Child only area in restaurant- discriminatory?

True.

True.

Just as likely to have a sweaty adult at next table.

Same here.

We took our DD in to restaurants from when she was very small and she always behaved because we engaged with her and kept her entertained. She grew up knowing that eating out was a pleasurable and sociable thing to do. There were no tablets then and definitely no getting up and running around. Hard no.

I remember once, just before Christmas, PILs had arrived to spend the holiday with us and we all went out for lunch to a country pub nearby that we heard had a good reputation for food. DD was about 9 at this time and had been used to eating out with us for years.

The main area was beautifully decorated for Christmas so we chose a table and prepared to order. Then we were told we had to go in the family room. Very disappointed to find the family room was pretty bleak with no decorations or atmosphere, nothing to make it festive at all.

I understand why places have these rules because of the way some parents let their children behave, but it is a bit galling when you know your child can handle restaurants better than a lot of the adults.

@RubySquid

can honestly say I haven’t.

Sounds like my kind of place.

Really? You've never been in a n Indian restaurant after the pubs kick out then. Let's just say beer fuelled blokes can be rather fragrant

@RubySquid

no. Shit is shit, it all stinks. Let’s not pretend. And most adults are capable of not farting during a public dinner

I'm nose blind? Really? In general breastfed babies poo doesnt smell bad. It's when they eat other stuff it starts to skink. Pretty common amongst small purely BF babies not just mine

Now take the same baby at 18 months old and eating a varied diet then yes could be pretty rank. And id leave a good while before going in the bathroom after him these days. So I'm hardly that nose blind .You sound like to are being condescending to a first time mum of a small baby there lol

Ah, a mother who literally thinks her child’s shit doesn’t stink. Newsflash: you’re nose blind and yes it does, hope that helps 👍

I think it’s reasonable for the carvery to have those rules if it wants them but I wouldn’t have taken my children there as I’ve always expected them to sit and eat / chat / quietly colour with us and wouldn’t tolerate my child getting up and down or playing in soft play when it’s a meal time.

I wouldn’t want to be around other children being overly noisy / running to and from soft play so I wouldn’t want to go there.

Second option sounds great and literally what I am saying

Breasfed babies poo doesn't stink to high heaven you know. More likely to get a stink from a farting adult

No just throw the families out if their kids behave badly Same as you would throw out badly behaved adults

Soft play areas ENCOURAGE bad behaviour and kids running back and forth

Or filled his nappy and instantly ruined everyone’s dinner. By the time you’ve smelled it and taken him out, everyone else has had to smell it too. While they’re eating. 🤮

Good adults stay, bad adults go - not difficult is it but too many kids aren't disciplined now, too many parents don't care and there's no such world where the pub can issue behavioural tests and assesments of parenting on the door to decide who sits where! You can harp back to bygone eras but kids were disciplined then!

You do understand that you can't have bad behaved family section and good behaved family section! Parents have to change this situation by being disciplinarians that now sit with their playing child rather than as far away from the play area as possible.

Maybe they should give diners 2 options

1. all groups with children in this area

your choice

What do you suggest being done? Decency tests on the door? Signing. Contract that they'll ensure their kids are quiet and well behaved, Maybe when parents are forced to sit with constantly screaming kids instead of on the opposite side of the pub,they'll start disciplining. It's absolutely fine and fair for pubs to have child free zones and cater to everyone and not just you.

Also it's high time that parents were forced to sit and supervise their kids in pubs that have play equipment. My old local used to have a play area in the beer garden and the amount of times that my partner and I would find ourselves sat in that beer garden alone whilst other people's kids played unsupervised on climbing frames etc whilst their parents sat inside! Why should I as a child free person have to assume responsibility if someone's kid falls off the equipment and is on the floor crying?

Another bonus of forcing parents to sit with their children in the play area is that it stops the situation where kids are running back and forth across the pub between play area and parents and running across people who are carrying hot plates of food! I've seen young kids dart in front of waiting staff carrying sizzling hot skillets, I've had small kids run across me when I've been carrying a plate of hot carvery back to my table! This has had to happen for good reason!

And you are missing the point that the decent parents who would shouldn't be treated as the lowest common denominator as if they are Chavs letting kids run riot

If you get 2 groups of adults. One group behaves fine, eats properly etc. The second group are overly loud, use lots of swear words and generally behave like scum them group 2 get chucked out. But group 2 are it automatically banished to a lesser part of the restuarant BEGORE they've done anything wrong, unlike parents with kids

No but it wasn't forcing the parents to sit with other people's kids either.

YABU.
you had a child with you. I went to my local garden centre last week and experienced a family who clearly required education to ensure their children behaved appropriately in a restaurant.
Just for. Context. 3 year old running round and almost knocked an elderly lady over. No apology from the parents.

I wouldn't expect someone to take their nuisance child out in to the rain for example but most restaurants have vestibule areas, entrance hallways where the child can be taken until calmed down. I think it's the polite and respectful thing to do.

Think you're missing the point. Not everyone does.

I am a parent and I think the idea is brilliant

You do sound pretty lost! She didn’t even say that.