the floor or yelling at the top of their voices in pubs/cafes/restaurants so they have now spoilt it for everyone else. Just like those whose dogs can't sit quietly under the table in food establishments due to poor training from their owners which had now resulted in dogs either being banned or confined to certain dog friendly areas in such establishments (not great if your dog is reactive to other dogs).
In continental Europe, children are welcomed with open arms into bars and restaurants until late at night but I have yet to see a native child behaving in the way some British children do.
I'm sure you can still find places to eat that don't have a segregation policy so you'll choose more carefully in future.