Babies not allowed in bars/pubs?

[ChampagneLassie]

Out with newborn in pram this afternoon and tried to go for a drink at a bar with a big outdoor terrace. Was denied entry as, under 18s not allowed. The man was apologetic but adamant that this applied to sleeping babies in prams. It felt particularly ridicouks as this was bar was right on high street with tables basically lining pavement.
I can understand children not allowed but would that really extend to babies in prams? Are council licensing that officus?

@ Oh I agree, but it's tricky to navigate.

In fact, the pub I went to has 'rules' I can't tell you what they are and we've been there plenty of times. I have no idea what the cut off time for children is, but I think one exists. Pubs tend to use their own discretion, their favourites get to sit anywhere with their dogs/ children and other people can only sit in certain areas. It's a minefield.

I do think some perspective is needed however in response to other posters where it seems babies should never enter any establishment ever.

Last post for @Kanaloa. MN issue with tagging.

Good rule.

So that was a family friendly pub then!
This wasnt , it said no under 18s

There are some pubs where it is ok - these allow under 18s and some where it isn't- these don't allow under 18s.

It's not a tricky concept to understand that not all pubs are created equal.

Improve? Ok. No. There are so few places on this planet that you can go and not have to deal with loud and annoying children, can't there just be some places for those of us that don't want to be around small children? The entitlement of some parents is unbelievable.

This is s peculiarly British attitude. In much of Europe, it's common for families socialise together in the evenings

God, how many times will I see this rubbish on MN? If you go to tourist areas of France/Italy/Spain, most restaurants will cater for the tourist market and let kids in. It does not follow that all restaurants and bars in those countries are child-friendly. I''ve lived in 2 of those countries - I can promise you that there are plenty of child-free restaurants and bars.

Sleeping babies don't stay asleep. Some parents take a baby who cries out of the room, when they're in a mainly adult space; lots don't. The last time I was in a child-friendly pub in the UK, the people at the next table changed a shitty nappy on the table.

I’d honestly not think to check during the day. All the pubs near me are family friendly and mine have been going out for meals or drinks with us since they were newborns. Bars without food I can imagine being over 18s only,

Pubs are BORING for kids

The OP has a baby in a pram! Entertainment not necessary!

I took a group of 4 DC to a Weatherspoons for lunch the other week, as it was the most kid friendly place for lunch we could find, in terms of their menu (out and about in London).

They loved it! Especially the bottomless hot chocolate . They're not toddlers, though, the youngest was 8.

When they were younger they loved the many country pubs near where we live that have playgrounds or huge fields to play in.

I think what people are forgetting is that pubs are used differently at different times of the day. I don't think anyone here is suggesting DC should come along in a boozy night out.

The place I used to go with my mum friends and our newborns was ram packed with partying people on a weekend evening. I don't suppose most of them had any idea that a group of mums and babies regularly took over one side of the pub, though, as we never saw them there at 11am-1pm on a Tuesday, and we weren't there with the party people at 10pm on a Saturday night.

Not all pubs- plenty allowed women, but it was legal to refuse to serve them. You can look up the legislation-
"Up until 1982, it was perfectly legal to refuse to serve women in British pubs, which were traditionally “male environments”. Happily, this all changed in 1982, following the legal case of solicitor Tess Gill and journalist Anna Coote.6 Feb 2018"

I should have said unaccompanied women could legally be banned at pubs(refused service). Escorted women could go in by this time, though that was not true a few decades earlier.

Most pubs allow children but I would’ve thought it was pretty obvious a high street bar wouldn’t. No reason you can’t go for a drink with your children but you choose somewhere appropriate.

I live in a seaside town and lots of babies and children in beer gardens, some of them have play equipment as well so they attract the family crowd. It never seems to be an issue but I suppose some people might want to be somewhere that doesn't allow children, I just can't think of one locally.

This is s peculiarly British attitude. In much of Europe, it's common for families socialise together in the evenings, and for DC to have later bedtimes.

