Children / young adults in pubs

[msmith501]

Just been sent this link by a friend after an evening in a pub (not our local) where a group of young women got noisily merry (pissed) whilst the rest of the pub had the job of babysitting their offspring who were in other rooms, climbing over furniture, shooting foam pistols and basically being very very loud. In one instance a child collided with a small table and knocked a whole round of drinks over and in another, a smaller child (still using a dummy) pulled its dummy out and dunked it in someone's drink. The final straw was a small dog kindly leaving a present. I'm totally fine with children being brought into pubs as it's another chance for them to interact, learn how to get along and not be apart from their parents on a night out BUT I'm also for the parents demonstrating a bit of responsibility. What do you think? Link below:

www.msn.com/en-gb/foodanddrink/foodnews/pub-branded-ridiculous-for-strict-new-rules-where-children-cant-roam-free/ar-AADsj5I?ocid=spartandhp

Our small village pubs would and do enforce behaviour very tightly. They are probably much busier than many city pubs and getting a table is sometimes a challenge so they can afford to be picky. If a local child behaved that way (they just wouldn’t) then others would tell them off. The landlords of the two closest pubs would and do ask people to leave quite regularly.
Children shouldn’t be in pubs or restaurants unless they can enjoy their meal without disturbing others.

It’s a shame some parents are so shit that the pub has to point out kids shouldn’t be running round and climbing but rather sat at the table. It’s not exactly hard. 6pm is a bit ridiculous though if eating 8pm would be better (and usual). If we’re away pubs are the only place we can get an evening meal with a dog and child )and yes my dog does just sit quietly under the table).

We’ve stopped going to a town we love because it’s literally impossible to get an evening meal with a child and a dog.

I think that pubs should have a watershed, 8.30 maybe, after which children are not allowed on the premises at all, if they have a separate restaurant then children can be there later but must remain seated or supervised by an adult when away from the table.
There are so many 'parents' who have taken the 'it takes a village' nonsense of Mrs Clinton's to extremes, their responsibility stopped when they put their pants back on it seems.
We were once in a restaurant and the children from the table of 'that type' of parents were running round. The manager escorted them back to their breeders and said how dangerous it was when staff were carrying hot food, he was given a foul mouthful of abuse and threats. Before we left we gave hime our details in case there was an accident caused by these children which would doubtless be a nice little earner for the breeders.

I think this is a non issue. Just deal with the parents. Most people manage to control their children and have manners
My sons 11mths now, we regularly used to walk the mile to the pub to get him to sleep. Have a coffee in my case or a glass of wine and walk back again after. It was nice.

The manager escorted them back to their breeders and said how dangerous it was when staff were carrying hot food, he was given a foul mouthful of abuse and threats.

I think a huge part of the issue is that in situations like this managers (especially of chain type places) don’t feel able to tell people to leave.

The pub I mentioned in my first post (where everyone, adults and kids, are expected to behave) is owned by a very very very rich man. If the pub closed the only thing he’d miss would be the social aspect. So he can afford to take a hard line with people and ask them to leave if they’re ruining it for others.

I've worked in several child and dog friendly pubs, and it is usually no trouble at all, but the sort of people who have badly behaved children are going to ruin things for others regardless of where they go.

I had one boy who was about 6yo climbing in a 6ft high plant pot balanced on a raised bed above a patio, when I told him to get down because it was dangerous, he challenged me saying I couldn't tell him what to do, I told him I worked there so I could indeed tell him what to do and he jumped down and shouted he was telling his parents on me. They then had a go at me for disciplining their child, and got barred. I've also had an old bloke scream in my face and threaten to sue me for telling him he couldn't have his screaming 2yo in the pub at 10pm as it was against our licensing laws. He also got barred. We've had other parents simply dump toddlers in buggys and older children just outside the pub garden gate on the street and carry on drinking. It's shocking. Thankfully my boss had no issue barring them because families don't actually bring in that much profit as they tend to bring their own snacks and drinks for the DC.

A few rules:

• No unattended kids EVER
• It is ILLEGAL to be intoxicated in charge of children under 8 and questionable even if older kids
• No kids at the bar
• Kids must be out by 9pm

An hour at the pub as a family meal or with friends for a short while - ok if the kids are happy and quiet and not risking injury to themselves and others by haring about the place.

A kid bored, screaming or running round whilst parents ignore them to get drunk for hours on end - dangerous and in my local pub if a police officer witnessed drunk parents in charge of a very small child, words would be had and there would be consequences.

Never took any of my kids in to pubs.
Now as adults they don’t go in either ,just to busy doing other stuff.
Don’t think pubs are a place for kids
Our local pub has put a park in the pub garden.you go for a quiet drink and it’s kids running in and out constantly shouting and yelling .not good

Another lot of parents who had children because they thought it would be fun but we're not prepared to make the sacrifices of their old life for them and still think they are entitled to their freedom, whilst society pick up the tab of parenting their kids when they do.

Poor kids.

Why cant they control their kids and be sat with them?
I used to get taken to the pub as a child to see friends, i sat with my game, book or crayons.

Totally agree that kids should be well-behaved and sit still in pubs for safety reasons (glasses and drunk people don't mix with children getting under everyone's feet!) But I'll never understand people who say stuff like "sometimes adults want to relax without kids around." I physically can't get my head around the idea that the presence of a well behaved child could ruin someone's evening. I think that says more about the person who doesn't like it, than it does about the parent or child.

I don't think pubs are suitable places for kids.

It's rare we go into one with ours. It will be because we are grabbing food.

