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

The worst situation I’ve had was a group of 4 or 5 adults, with around 12-15 kids. They put all the kids on one table (which they’d reserved) with a girl who looked all of 11 in charge, then they fucked off to a quieter part of the pub and left the kids to run riot.

Good for them. I live about 30mins away and I might make a booking. After ive arranged childcare that is.....

@Wiredforsound

Brilliant idea. Take your crotch goblins to a Harvester or Pizza Hut - they at least supply crayons for the little monsters to eat.

Crotch goblins? Wow, you seem to have some deep seated issues

I think it's fine. I have kids. There are kid friendly pubs and others I would only go to when I have babysitting. It's surely their choice who their target market is or isn't.

Good for them! I wish more places would do this. It’s obviously unfair on those families who’s kids do behave, but so many of them don’t that it’s been spoiled by these selfish and entitled parents. My DB was one of those kids who couldn’t sit down and eat a meal quietly, and so we never ate out as a family in a restaurant until we were both in our teens. Unfortunately so many parents think that world revolves around them and their kids and they should be allowed to be as spirited as they like wherever they like and bugger anyone else.

@Franklyfrost

It’s alarming some people dislike children so much they can’t bear to be in the same space as them. But it’s a good idea to have a designated pub for all the grumpies, that way they can complain about each other and save the rest of us from their tutting. I sometimes take my kids to the pub, they sit there and drink an orange juice, it’s terribly offensive.

No one is moaning about well behaved, quiet children. But don’t expect strangers to adore the sound and sights of screaming, out of control little brats who are in an adult environment. It’s not soft play, it’s a pub.

It's not the only pub that does this. One in Belgravia in London allows "well-behaved children" in at weekends. As DS2 has ADHD, we just don't eat there.

Country pubs would never ban dogs!

Actually I went to a pub billed as the most dog-friendly pub in the New Forest. My dog was snoozing under the table and this couple at the next table were glaring and sidling away from him and then were talking in loud voices about how unhygienic dogs are. Why they chose to dine in a pub which actually advertises itself as dog friendly beats me.

Children in pubs…. Okay if it’s a ball pit type place or if you know your dcs are well behaved. Ime it’s actually the posher families who are entitled and sit back and let their kids roll around under the table and play on scooters. Mind you, I think that makes them grow up full of self-confidence, whereas my dcs are cowed .

I think it’s more than fine. I’m sure 90% of the children who’ve gone there have been fine but when they are disruptive they are REALLY disruptive. It’s a way bigger stress on the staff than patrons who are just a bit pissed (you can kick them oh very easily).
The people on this thread bemoaning people not liking children are probably the parents of the children causing issues in these circumstances.

We live next door to a country pub and often have to go out for the day as we can't sit in the living room or garden for screaming kids in the beer garden who sound like they're in the house with us. Inevitably the parents are inside the pub, completely oblivious. If you take your kids to a pub for lunch they should be sitting with you, not ruining the peace of everyone around them.

I'd have no problem with this at all. I have had many meals ruined by this sort of family.

Problem with ejecting families is they then review you on TripAdvsor which can have a hugely detrimental impact on the business.

I've seen people do that on facebook as well and whipping up parental frenzy, hundreds giving 1 star reviews etc. It's horrible. They are imho more dangerous to businesses than a problematic drunk

I could see this working at certain times - say in the evenings. But lunch is more of a family thing, so perhaps it is not such a good idea...?

I should also add I know of an incident at a pub near me when a family were asked to control their children who were running riot and the father kicked off, assaulting a waiter and smashing the bar up. He was actually prosecuted and almost went to prison for it. So it’s not as easy as ‘asking them to leave’, these kinds of parents don’t take kindly to their kids being criticised.

Never mind. There are plenty of other options. McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Nando’s, Frankie and Bennys etc.

I think sometimes adults go out of their way to find rowdy families so they can enjoy a good moan. Some people's lives are just basically moaning.

I can honestly say I've never had other people's children ruin a meal. But then I never go to chain pubs.

Sounds amazing, I’ll head there next time I’m in the new forest, so glad my youngest is 13!

Once you are done with having small children, listening to other people’s little darlings running up and down the room screaming and shouting very much looses its appeal.

I can honestly say I've never had other people's children ruin a meal. But then I never go to chain pubs

The pub in question isn’t a chain 🤷‍♀️

I love establishments that make it clear as day whether they're family friendly or not. My children can act up when we go out and I don't want to spend money making me and everyone around me uncomfortable.

Not sure why pubs are for adults to be honest. Because people get there to drink and get drunk?

I am Spanish. I have lived in France, Switzerland, India, Ireland and, finally, in the UK. The attitude towards kids and pubs was something that took quite a long time to become familiar with. Kids stopped at doors like unwanted pets.

It is culturally acceptable to segregate kids in a pub. Would be unthinkable in Spain to stop a child entering a bar with his parents. I guess there are advantages to both approaches. But it is far from an objective truth that a place that serves drinks are food is, by nature, for adults.

I love that everyone has come on this thread to post about how well behaved and quiet their children are.

@HarebrightCedarmoon

I think sometimes adults go out of their way to find rowdy families so they can enjoy a good moan. Some people's lives are just basically moaning.

I can honestly say I've never had other people's children ruin a meal. But then I never go to chain pubs.

Well I have. Far too many times to mention! Special mention to the family who allowed their kids, who really were old enough to know better, to run riot around a busy pub with a pretend gun ‘shooting’ each other.

We love eating out so we have ‘trained’ our children on how to behave in those settings from a early age. However, we would only them to child friendly pubs/restaurants at appropriate times for a meal. I would never take my children to a pub for them to sit around bored and watch me get pissed.

Our local pub banned children after nine as parents would basically sit drinking whilst the children ran riot.

@camaleon

Not sure why pubs are for adults to be honest. Because people get there to drink and get drunk?

I am Spanish. I have lived in France, Switzerland, India, Ireland and, finally, in the UK. The attitude towards kids and pubs was something that took quite a long time to become familiar with. Kids stopped at doors like unwanted pets.

It is culturally acceptable to segregate kids in a pub. Would be unthinkable in Spain to stop a child entering a bar with his parents. I guess there are advantages to both approaches. But it is far from an objective truth that a place that serves drinks are food is, by nature, for adults.

Pubs were always adult only and mostly male - in fact it wasn't that long ago that women were allowed to go into the "public bar". It was assumed that if they visited a pub they'd sit in the lounge bar and even then it was a brave woman who went in alone.

When I was a child children under 14 ( IIRC) were legally banned from being in a pub when it was open to the public. This changed when the law was changed to allow family rooms ( with no actual bar) and now anything goes.

It's a very different culture from mainland Europe.

@dreamingbohemian

To be fair, there are plenty of nightmare children on the continent as well, but (in my experience) the difference is that then their parents don't take them out to eat, until they are older and can behave better.

Not my experience at all. It is totally normal in any Spanish town to see very young kids well past midnights in many places having an ice-cream, drink, etc. The unwritten curfew that exists here is mind-blowing for someone like me. It is just acceptable in the UK to exclude children from this environment, that as a consequence becomes very unfriendly for children.

This is what I am saying @LadyPoison. It is a different culture regarding children; not a clear cut truth that some places belong to adults.