You can do the same in the UK if you choose appropriate venues.

But as someone who lined in France for a year, believe me there were loads of bars and restaurants that didn't allow children and that were the total opposite of "child friendly".

Well most places tend to play to their clientele. North London is buggy belt central so they would have pulled out the stops with licensing and insurance to allow that and encourage families given they would be their biggest money makers.

When we lived in south London our local gastro pub with a lovely courtyard allowed kids until 6pm. After that it was strictly no kids as us after work drinkers would congregate there to enjoy some wine and a smoke outside and dinner. When they allowed free access they had constant complaints from the tiny number of people with kids that the smoke was bad for their kids so they were banned from 6pm.

Given it's London there were a million other option for people with kids after 6pm. establishments set their own rules according to their clientele and I'm happy with that. It was lovely to go there knowing there's be no kids around and to worry about lighting up as the perplexing next to you had a buggy but the gastro pub down the road kids were allowed and it was no smoking outside. Fine. I'm not going to go there. People with kids can go there. Both did a roaring trade. Options are good.

This. Children do not belong in pubs.

Where did I say ALL pubs or restaurants? I didn't.

What I was talking about was societal attitudes. In Spain and Italy IME, families will socialise together in the evenings in a way the British don't, so much. Brits have a pretty rigid idea that children must be in bed by 7pm. MIL, for example, will comment if she sees a mother in the supermarket with a baby at 9pm, she thinks they're out too late. But that's not the case in Spain, or Italy for example, where children generally have much later bedtimes.

Touristy North Wales area allows children but they do serve food. One pub eaterie the locals use, especially the retired a grizzly baby in a family group was glared at repeatedly once at lunchtime. Best to source the family friendly ones. Here even the Costa mums get moaned about on local FB PAGES.

This. Pubs are for adults. Literally everywhere else is for kids. Adults go to pub to get away from DC.

Babies in prams tend to cry though and disturb others.

I used to take my non-sleeper out to noisy bars all the time in the early days. The background noise would completely knock them out, I'd stay for one drink and read my book and then go home with a fast asleep baby. No one seemed to care/notice. Admittedly, I wouldn't have done this on a busy Friday/Saturday night though!

8 year olds are OK though, my DS is nearly 9 and he'd be fine in a pub, toddlers need a lot more entertaining!

Why would the people in a cafe be any keener on having a screaming baby there?! Either way if the baby can't be settled and you're indoors you're going to need to go outside, and one of the appeals of pubs is that they often have a lot more and better outside space than cafes. I don't understand why there's any real difference in taking a baby to a pub rather than a cafe (and there are plenty of threads where people moan about children in cafes, too...)

@AffIt

absolutely yes “game over” for you OP!

Youve had your time You had a kid they didn’t ask to be born now you can never do anything adult focused again. You will be confined to soft play. As the child grows up you will have solely do whatever they want. I mean going to a pub… wtf were you thinking OP? Your child didn’t ask to be born. And drinking alcohol….wow! Don’t you know that you cannot have a an alcoholic drink now until child is at least 18?? You’re a mother now. Mothers don’t do that, good mothers anyway. Say bye bye to pubs and any thing that you enjoy now you have a baby!

honestly this seems the mentality of some on here! “Game over” indeed!

There are 3 pubs and a micro brewery with bar area in my village. One doesn't allow dogs, one doesn't allow kids, the other 2 allow both. There is a local sports club too, with a huge field to run around on. There are also 2 cafes, one dog friendly one not. (Just pointing out there are many options for people in quite a small village).

The number if people who try to bring their children into the 1 pub which doesn't allow children in is insane. The amount of abuse the staff get because Mummy and Daddy want to come to this pub not one of the others because they are entitled to a nice afternoon out is embarrassing (for the spoilt entitled people).

I love children, my career is working with them and my house is full of children, friends, clients. They are a massive part of my life but sometimes its bloody lovely to have a nice drink without them around. Me and the dog love being able to go to the pub and not be bothered!