New Forest pub bans under 12 year olds...

[Dresssos]

m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10159581700162769&id=185263007768

It's all kicking off in the comments.

Do you agree with the pub's decision?

YABU No
YANBU Yes

[Coffeepot72]

Damn good idea

[palmtrees88]

Good on them - I have 3 Young children and wouldn't dream of taking them to a pub to eat

Why not? I take my young DC to the local (gastro)pub fairly regularly and they're almost always really well behaved. If they weren't, DH or I would simply take them out immediately to avoid disturbing other diners.

Having said that, I actually do agree with this pub's decision, as there are a lot of families who don't help their kids to behave correctly when in a pub/restaurant setting - instead they just ignore them, the kids understandably get bored and run riot, disturbing other diners. It's not the children's fault obviously - it's the parents.

[Crazycakelady17]

Seems pretty fair to me some pubs cater for families and those not wanting to be around young children don’t choose to go there
So the places catering to adults should be free to do so
I don’t understand people with young children who knowingly go to these places that are not exactly family friendly no high chairs or kids menus etc and still let them run riot mind boggles

[JustLyra]

There’s a pub in our village that’s unapologetically strict on kids. They’re welcome if they know how to behave. They’re not if they’re not.

There was a lot of complaints from some families when they first introduced the policy, but it’s now so popular trying to get a table is so difficult.

[palmtrees88]

It's not just noisy children. Anyone who worked in hospitality knows how many families leave the tables....

We always bring wipes and bags to restaurants to clean up any food that DC have dropped on the floor.

[JellyTumble]

Of course I agree with their decision. Their pub, their choice.

Children don’t have to be allowed everywhere adults are.

[lurker101]

Good. Staff and other patrons shouldn’t have to deal with unruly customers - children or adults. We have unfortunately had a Sunday roast ruined by similar behaviour. It’s embarrassing, anti-social and dangerous to have unattended children misbehaving/playing in a restaurant with hot/heavy food and drinks being carried around.

[Skysblue]

Hmm. I have a quiet well behaved child but we have often been annoyed in pubs by drunk adults talking loudly / crowding us.

Don’t massively care as we can just go to restaurants instead, but I think there are far more badly behaved adults in pubs than there are badly behaved children.

[SpeakingFranglais]

Good for them. When out kids were young we only ever went to those Chef & Brewer type places, where there was entertainment for children and a menu to meet their needs.

Some parents want to go to nice places, fine, but leave the kids at home, don't expect the pub to lower their standards to meet your entitlement.

[Shmithecat2]

@SchrodingersImmigrant

It's not just noisy children. Anyone who worked in hospitality knows how many families leave the tables....

I am with them. It's shame few ruin it for the good ones, but I am with them.

Indeed. Filthy, lazy beggars. Makes you wonder how some of them keep their houses if they're happy to create and then leave such a mess in a public place.

[ScottishNewbie]

Good on them!
We have had countless nice lunches (and dinners at 9pm wtf) ruined by screaming children.

I have no problem with kids being there if well behaved, but so many parents just space out and let the kids run riot.
I had a little girl about 6 years old repeatedly kicking my chair for the entirety of our lunch and I made eye contact with the mum and she just looked away.

I would never directly tell someone else's child not to do something, but it made me wild!

[newnortherner111]

I wonder if the pub letting all the other pubs know about this family and their behaviour should be done. I know of at least two places where pub landladies and landlords ban anyone who is banned from one of their pubs is banned from all. Happened to a Championship footballer (will not name him so as not to out the town concerned).

[RuthW]

I'm sure a pub with no children would get a lot of custom.

[Beannag]

Seems fair enough to me, ultimately they have to think of their main customer base (not under 12s...) and their staff. I would make a conscious decision to eat somewhere like that to be honest if I didn't have my child with me.

[SchrodingersImmigrant]

@Shmithecat2 I bet you the houses are clean and if child threw part of their dinner on a floor, hell would break loose.
Because at home, they have to clean it themselves...

[BiBabbles]

Just from the post, it sounds more than reasonable, especially as it's one day a week.

I know a pub near me that has an Over 18s only area on one side (which has the giant screen for sports) and the family stuff on the other side. That seems to work well.

[Funfortheroad]

It's a shame for those of us who expect good behaviour from our children, but I do totally understand. I've seen the way some children are allowed to behave in public and it's not only disruptive and selfish but also dangerous when servers are walking around. My children are not perfect angels (and one has SEN) but the difference is that we would take them out of a situation where we were inconveniencing other people in any way.

[TwoPupsAndaHamster]

Fantastic news! 👏👏👏 Hopefully other pubs will follow

[GreyhoundG1rl]

Fair play to them. Pubs are not for kids.

[Jaxhog]

I don't blame them. We haven't been back to a local pub since our own bad Sunday lunch experience. I bunch of adults with their kids (ages 5ish to 15) arrived and occupied 2 tables. You guessed it - one for the adults and one for the kids. The kids table was next to our table. They shouted, threw food at each other, and behaved appallingly. Neither the staff nor parents did a thing. We left after our lunch and will not be returning.

[Shmithecat2]

@BiBabbles

Just from the post, it sounds more than reasonable, especially as it's one day a week.

I know a pub near me that has an Over 18s only area on one side (which has the giant screen for sports) and the family stuff on the other side. That seems to work well.

No, its not just one day a week - Sunday was the only day they used to allow under 12s. 😂😂😂

[SVRT19674]

They wouldn´t have my custom, then. Not with not without.

[DrCoconut]

It's a real pity for those who can't go elsewhere. I remember the reaction when they first banned children in the week, lots of comments saying go to soft play etc. Not an option for coeliac children and it's horrible that a few people have spoiled things for everyone else. Yes it's not essential to eat out but it's nice isn't it?

[TheDevils]

Good on them - I have 3 Young children and wouldn't dream of taking them to a pub to eat

Why not?
I completely agree that badly behaved children are a nightmare in pubs I can can completely understand if a pub wants to be child free but not all children are badly behaved.
We've been taking DS to pubs since he was a baby ( he's now 6) and we've always made sure that he behaves appropriately and we always clean up after ourselves! He loves going to the pub and knows the staff and regulars and the two pubs in our village.

The pubs where we live are mostly family friendly because that's how they make their money.

[TotorosCatBus]

Absolutely fine for a business to do this
There's 6 other days when children are welcome