To wish there was at least one local cafe that hasn't been taken over by the mummy and buggy brigade

[gogogoforit]

I have nothing against children. I have three of my own.

But I am fed up of not being able to meet a friend for coffee in any of the local cafes without having to put up with screaming toddlers running around and babies crying, because they all seem to have become meeting places for young mothers with their pre school children. It's the same on a Saturday if you want to meet someone for lunch - there just doesn't seem to be anywhere to go that isn't fully of screaming children.

AIBU to wish there was one, just one, café where you could be guaranteed a bit of piece and quiet?

The mothers are more noisy than the children in my experience.
Very small cafes or cafes that are upstairs are your best bet.

Small cafes. I avoid them because getting a buggy in is a pain. And sit upstairs ;). This is my tactic when childfree. Sorry not sorry I will probably be inflicting my baby on cafes for years to come.

Where do you propose they go instead? Mums have to socialise and eat too.

Pub?

They socialise in gangs of 20 here. The noise (from the mothers) is terrible. The babies are fine, 20 babies is better than 20 mothers talking very loudly about yoga, holidays and house extensions.

Small posh places that have literally no room between tables or upstairs. I have kids but when they are not with me i want to drink and chat in peace lol

I've stopped going to my local café because of this. It's like a crèche between 10 - 1. A friend knows the owner and she's not too happy about it. They spread themselves across several tables, order a cup of coffee each, nothing for the children, and sit there for a couple of hours with their buggies getting in everyone's way and the toddlers running around..

jomalone I don't think anyone objects to a couple of mums meeting for coffee, and keeping an eye on their kids to make sure they're not annoying people.

But some mothers turn their local café into a mothers and toddlers group. It's off putting for other customers and loses cafes business. If they want to meet in large groups surely they can socialise in each others houses, or in the park, the way our mothers' generation did.

Find a cafe with an upstairs! Less likely they’ll drag the kids and all their paraphernalia up there.

Go to a nice pub that do lunches coffees traybakes etc.
Or coffee shops that are upstairs.

Having said that though .... when I had my kids many (many) years ago, coffee shops weren't much of a thing but I would have loved to meet up with my mummy friend for a nice chat.

I do think that if there's a whole brigade of them they should go to a soft play area instead

@Lydiaatthebarre there's a large chain coffee shop near me. The manager told me that the local nct were holding their coffee mornings there once a month but they hadn't asked the shop if it was OK and he told them they had to stop coming because he was losing business.

As a pushchair user I avoid small cafés and those with steps.

You may wish to avoid garden centres, their cafes are where all our local mums meet up.

Pubs often seem to be just the ticket, make a good cup of tea, quiet in the mornings, cheap, and no kids. Plus you can bring the dog.

There's a big shop nearish to me that has a café up a windy set of stairs. Brilliant. There is no way of getting a buggy up there.