Children in Pubs

[MaryJenson]

On a Friday evening, hordes of them in the bar.

Drives me mental!

@wendywoofer abacucat

They weren’t behaving bad ... they were playing , babbling to each other and us ! They were toddlers ... what sort of behaviour do you Expect at that age ? Sit still and don’t say a word ? That’s basically what I was trying to say to the waitress ! Because of one grumpy man who chose to sit down close to us (we were there first !) ... when he could have sat the other side of the pub or even upstairs had he not wanted to be around them - just being awkward and wanting something to moan about I guess

I don't understand parents regularly bringing children to the pub. Fine for the occasional meal or a quick drink. But the poster early on in this thread who said their child practically lived in the pub when they were young, sitting up at the bar while his parents played pool just made me feel sorry for the child.

The UK is the most child-centric country I have ever lived in, and I have lived in a fair few, both before having kids and with my 2 DCs.

I know other countries intergrate kids more at mealtimes, both at home and in restaurants, but that seems for the benefit of the adults rather than the kids.

Actually, I will rephrase that. It’s not child-centric so much, but parent-centric.

Funnily enough, I walked past a small bar at 4 p.m. yesterday and saw a bunch of women with kids in buggys and some primary aged, in a group. I did feel strangely shocked. It did used to be illegal I agree. I think the law has changed.

Sorry but do you not know which pubs are more family friendly than others? For eg a brewers fayre and hungry horse seem a lot more geared to the family market. There are a lot of pubs which are not, there are a couple near me which I wouldn’t dream of taking my kids in as there is more of an adult atmosphere, and these are the type of places me and my DH would go without the kids

I was in a pub at the weekend at around lunchtime. It was fairly busy at around lunchtime and there were 2 buggies hogging a large section of the pub. One toddler was running around, mother was chasing after her but she shouldn't have been out of her seat. One baby was crying and the parents didn't even take it outside. Loads of tutting around the bar.

Another set of parents with another child in a pram arrived and joined them. The landlord asked them all to leave. It shouldn't have taken him as long as it did to get rid of them but at least he did eventually. Pubs didn't allow children when I was a kid (70's/80's). Shouldn't be allowed now. I didn't realise it was allowed until this incident.