I believe there should be a hard and fast rule in all pubs, about kids not being there unless everyone is eating, and no kids at all after a certain time.

My nearest pub has an older gentleman customer who after school every single day, takes his son in there. Man sits there with a laptop on, son has a tablet. He's apparently there all weekend too.

It's obvious that the boy lives with his father (don't think he's the grandad, just an older dad).

Staff don't like it but the boy isn't too bad so I think they feel they can't throw him out. I've wondered if they have no one else but each other, and that's why he does this but he could at least be down the park with the boy on nicer days.

Im very much a pub person.

Our local pub was - note was - always the hub of our community, there were a range of ages and furniture to suit all needs. You had the after work trades in from 3, then the suits from 6, couples from 7 and so on.

Then the landlord changed and he was a feckelss halfwit who ran it into the ground and allowed a much more youthful crown in, and it became known as a drug dealers pub. The knock on this was the 18-30 heavy drinking crowd, with unruly kids, flying about all over the place, toddling under foot, whizzing on scooters, running in and out of the bathrooms, chasing round the tables, generally being a pain in the backside, and heavily pissed parents assuming the rest of the pub was keeping an eye.

I dont like children in pubs, its not the correct environment. I didnt take mine in to apub, its not appropriate. Take them to child friendly 'Charlie Chalks' or ' Hungry Horse' style chain, or places with specific childrens rooms. The sort of children today in that sort of pub are a pain in the backside, they dont know how to sit still, they fidget, run about and get underfoot - and this is due to feckless parenting.

@Hollanda40 - quote it correctly please

Being drunk while in charge of a child under the age of seven is illegal according to the 1902 licencing act. The law states that a fine or up to a month’s imprisonment would result if “any person is found drunk in any highway or other public place, or on any incensed premises, while having the charge of a child.”

Licensing Act 1902, Section 2 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 27 June 2019. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. Help about Changes to Legislation
View outstanding changesstatus warnings
2 Penalty for being drunk while in charge of child.

(1)If any person is found drunk in any highway or other public place, whether a building or not, or on any licensed premises, while having the charge of a child apparently under the age of seven years, he F1... shall, if the child is under that age, be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding [F2level 2 on the standard scale], or to imprisonment, . . . F3 for any period not exceeding one month.

I took my kids to pubs and they never were allowed to run around. I now take my 2 year old grandson and he's learning he must sit down if we're out for dinner or drinks. If he really needs to let off steam then one of the adults will take him for a hand held walk either outside or to the farthest toilets.

Take them to child friendly 'Charlie Chalks' or ' Hungry Horse' style chain, or places with specific childrens rooms.

I don’t take mine to pubs like that as the only ones local are full of kids running riot. Mind aren’t perfect, but they know if they play up when we’re out for dinner they go home and there are consequences.

I don’t think not taking them to nice places is the answer as they have to learn, but you have to teach them properly.

I e not read the link but surely common sense should come into play.

We are always in our local with DS who is 5. He loves it, he takes his back pack with colours, Lego etc. He knows it's bums on seats and if he's good he can have a j20 and a packet of mini cheddars 😂

We were once in there when one of his school mates joined and they were just too giddy and hyper, decided it wasn't appropriate so we invited the friend to ours for a play and his parents collected him after a couple of hours (we live pretty much opposite said pub).

Just because it's my local I still respect that other don't want to listen to my child so unless he's in the mood to sit and quietly play we just leave. We probably could get away with it as we're in there a lot and live opposite but I'd never dream of it.

I never take ds to pubs,if I'm in the pub which is rare then I'd get a babysitter.Pubs are for adults imo.

I prefer to do other things with my kids and leave pubbing until they're asleep and with DH! It's not relaxing to take the kids to the pub generally as DS gets bored and hypes DD so she wants to get out her pushchair and run around. V v occasionally I will take DD to a local pub for a quick socialise then home. But she's at an age where it's less possible now.

All the pubs bar one around the area I live even the ones that serve food have banned kids under 16 and over 16s have to be out by 9pm, because it got so bad with parents letting their kids do whatever they wanted and kicking off when they were told to control their kids or leave. I don’t agree with kids in pubs unless it’s for food and the parents shouldn’t let them say from the table on their own, I wasn’t allowed to leave the table in a pub, cafe or restaurant when I was small unless with an adult and same for my child, I manage to keep her entertained and if she’s starts kicking off I take her out.

Take them to child friendly 'Charlie Chalks' or ' Hungry Horse' style chain, or places with specific childrens rooms.

I think I would rather cut my throat with a rusty cheesewire than go to a ‘child friendly’ pub. I’ve been once for a birthday party but never again. Absolutely ghastly, noisy tackiness. Inedible food. Children encouraged to run around screeching and airless, plastic environment.
They are anything but child friendly by supporting lazy parenting and poor table manners.

@CherryPavlova agreed. GRIM.

At my local in a small village, three children no older than six have just pushed past the queue of adults and stood on the low railing around the bar and ordered their soft drinks and crisps. I guess it's one way of demystifying pubs but it feels "wrong"

I'm really on the fence with this. The landlady at our local used to be a teacher at his primary school so she would encourage this and ask them to count etc with the money. This is probably the only case though ignore me.

Kids are fine in pubs as long as they behave, and how they behave depends on their parents. We took ours to pubs. We meet friends with a kid in our local for a quick drink sometimes. But kids running riot, no.

TBH if I lived in a village with 2 pubs and one banned children because of mini hooligans, I'd be delighted. Though I'd prefer it if there was no need to ban kids at all.