Were you left in the car while parents went to the pub?

[ruru1981]

Sorry didn't know where else to put this.

I've just seen this meme on Facebook and so many people are saying this used to happen to them.

Quite a lot said they would sit in the car for hours. Some said they shared a drink between 4 kids. Some said they didn't get a drink. Most are laughing about what would happen if it happened these days.

Did / does this really happen?

Am I lucky that this never happened to us growing up or is this unusual?

My ex was left in the car with his brother at least two nights a week. They did get pop and crisps though!

Yes, I have very fond memories of bottles of pop and cheese and on up next crisps

In the pub, not the car. Yes. We used to be sat in the beer garden (anytime of year) about once a month.

We used to get left in the pub garden but never in the car. We loved it. Not sure the pub-goers trying to enjoy a quiet pint in the garden did.

Yes I was left in the car with my sister.
I don't remember how long it was for but we normally got a drink and sometimes crisps.

Yes, lots. I'd get a packet of crisps and a bottle of vimto. Evey so often one of my dad's random mates would bring another one.

I remember getting out of the car sometimes and asking people going in if they knew my dad, and if so, could you ask him to hurry up.

Happy days

It never happened to me, and my liked a pub. I'd often be taken with them if it was a family friendly pub in the daytime, or stayed with a friend if it was the evening.

I'd be shocked like you are if someone told me this regularly happened to them as a child!

No, never.

No we were left in the beer garden whilst the adults were inside. Every so often, they'd pop out with more crisps and pop. I loved it. There were always plenty of other kids to play with and there just wasn't the expectation that parents had to be surgically attached to their children and entertain them for every waking moment. Plus, children weren't allowed in pubs unless they were eating a meal, something I'd bring back in a heartbeat.

Yes, my sister and I practically grew up in the back of our car...outside shops, bars, the houses of my mums friends....she did usually feed us tho.

My parents were never big drinkers, but if we had visitors we would be driven to some country pub and left in the car. After what seemed like an age, someone would come out with some drinks (usually warm squash) and couple of packets of crisps to share. Dire warnings were issued about spilling anything, and then we would be left for another age. Of course we weren't allowed to use the front seats, so there would be four of us sat in the back bickering. We could never understand why the adults had to have more than one drink, surely they couldn't still be thirsty? Sometime later, in the middle of the night adults would return and we would be driven home and hurried to bed. It was horrible.

Not on a regular basis but this did happen occasionally on holiday - either left in the car, or in the pub garden - bottle of coke with a straw, and a bag of Golden Wonder ready salted crisps.

Yes on day trips. There weren't so many places to eat out, and kids couldn't go in pubs back then.

So it was crisps and a Coke in the car, while grown ups went in. I think we'd get to use the loo...

DH was, with a bottle of coke and a pack of salt and vinegar crisps, both of which he hates to this day.

I was a pub garden child. My siblings and I got to know the other pub garden children well. Our parent's favourite pub for many years was one with a concrete yard rather than a garden. The chief source of amusement was making climbing structures and obstacle courses out of empty beer crates.

I never went to the pub ever. My parents never did. My mum is very young at heart but just not the pub type.

No but we were left every Saturday night in our house whilst my parents went across the road to the neighbours house for a drink. This started when we were 4, 5 and 7 in the early 1970s. My mum says now, that she can't believe they thought it was ok!

Yep, frequently- I didn't actually mind that much at the time but looking back I find it shocking!

Yes, one pub you would get the crisps and the next a soft drink. Maybe if they were feeling generous, a bar of chocolate from the machine. Occasionally they would stop at a pub with a family room and you would be left to your own devices for an hour or so. I learnt some of my greatest management skills from stopping my brother and step sister from wrecking the place.

Yes, and we were also left on the car for ages whilst Mum went shopping.

DP was also left in the car with a drink and crisps at the pub.

Our local had a children's room.
I was quite happy on a Sunday to be left in there with a book, a packet of crisps and a drink and a handful of pennies for the machine's.
Our family friends would take turns to come in and my stepfather played in the band. It was the days of Sunday opening so open 12-5 if I remember rightly . Then it would be back to ours in the summer for BBQs around 3. I'm still close to my parents friends now, a lovely large group of adopted Aunt's and Uncles.

We lived across the road from the pub I was babysitting my two years younger brother from age 9-10 and rewarded with dandelion and burdock and wotsits or whatever. Either my dad or my came came back to check on us either when they went to the bar or when my mum went to the loo.

Mil was left standing outside the pub.
My parents took us to the pub - inside, never left unsupervised. The coke and crisps were a big treat but it was often for much too long.

Yep. I used to have to sit on the front steps of the pub. This was back when children were not allowed at all in pubs. My Dad would pop out with lemonade and crisps then we would walk home together.

My Dad also used to leave me in my pushchair outside the bookies while he put his bet on.

My two favourite smells were from the outside of the pub and how bookies used to smell.

Absolutely love the memories I have from this. I don't think I had a bad childhood either. I'd live it over again in a heartbeat.

Yes we were left in the car park with drink and crisps then a nice drunk drive home