Should toddlers be running round the pub screaming on a Friday night?

[Notevilstepmother]

I’m sorry to be mean, I love kids generally, but if I go to the pub on a Friday night and it’s not one of those pubs with a soft play and a children’s menu I don’t really want to have people allowing their children to run round and scream at the top of their voices. I was trying to have a conversation with a friend and someone encouraged their children to run around our table, nowhere near where they were sitting. One of them was only 18 months old and was screeching with excitement which I get, and the others were maybe 3 and 5 and were under the bar staffs feet and nearly tripped them up a few times.

I’m not necessarily saying ban children, but maybe after 7 or something, or have them sit down and not run around. Not everyone wants other people’s kids being noisy when they are having an adult night out. AIBU?

No, you ANBU IMO. There are other kid friendly places to go, and children aren't allowed in pubs after 9pm I believe.

To send them running round your table would have made me say something, or consider accidentally on purpose spilling a whole lemonade on them on my way back from the bar.

Children shouldn't be running around or screaming in pubs at any time of the day - unless it is in one of those soft play areas.
Running around where food and drink is being served invariably leads to things getting spilt and at worst hot food/drink dropped on said child. Screaming is just annoying to other customers and should be dealt with or the child removed until they can calm down.

Yabu if you didn’t raise it with the parents at the time, or if the restaurant didn’t mind. Many single parents have no choice but to take their kids with them on a date or friends evening, and kids will invariably run around.

We often go out to the pub with our 3yo on a Friday early evening, usually between 5 and 7. We definitely leave at a civilised time. Tbh DS loves going to the pub because he often gets a bowl of chips!

raving
I don't think she means children should be banned. She's meaning is it acceptable that parents are sat there, allowing their child/ren too be running around screaming and annoying other customers, late at night.

Children shouldn’t be running round a restaurant or pub at any time. It’s bloody dangerous.

I agree op it’s annoying and dangerous

I think if enough people avoid restaurant or pubs that allow this they will have to put a stop to it.

It's obviously the parents responsibility to control their kids, but if the restaurant allows it then they probably won't!

They do have a choice. They could have their friends round to their house and spare everyone else the aggravation of putting up with kids running around a pub.

No one should run around a pub.

It's shit, lazy parenting to allow your children to disrupt other people's drinks/meals. If they can't be bothered to parent proactively then they shouldn't be there, YANBU

YADNBU, that sounds very annoying and dangerous. And actually children shouldn't be running around like that anywhere, except where it's permitted, like in a soft play area.

I think you are a being a bit U, sorry. Pubs with a restaurant are mostly family places. No softplay or kids menu doesn't mean they don't welcome children.

It's hard to keep toddlers quiet when they're excited. In summer you can take them out to potter around, but not in this weather! I don't agree with letting them run and scream unchecked. But you can't always catch them instantly or prevent every outburst. My 2.5 year old often makes a bolt for it in the middle of a meal, shrieking with excitement. We catch her and remind her it's not appropriate, and try to distract her. It's all part of learning how to behave in restaurants.

I do find other people's kids intensely annoying sometimes, but no more annoying than people with shrill voices, or shrieky laughs, or drunk people at a group meal getting loud and silly.

What time at?

Children aren't allowed in pubs after a certain time in Scotland (8pm I think it is). I think small children and drunk adults don't mix very well and kids shouldn't be in pubs late.

kids will invariably run around. Really RavingRoo? I don’t find this to be the case. My daughter was always able to sit quietly at the table and talk to me/read/draw/play with small toys. If she was disturbing others I would leave. I’m a single parent, by the way, and we are not automatically entitled to spoil other people’s evenings because our lives are more difficult in some ways.

Weak parenting and even weaker pub management.

YANBU.

YANBU
We stopped going to a local pub after I nearly fell over a pre-school child who ran out from under a table as I was carrying two pints just before last orders (11.00ish at night) on a weekday. There was plenty of shrieking and playing while the parents ignored them before that but playing chase across the walkway was the final straw for us.

We went to a pub for lunch last week, with our toddler and crawling baby.

The staff sat us in a small empty space away from others. Brilliant! Nobody else would have to hear ‘I need a weeee mummy’ or squabbles over food. They then said ‘so they can run around if they like’.

No. There will be no running around pubs, whether sanctioned by staff or not!

YANBU.

I wouldn’t mind in the slightest a parent who caught an excited escapee. Been there and done that with DNiece a few times. This mum was actively encouraging her kids to run around the place.

I didn’t say anything becuase I was trying to have a quiet drink with a friend and I frankly couldn’t be arsed with the confrontation.

I will probably go elsewhere in future. My usual has plenty of children, but the staff make the expectation clear that running around inside isn’t safe or appropriate.

Children definitely shouldn't be running around pubs or restaurants at any time of the day, unless in an actual kids area. Sometimes kids bolt off and that's fine as long as the parent is right behind to catch them then it doesn't bother me. We keep small toys, cars and dinosaurs and stuff, in the changing bag to entertain our toddler if we're eating out. If he gets a bit bored I'll walk him around outside until food arrives. I agree kids will be kids but it's not fair as a parent to just sit there and not even attempt to get them to come and sit nicely!

I think it was around 830 in the evening.

My daughter was always able to sit quietly at the table and talk to me/read/draw/play with small toys. If she was disturbing others I would leave

Lucky you! Mine won't sit still longer than 5 minutes (we're working on it). She has no interest in reading or drawing when there's lots going on.
I'm sure we disturb people sometimes. But IMO it's more important to get children used to dining out, than to worry other diners might not like children.

It's a bit like people who bring dogs to pubs, every now and then one gets excited and runs around barking, the owner gets a few glares then the dog is brought back under control. It's all part of learning. I find most people are fairly tolerant of very young children and dogs in pubs.

Kids shouldn't be running around any restaurant at any time. It is not safe when you have people carrying drinks and food. If people can't get babysitters then they can invite their friends round to their own house. Pubs are supposed to be places for adults to gather. This is becoming more and more common in the UK. There's plenty of family friendly spaces. Why can't some places be left for adults?

Should I maybe give the pub another chance, maybe go on a quieter day and have a quiet word with the manager?

Like I said I’m not wanting to ban kids, or expecting silence or anything, but this was over the top to me.

The staff were quiet young so maybe they didn’t feel they could say anything?

Yanbu. There are some quite selfish attitudes on this thread.

The staff are presumably adults though?

You could ask what their policy is on this sort of thing and then point out how dangerous the situation was.

I used to have a DDog. I kept him on a lead in the pub! Far too much excitement for him to be free, he’d have been in the kitchen .